Alabama Constitution Section 40 - Minimum distance of county boundaries from courthouse.
Alabama Constitution – Section 40: Minimum Distance of County Boundaries from Courthouse
📜 Full Text of Section 40:
"No new county shall be established which shall reduce the territory of any existing county to less than six hundred square miles; and no county shall be reduced to a smaller area than six hundred square miles, except by a two-thirds vote of the legislature; nor shall any line of a county be altered or changed so as to bring the boundary line of said county nearer than ten miles to the county courthouse of said county."
🔍 Explanation:
Section 40 of the Alabama Constitution sets rules for creating or altering counties, specifically focusing on:
Minimum Area for Counties:
No county should be smaller than 600 square miles in area.
Exceptions require a two-thirds vote of the Alabama Legislature.
Protection of Courthouse Locations:
When redrawing county lines, the boundary cannot be brought within 10 miles of the county courthouse.
This is likely meant to preserve the central location and accessibility of county courthouses.
🧭 Purpose:
To prevent manipulation of county boundaries for political or logistical advantage.
To maintain effective governance by ensuring counties remain large enough to function and that courthouses are not marginalized by redistricting.
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