SB165 • 2026

Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption

Education Elections Taxes

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Jones (A)
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: Enacted
Effective date: 2026-04-16

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text contains some repetitive phrasing ('person individual') which was smoothed for readability but does not change meaning.

SB165: Fees for City Election Candidates in Class 4 Municipalities

This law sets specific dollar amounts that candidates must pay to run for mayor, city council, or municipal board of education in certain Alabama cities and creates a fee waiver process for low-income applicants who provide proof.

What This Bill Does

Sets the qualifying fee at $500 for mayoral candidates.
Sets the qualifying fee at $250 for city council and municipal board of education candidates.
Requires all candidates to pay these fees when they file their statement of candidacy with the city clerk.
Allows financially unable candidates to skip the fee if they prove their income is low enough by filing a tax return or getting statements from three voters.

Who It Names or Affects

Candidates running for mayor in Class 4 municipalities with a mayor-council government.
Candidates running for city council or municipal board of education in those same cities.
City clerks who collect the fees and review exemption documents.
Low-income individuals seeking to run for these offices without paying the fee.

Terms To Know

Qualifying Fee: The money a candidate must pay when filing their statement of candidacy to officially appear on an election ballot.
Class 4 Municipality: A specific type of city in Alabama that uses a mayor and council system of government.
Federal Poverty Level: An income standard set by the federal government used to measure if someone has low enough earnings for certain benefits or exemptions.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only applies to Class 4 municipalities with a mayor-council form of government, not all cities in Alabama.
The text does not explain what happens if the city clerk rejects an exemption request due to missing documents.

Bill History

2026-04-17 Senate
Enacted
2026-04-08 House
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1289 (Yeas 79, Nays 0)
2026-04-08 House
Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 91, Nays 0)
2026-04-08 Senate
Delivered to Governor
2026-04-08 House
Signature Requested
2026-04-08 Senate
Enrolled
2026-04-08 Senate
Ready to Enroll
2026-03-11 House
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-03-11 House
Reported Out of Committee Second House
2026-02-25 Senate
Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 611 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-02-25 Senate
Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 33, Nays 0)
2026-02-25 House
Pending Committee Action in Second House
2026-02-25 House
Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government
2026-02-25 Senate
Carried Over to the Call of the Chair
2026-01-20 Senate
Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar
2026-01-20 Senate
Reported Out of Committee House of Origin
2026-01-14 Senate
Pending Committee Action in House of Origin
2026-01-14 Senate
Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government

Official Summary Text

This act amends Section 11-43B-4, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to Class 4 municipalities with a mayor-council form of government, to: (1) require candidates for a municipal board of education to pay a qualifying fee when filing a statement of candidacy; (2) provide the qualifying fees for mayoral candidates is $500 and for city council and board of education candidates is $250; and (3) exempt indigent candidates for these positions from qualifying fees if their most recent tax return evidences the candidate has a gross income not exceeding 130 percent of the federal poverty level.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB165 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB165
YMEKWN6-2
By Senator Jones
RFD: County and Municipal Government
First Read: 14-Jan-26
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SB165 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 14-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to elections; to amend Section 11-43B-4, Code
of Alabama 1975; to further provide for qualification fees for
municipal elections in certain Class 4 municipalities; to
require indigent candidates to submit certain documentation to
qualify for fee exemptions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 11-43B-4, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§11-43B-4
(a) The initial elections provided for herein in this
chapter , and all subsequent elections, shall be conducted, the
vote canvassed, the results declared, and those elected assume
the duties of their offices in the same manner as provided by
the general law of the state pertaining to municipal elections
for mayor-council forms of government, except as otherwise
provided by state statute.
(b)(1) The mayor shall be elected by the whole of the
electors of the city and shall have been a resident of the
city for at least 90 days prior to his or her election.
(2) Council members shall be elected by the electors of
the district which they represent , and shall have been
residents of the district which they represent for at least 90
days prior to their election.
(c)(1) Any person individual desiring to become a
candidate for mayor , or council member , or member of the
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SB165 Enrolled
Page 2
candidate for mayor , or council member , or member of the
municipal board of education must, at the time of filing a
statement of candidacy, shall pay to the city clerk the
qualifying fee to be set by ordinance. Notwithstanding Section
11-46-2, the qualifying fee for mayoral candidates shall be
five hundred dollars ($500), and the qualifying fee for
council member and municipal board of education member
candidates shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
(2) If any person individual desiring to become a
candidate for mayor , or council member , or member of the
municipal board of education is financially unable to pay the
filing fee, then that person individual shall be exempted from
the fee upon attesting that the individual has a gross income
that does not exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level
and filing with the city clerk a copy of the individual's most
recent federal tax return. verified statements from three city
electors that said candidate is indigent and not financially
capable of paying the fee .
(d) Within 30 days after the election, every candidate
shall file with the city clerk a sworn statement of all
election campaign expenses and of each person individual ,
firm, or corporation which has contributed funds, itemized for
all expenditures and contributions of one hundred dollars
($100.00) or more."
Section 2. This act shall become effective immediately.
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SB165 Enrolled
Page 3
Section 2. This act shall become effective immediately.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB165
Senate 25-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 08-Apr-26
By: Senator Jones
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