Under existing law, the governing body of a Class 4 municipality with a mayor-council form of government has the authority to set, by ordinance, qualification fees for candidates participating in its municipal elections. This bill would allow the governing body of a Class 4 municipality to set qualification fees for mayoral candidates at $500 and qualification fees for council member and municipal board of education member candidates at $250. Under existing law, an indigent candidate is exempt from paying qualification fees upon filing a statement signed by three other people verifying the indigent candidate cannot afford to pay the qualification fees. This bill would require indigent candidates to provide documentation showing that their gross income does not exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level in order to receive an exemption from qualification fees.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 11-43B-4, 11-43B-4