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HB193 • 2026

Marshall County; custodian of voting tabulators, selection committee, salary increased, duties clarified

Marshall County; custodian of voting tabulators, selection committee, salary increased, duties clarified

Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Colvin
Last action
2026-01-29
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text shows crossed-out numbers (e.g., $8,900 and $10,000) indicating previous amounts were replaced by new ones ($27,000 and $20,000).

Marshall County Voting Machine Custodian Rules and Pay

This law changes who picks the person in charge of voting machines in Marshall County, lists their specific job duties, raises their yearly pay to $27,000 starting July 1, 2026, and increases their required bond amount.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the presiding circuit judge (who chairs the committee), the circuit clerk, and the presiding district judge to the selection committee for the custodian of voting tabulators.
  • Lists twelve specific tasks for the custodian, such as testing machines against manufacturer specs, installing paper rolls, sealing units, supporting ADA equipment on election day, and attending recounts.
  • Increases the yearly salary for the custodian from $8,900 to $27,000 starting July 1, 2026.
  • Raises the required bond amount for the custodian from $10,000 to $20,000 before they begin their duties.
  • Allows the Marshall County Commission to vote on raising the salary again beginning June 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The custodian of voting tabulators in Marshall County
  • The committee members who select and oversee the custodian

Terms To Know

Custodian of voting tabulators
A person appointed to manage, test, and maintain the machines that count votes.
Bonded
Required to have a financial guarantee in place before starting work to ensure duties are performed faithfully.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not state the exact amount for future salary increases after June 1, 2028.
  • The list of tasks includes 'but not limited to' other duties found in another section of the code.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-29 House

    Enacted

  2. 2026-01-27 Senate

    Signature Requested

  3. 2026-01-27 House

    Delivered to Governor

  4. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 115 (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  5. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 32, Nays 0)

  6. 2026-01-22 House

    Enrolled

  7. 2026-01-22 House

    Ready to Enroll

  8. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  9. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  10. 2026-01-20 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 25 (Yeas 9, Nays 0)

  11. 2026-01-20 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 50, Nays 0)

  12. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  13. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Local Legislation

  14. 2026-01-15 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  15. 2026-01-15 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  16. 2026-01-13 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  17. 2026-01-13 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Local Legislation

Official Summary Text

Marshall County; custodian of voting tabulators, selection committee, salary increased, duties clarified

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB193 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB193
7BYSKVV-2
By Representative Colvin (N & P)
RFD: Local Legislation
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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HB193 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 13-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to Marshall County; to amend Section
45-48-111.03, Code of Alabama 1975; to require that the
presiding circuit judge, circuit clerk, and presiding district
judge are part of the committee to select the custodian of
voting tabulators; to clarify custodian responsibilities; and
to increase the custodian's salary.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 45-48-111.03, Code of Alabama 1975,
is amended to read as follows:
"§45-48-111.03
(a) A custodian of voting machines tabulators shall be
appointed by a committee composed of the senior presiding
circuit judge, who shall also be the chair, the judge of
probate, tax collector circuit clerk , sheriff, and the county
judgepresiding district judge . SuchThe custodian of voting
machines tabulators shall have attended a recognized school
that teaches the training course that teaches operation and
handling of voting machines tabulators , or in lieu thereof must
have had at least three years' experience in the operation and
handling of voting machines tabulators .
(b) The custodian shall be responsible for performing
all duties as set out in Section 17-9-28 necessary, or
incidental, to maintaining the county voting tabulators
including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Testing all voting tabulators and comparing the
test results to the manufacturer's specifications ensuring a
perfect match.
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HB193 Enrolled
Page 2
perfect match.
(2) Installing new paper rolls in all tabulators.
(3) Clearing any testing totals.
(4) Sealing voting tabulator units for delivery to the
voting precincts.
(5) Testing all equipment for use by individuals under
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure they are
working properly.
(6) Conducting a public test of the voting tabulators
as scheduled by the judge of probate.
(7) Resealing all public test units for delivery to the
voting precincts.
(8) Overseeing the delivery of equipment to the polling
precincts.
(9) Supporting the voting tabulators and ADA equipment
on election day.
(10) Overseeing the pickup of all voting tabulators and
ADA equipment and securing the tabulators and equipment at the
Marshall County Elections Warehouse.
(11) Charging voting equipment if required to ensure
that the machines are operational on election day.
(12) Testing all equipment for any recounts and
attending the recounts .
(c) The custodian of voting machines tabulators shall
receive a salary in the amount of eight thousand nine hundred
dollars ($8,900) twenty-seven thousand dollars ($27,000) per
annum payable in equal monthly installments , effective upon
July 1, 2026. The Marshall County Commission, by resolution
adopted in a duly called meeting of the Marshall County
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HB193 Enrolled
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adopted in a duly called meeting of the Marshall County
Commission, may provide for increases in the salary of the
custodian of voting tabulators beginning on June 1, 2028. The
salary shall be paid from the general fund of the county. and
before entering upon Before beginning his or her duties , the
custodian shall be bonded in the sum of ten twenty thousand
dollars ($10,000) ($20,000) for the faithful performance of his
or her duties as are other public officials ."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2026.
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HB193 Enrolled
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2026.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House 20-Jan-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 22-Jan-26 Passed
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