SB479 Summary

• Amends Section 17-16-2 of the Alabama Code to include advertising, media, telephone, computer, and communications operations expenses as reimbursable election expenses for counties recognizing Mardi Gras as a holiday when the presidential preference primary falls on Mardi Gras.

• Establishes legislative findings that Act 2007-461 authorized counties (Mobile, Baldwin, and others observing Mardi Gras) to spend up to $25,000 on communications and up to $100,000 on advertising to implement early voting and absentee ballot provisions.

• Clarifies that all expenses necessary for absentee balloting and early voting when presidential preference primary coincides with Mardi Gras shall be reimbursed by the state, addressing the State Comptroller's prior non-reimbursement of Mobile County's 2008 expenses.

• Makes the reimbursement requirement retroactively effective to the February 5, 2008, presidential preference primary election, allowing counties to recover previously unreimbursed qualifying expenses.