Ala. Code § 11-46-9
In any Class 1 municipality, the mayor, the city attorney, and the president of the city council shall constitute an election commission for the city. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if either the mayor or the president of the council is a candidate for office, the mayor shall appoint a member of the city council who is not a candidate for office to serve on the election commission for the election in which the mayor or the president is a candidate. In the event that both the mayor and the president of the council are candidates for office at the same election, the mayor shall appoint two members of the council who are not candidates for office to serve on the election commission in place of the mayor and the president. If the mayor and all members of the council are candidates for office at the same election, the mayor shall designate a senior member of his or her staff and the council president shall designate a senior member of the council administrative staff to serve in place of the mayor and the president.
The election commission shall have charge of and hold all municipal elections, including bond elections, initiative, referendum, and recall elections. The election commission shall appoint all election managers, clerks, and returning officers, designate places for the holding of municipal elections, shall arrange and prepare the ballot, shall decide as to the validity of all petitions necessary or incidental to elections, make such laws and rules as may be necessary to prohibit illegal voting, shall canvass the vote and declare the results of elections, and shall be custodian of the ballots after election until the time of filing contest shall have passed, after which they shall destroy the ballots in accordance with state election law. It shall be the duty of the commission to give notice of elections as required by law and to do and perform all acts relating to municipal elections, which are now or which may hereafter be vested by law in the governing body of the city. Two members of the commission shall constitute a quorum and may exercise the powers and duties herein mentioned. The city clerk or secretary of the city commission shall act as secretary of the commission. The expenses of elections shall be paid out of the city treasury.
Ala. Code § 11-46-9 (1975)