Alabama State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

Alabama

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2000 Representatives:	7	(1.61% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	7	(1.61% of 435)
2004 Electors:	9	(1.68% of 535)
1990 Census:	4,040,389	(1.62% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	4,461,130	(1.58% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):	2,528,963
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	3,333,000
Capital:	Montgomery

Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Marianas Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

States Alphabetically Current Alabama Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The STATE of Alabama
	Organized as a Territory: 3 March 1817. 3 Stat. 371; previously, part of Mississippi Territory
	Admitted to the Union as a State: 14 December 1819 by a Joint Resolution of Congress (3 Stat. 608)
	The 22nd state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: SOUTH
	Region: Lower ["Deep"] South
	Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 2 March 1819 [3 Stat. 489: authorizing formation of a State government and Admission thereafter]

• 1st (1819-1865) [Adopted: 2 August 1819 Convention convened, 5 July 1819, Ratified: 2 August 1819 not submitted to the People; effective upon Admission, 14 December 1819]

• 2nd (1865-1868) [Adopted: 30 September 1865 Convention convened, 12 September 1865, Ratified: 30 September 1865 not submitted to the People]

• 3rd (1868-1875) [Adopted: 6 December 1867 Convention convened, 5 November 1867, Ratified: 1868]

• 4th (1875-1901) [Adopted: 2 October 1875 Convention convened, 6 September 1875, Ratified: 16 November 1875 ratified by vote of 95,672 to 30,004; effective, 6 December 1875]

• 5th (1901--) [Adopted: 3 September 1901 Convention convened, 21 May 1901, Ratified: 28 November 1901]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• President of the State Senate (1819-1867) [under State's 1st and 2nd Constitutions: would merely become "acting Governor"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
	• Lieutenant Governor (1867-1875) [under State's 3rd Constitution: elected separately from GOVERNOR; next in line of succession: President pro Tempore of the State Senate]
	• President of the State Senate (1875-1901) [under State's 4th Constitution: would merely become "acting Governor"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
	• Lieutenant Governor (1901--) [under State's 5th Constitution: elected separately from GOVERNOR; next in line of succession: President pro Tempore of the State Senate, then Speaker of the State House of Representatives, followed- if ever necessary- by Statewide Elected Executive Officers]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2008 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Elected separately from the Governor
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Commissioner of Agriculture and Industry: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• LEGISLATURE (1817-1819) [as a Territory]
	• GENERAL ASSEMBLY (1819-1901)
	• LEGISLATURE (1901--) [Name changed upon the adoption of the State's 5th Constitution]

Upper House
	• Legislative Council (1817-1819) [as a Territory]
	• Senate (1819--) [currently 35 Senators by DISTRICT: 4-year terms]
Lower House
	• House of Representatives (1817--) [as both a Territory and a State] [currently 105 Representatives by DISTRICT: 4-year terms]

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court (1819--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Court of Appeals (1910-1969) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]
	• Court of Civil Appeals (1969--) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]
	• Court of Criminal Appeals (1969--) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: State]

General Trial Jurisdiction
	• Circuit Court (1819--) Constitutional Court [IN: circuit FOR: county]

Limited Jurisdiction
	• County Court (--1977) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: county]
	• Recorder's Court (--1977) Statutory Court [FOR: municpality]
	• Justices of the Peace (1819-1977) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county-1875: precinct]
	• District Court (1975--) Statutory Court [FOR: county]
	• Municipal Court (1975--) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: municipality]
Special Jurisdiction
	• Chancery Court (1819--) Constitutional Court [IN: division & district FOR: county]
	• Probate Court (1819--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county]

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: COMMISSION]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• precinct [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. Functioned historically as the jurisdiction of Alabama's justices of the peace (until that office was abolished in 1977); some precincts still elect a constable but this office may be abolished by local option. Where a constable is no longer elected, the precinct is largely dormant]

Incorporated Municipalities All States
	• City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 2,000 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen; Commission]
	• Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 300-1,999, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen; Commission]

Localities
	• Alabama Civil Divisions and Municipalities


Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States
	Alabama Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

Presidential Primary All States
	• (--2006) Section 17-16-6. Presidential preference primaries and primary elections, except special primary elections ... shall be held on the first Tuesday in June....
	• (2007--) Section 17-13-100 (a) Primary elections for the purpose of determining the preferred candidates for President of the United States shall be held the first Tuesday in February each year in which a President is to be elected beginning in the year 2008. (c) (2) Qualified electors in Mobile County, Baldwin County, and any county that recognizes Mardi Gras as a county holiday may vote in the presidential preference primary on the Wednesday preceding the first Tuesday in February. (4) When early voting is provided, votes on that day shall be counted by poll workers at the voting centers and the results shall be sealed without disclosure... such results shall remain sealed until the first Tuesday in February, when the final tabulation and canvassing shall be conducted, after which all results shall be announced at the same time.
State Primary All States
	• (--2006) Section 17-16-6. Presidential preference primaries and primary elections, except special primary elections ... shall be held on the first Tuesday in June.... 17-16-36.(b) If no candidate receives a majority of all of the votes cast in the primary election ... then there shall be held a second primary election on the sixth Tuesday following the primary election....
	• (2006--) Section 17-13-3. Primary elections, except special primary elections and presidential preference primaries ... shall be held on the first Tuesday in June. Section 17-13-18. (b) If no candidate receives a majority of all of the votes cast ..., then there shall be held a second primary election on the sixth Tuesday following the primary election.
Polling times All States
	• Code of Alabama Section 11-46-28. (a) Every polling place shall open for voting at 7:00 A.M. and shall close at 7:00 P.M. and shall remain open for voting for not less than 12 consecutive hours. All polling places in areas operating on eastern time may open and close under this section pursuant to eastern time.

Links Links to other web sites

Election Authority
	• Alabama Secretary of State
	• Elections Division / Alabama Secretary of State
Legislature
	• Alabama House of Representatives
	• Alabama Legislature
	• Alabama State Senate
	• Alison - Alabama Legislative Information System OnLine (The "Code of Ala" tab is near the left margin)
Democratic
	• Alabama Democratic Party
Republican
	• Alabama Republican Party
Third Party
	• Alabama Green Party
	• Libertarian Party of Alabama
	• The Alabama Constitution Party
Media & others
	• al.com - Everything Alabama
	• Andalusia Star News
	• Daily Mountain Eagle - Jasper
	• DC's Political Report - Alabama
	• Doc's Political Parlor and Home of Lawn Mower Repair
	• Hartselle Enquirer
	• Independent Alabama
	• Independent Alabama (Voter Rights)
	• Mobile Register
	• Montgomery Advertiser
	• Oxford Independent
	• Politics1.com - Alabama
	• The Clanton Advertiser
	• The Cullman Times
	• The Daily Home - Talladega
	• The Daily Sentinel - Scottsboro
	• The Decatur Daily
	• The Demopolis Times
	• The Dothan Eagle
	• The Gadsden Times
	• The Messinger - Troy
	• The Opelika-Auburn News - Opelika
	• The Outlook - Alexander City & Lake Martin
	• The People's Voice Weekly News
	• The Star - Anniston
	• The Times-Journal - Fort Payne
	• The Valley Times-News - Lanett
	• Times Daily - Florence
	• Tuscaloosa News
	• Voter News Network
	• WAAY TV - ABC - Huntsville
	• WAFF TV - NBC - Huntsville
	• WAKA TV - CBS - Montgomery
	• WBRC TV - FOX - Birmingham
	• WHNT TV - Huntsville
	• WNCF TV - ABC - Montgomery
	• WPMI TV - NBC - Mobile - Pensacola - Ft. Walton Beach
	• WSFA TV - NBC - Montgomery
	• WVTM TV - NBC - Birmingham