Constitution, Campaigns and Elections

SB 42 revises Alabama's municipal election rules to require runoff elections whenever no candidate receives a majority of votes cast in any municipal election - including races with only two candidates. The bill mandates that if no candidate achieves over 50% of the total votes, the municipal governing body must hold a runoff between the top two candidates. This change applies to all Alabama cities and towns holding elections where a majority winner is not determined in the first round. The law, effective June 1, 2026, updates existing procedures to ensure runoffs occur in all such cases, eliminating the previous exception for two-candidate races.

SB 166 requires political action committees, principal campaign committees, and municipal candidates in Alabama to preserve all campaign records - including contribution details, expenditures, bank accounts, and filed reports - for four years after submitting their reports. This extends the current two-year retention period to align with the four-year window for prosecuting violations of campaign finance laws. The bill applies directly to entities already mandated to file campaign disclosures under Alabama’s Fair Campaign Practices Act. It mandates record preservation without creating new reporting requirements, focusing solely on retention duration.

This bill would prevent local election officials from removing or deactivating voters from registration lists within 90 days before any regular election in Alabama. It directly affects county boards of registrars and the voters they manage by restricting their ability to purge individuals from the voter rolls during this critical pre-election window. The legislation maintains existing rules for voter disqualification but adds a time-based protection that ensures voters cannot be removed from the list during the final three months before an election. Additionally, the bill includes minor technical updates to align the state's election code language with current formatting standards.

This bill would remove the option for voters to cast a straight party ticket, which allows a single mark on a ballot to select all candidates from one political party for various offices. It directly affects all voters in Alabama by changing how ballots are designed and how votes can be cast during elections. The legislation prohibits ballot features that enable straight party voting and repeals existing state code sections that outline procedures for this type of voting. Additionally, the bill amends requirements for electronic voting systems to remove provisions that allow voters to select a straight party ticket in one operation. These changes would take effect on January 1, 2027.

HB 443 establishes Alabama's process for appointing commissioners to represent the state at a potential national Article V Convention, which could propose U.S. constitutional amendments. It requires the Legislature to appoint three commissioners and three alternates via joint resolution, with strict qualifications (e.g., Alabama residency for five years, no federal lobbying/employment). Commissioners must follow specific instructions limiting their authority to amendments related to Alabama's 2015 application, cannot support altering states' voting rules or individual rights guarantees, and are paid at prorated legislative rates. The bill also creates recall procedures for misconduct and criminal penalties for exceeding authorized duties.