HB71 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rick RehmRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to Houston County; to amend Section 45-35-111, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide for the compensation and appointment of election officials; and to repeal Section 45-35-111.01, Code of Alabama 1975.

Summary

HB71 updates Houston County election official pay and titles, repeals a prior pay provision, and sets new daily compensation for various election roles.

What This Bill Does

The bill sets specific daily pay totals for Houston County election workers, renames certain roles, and allows the county to appoint chief inspectors and deputy chief inspectors from among poll workers. It establishes higher daily totals for chief inspectors ($200/day), deputy chief inspectors ($150/day), and poll workers ($125/day), while maintaining baseline totals that combine state and county payments for other officials ($55/day for officials at polls and $65/day for supervisors). It states that if the state increases its payments in the future, the county’s payment will decrease accordingly, and all of this funding comes from the county general fund; it also repeals the previous 45-35-111.01 provision. The act takes effect immediately after governor approval.

Who It Affects

• Houston County election officials who work at polling places, including poll workers, supervisors, chief inspectors, and deputy chief inspectors, who will receive new defined daily compensation totals.
• The Houston County Appointing Board, which gains authority to appoint chief inspectors and deputy chief inspectors from the pool of poll workers.
• County government (general fund), which will pay the additional compensation; if state payments rise, the county’s portion will automatically decrease.
• The relationship between state and county pay for election officials, with the repealed 45-35-111.01 section removed from law.

Key Provisions

• Section 45-35-111 is amended to set per diem totals so that officials at polls receive a combined total of $55 per day, supervisors $65 per day, with inspectors renamed as chief inspectors and clerks renamed as poll workers.
• The Houston County Appointing Board may appoint chief inspectors and deputy chief inspectors from the pool of appointed poll workers.
• A chief inspector’s total compensation shall be $200 per day; a deputy chief inspector’s total compensation shall be $150 per day; and poll workers’ total compensation shall be $125 per day, all amounts including state payments.
• If the amount paid by the state to these officials increases in the future, the county’s payment under this section automatically decreases by the same amount.
• All additional compensation provided under this section shall be paid from the county’s general fund.
• Section 45-35-111.01 is repealed.

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

Subjects

Houston County, provided for the compensation and appointment of election officials