HB470INTRODUCED Page 0 HB470 DRQCTNN-1 By Representative Pringle RFD: County and Municipal Government First Read: 18-Apr-24 1 2 3 4 5 DRQCTNN-1 04/17/2024 PMG (L)tgw 2024-1520 Page 1 First Read: 18-Apr-24 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, county commissions are responsible for redrawing voting precincts. There is no requirement on how often precinct boundaries must be adjusted. This bill would require county commissions to redraw voting precincts on a regular basis after redistricting legislation is passed and would require county commissions to submit a procedure on how each county commission intends to redraw voting precincts within certain prescribed parameters. This bill would also require county commissions to redraw voting precincts not later than July 1, 2025, based on the redistricting maps adopted following the 2020 federal census. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to voting precincts; to require county commissions to submit a procedure for adjusting voting precinct boundaries on a regular basis following the adoption of redistricting maps by the Legislature within certain 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HB470 INTRODUCED Page 2 of redistricting maps by the Legislature within certain prescribed parameters; and to require county commissions to redraw voting precincts based on the redistricting maps adopted by the Legislature following the 2020 federal census. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA: Section 1. Notwithstanding Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 17, Code of Alabama 1975, each county commission, not later than January 1, 2025, shall submit to the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment a procedure for redrawing the boundaries of voting precincts in the respective county that includes: (1) A plan for determining the voting precinct boundaries in a manner that divides the total population of the county by the number of voting precincts needed in the county, as determined by the county commission but in compliance with Section 17-6-3, Code of Alabama 1975, to calculate the average number of voters per precinct, and then determine the precinct boundaries so that the deviation of the number of voters assigned to any voting precinct is within five percentage points, plus or minus, of the average number. (2) A schedule for adjusting voting precinct boundaries after the Legislature adopts redistricting maps following each federal decennial census, as provided in Sections 16-3-1.1, 17-14-70, 29-1-1.2, and 29-1-2.3, Code of Alabama 1975, or any successor law providing for redistricting, which shall occur no later than two years after adoption of the redistricting maps. Section 2. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, each county commission shall redraw voting precinct boundaries 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 HB470 INTRODUCED Page 3 each county commission shall redraw voting precinct boundaries in a manner that complies with subdivision (1) of Section 1 not later than July 1, 2025, based on the redistricting maps adopted by the Legislature after the 2020 federal decennial census and shall submit the updated map, legal description, and geographical boundaries of each voting precinct, as required under Section 17-6-2, Code of Alabama 1975, to the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment. Section 3. This act shall become effective on October 1, 2024. 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65