Sunday brunch-goers in Birmingham and Mobile won't be able to start their days with a mimosa anytime soon.

A measure that would allow restaurants to start selling alcohol two hours earlier on Sunday, at 10 a.m., failed to make it on the ballots for the Aug. 22 municipal elections in both cities.

Tuesday was the last day the Birmingham City Council could pass a resolution asking the election commission to add the so-called brunch bill to the ballot, according to the office of Birmingham Mayor William Bell. The election commission is made up of the mayor, council president and city attorney.

Friday, June 23, is the last day that notice of a special election can be published for the August 22 election, the mayor's office said.

Mobile City Council spokesperson Marion Steinfels said the brunch bill will be on the ballot during a countywide election at a later time.

The missed deadline came as a surprise to the Birmingham City Council President Johnathan Austin. The council last week approved a resolution calling the election for city offices. He declined to comment late Tuesday afternoon on the deadline because he wanted to research it himself.

Austin previously told AL.com that he wanted to see the law on the ballot.

"If we have enough time, we will certainly put the brunch bill on the ballot," he said.

A referendum on alcohol sales was expected to bring more millennials to the polls.

"I certainly want as many people to come to the polls as possible," Austin said.

A bill passed by the Alabama Legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in May allows cities and counties that already have on premise alcohol sales on Sundays to hold a referendum on allowing sales to begin about two hours earlier.

State Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, sponsored the bill in the Legislature.

"I think it will go before the people for a vote because of the economic impact that it will have for tourism for the city of Birmingham," she said.

Givan said the mayor and council have been supportive of the law. She said the city council could choose to put the referendum on the ballot if there's a runoff election.

According to the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association, cities like Montgomery and Huntsville already have early alcohol sales.

Mindy Hanan, president and chief executive officer of the association, said she had hoped Birmingham and Mobile would carry the bill this year.

Restaurants, tourists and convention attendees want to see early alcohol sales on Sunday, she said. They want to be able to enjoy a mimosa at brunch, she said.

Hanan said the original intent of the bill was to allow cities and counties that currently have on premise Sunday alcohol sales to change the start time to 10 a.m. by resolution.

The bill was amended in the Legislature to allow municipalities, who have Sunday sales by referendum, to change the start time also by referendum.

Hanan said if the measure doesn't make it on ballots, then the hospitality association will consider lobbying for local bills.

The Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitor's Bureau also strongly support the bill.

"The tourism and hospitality industry is vital to a strong economy in Birmingham and Jefferson County," said John Oros, president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, said in a statement to AL.com. "Our nationally known food scene is one of our greatest draws for visitors to the Birmingham region. Our restaurants employ many of the 30,000 local residents working in our region's restaurants, hotels, events, festivals, and attractions. As a result, the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau strongly supports the "Brunch Bill" legislation."