§17-16-47. Statement of grounds of contest.

When any elector chooses to contest the election of any person declared to be elected to the office of senator or representative in the Legislature, judge of the circuit court or district court, any office which is filled by the vote of a single county, or constable, he or she must make a statement in writing setting forth specifically:

(1) The name of the party contesting and that he or she was a qualified voter when the election was held.

(2) The office which the election was held to fill and the time of holding the same.

(3) The particular grounds of the contest.

This statement must be verified by the affidavit of such contesting party to the effect that the same is believed to be true. If the reception of illegal votes is alleged as a cause of contest, it is a sufficient statement of cause to allege that illegal votes were given to the person whose election is contested, which, if taken from that person, will reduce the number of legal votes given to the person to or below the number of legal votes given to some other person for the same office.

(Code 1896, §1686; Code 1907, §460; Code 1923, §550; Code 1940, T. 17, §236; §17-15-20; amended and renumbered by Act 2006-570, p. 1331, §83.)