HB131 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew SorrellAuditor

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Elections, voter lists, judge of probate to place public voter lists on Internet public notice website maintained by Sec. of State, counties authorized to opt out, municipalities authorized to publish municipal voter lists on Sec. of State notice website, Secs. 11-46-36, 17-4-1 am'd.

Summary

HB131 would move the publication of voter lists from newspapers to a Secretary of State–run public notice website, with counties allowed to opt out and municipalities allowed to publish lists online for elections.

What This Bill Does

Replaces newspaper publication of county voter lists with online publication on a public notice website before primaries, unless the county commission opts out. Requires the Secretary of State to establish and operate the website, keep lists accessible to the public at no charge, and maintain archives; may charge a publication fee to cover costs. Also allows municipal clerks to publish municipal voter lists on the same website and updates related posting requirements; counties can opt out if online notices are deemed inadequate, with a formal notification process.

Who It Affects

• Counties and county officials (judges of probate and county commissions) – must publish county voter lists on the public notice website before primaries unless they opt out; if opting out, newspaper publication must continue and the county must notify the Secretary of State.
• Municipalities, clerks, and voters in municipal elections – allows publication of municipal voter lists on the public notice website; lists are filed, maintained, and made accessible as public records to support municipal elections.

Key Provisions

• The Secretary of State shall develop, maintain, and operate a public notice website for publishing lists of registered voters; access must be free to the public.
• County publication of voter lists moves to the public notice website before primaries unless the county commission votes to opt out; opt-out requires written notice to the Secretary of State within specified timelines.
• The Secretary of State may charge a reasonable fee to cover actual publication costs; the public will not be charged for access to the site.
• Municipal clerks may publish lists of qualified municipal voters on the public notice website; lists become public records and are distributed to inspectors as needed.
• The act includes deadlines for development/testing of the website, requires a public notice about implementation, and authorizes a public information campaign.
• If a county later finds the online system inadequate, it may revert to newspaper publication with a formal notification process to the Secretary of State.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Notices