Alabama: city elections just got more expensive
The Birmingham News reports: With qualifying beginning today for municipal elections, cities are finding out they have an unexpected expense - at least $50 a day for city clerks to handle absentee ballots.
In 2006, the Alabama Legislature passed a bill stating absentee election managers - which in most cases are city clerks - are entitled to receive the pay for 45 days prior to the election. The pay is for duties such as processing ballots, updating voter lists and verifying the identification of voters. By law, clerks can decline the pay.
Some cities say they just found out about the expense a few days ago, which has left them scrambling to set up provisions to pay the unbudgeted expense. -- Cities finding out they have an unexpected expense - at least $50 a day for city clerks to handle absentee ballots- al.com