(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Election Day is here in Alabama, and the state’s voters will help decide the next president and the balance of power in Congress. Items on the ballot range from a state amendment, to a race for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, to a showdown for control of a newly redrawn congressional district.
Voters can see a sample ballot on the Secretary of State’s website.
Check back for live updates from the polls throughout the day and live results Tuesday night.
Dozens of people filed in and out of the Pintlala Volunteer Fire Department at about noon Friday. One of them was Vickie Wilsford, who said she is “worried about the state of the world right now, especially our nation.”
She said she wants to make sure the candidates are fiscally responsible and her values are upheld.
Jermaine Lewis said he wants to do something for his community. “Well, you can’t complain about something if you don’t vote about it,” Lewis said.
In the previous election, a representative from the Montgomery County Board of Registrars confirmed that a portion of Montgomery voters in Hope Hull got the wrong voting information ahead of the election.
Registrar Mark Anderson said on Super Tuesday that a mapping issue led to voters in the 2nd Congressional District being told that they were in a different district.
The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that at least 5,604 voters received information that they were in the 7th Congressional District, instead of the newly established, majority-Black 2nd District. Of those 5,604 voters, 4,513 of them are Black, an SPLC spokesperson said. The Alabama Reflector reported that the issue impacted about 4,600 Montgomery voters.
In St. Clair County, voting had been extended to 9 p.m. after some voters were given inaccurate ballots earlier in the day.
The original ballots had omitted a local amendment and a statewide amendment.
The ACLU of Alabama said Tuesday afternoon that voters were being asked to return and use the corrected ballots at the following polling places:
Asheville City HallPoplar Springs ChurchArgo Town HallWattsville Volunteer FireCelebrationsNew Long Volunteer FireBoys and Girls ClubCook Springs Baptist ChurchMoody Civic CenterCropwell Baptist Church Prescott Baptist ChurchNew Hope Baptist ChurchWhites Capel Town HallCedar Grove Baptist Church
A motley line filled with a mix of people in scrubs, business professional attire, sweatpants and American flag inspired apparel wrapped almost entirely around the First Christian Church on Taylor Road in Montgomery at 7 a.m. as they gathered to exercise their right to vote.
Many Montgomery residents emphasized that right as a way to be engaged with your community.
“People shouldn’t complain if they don’t vote,” said Jackie Ward, who voted at the First Christian Church. “For me, my eyes go way back. I’m old enough to where my parents were not allowed to vote. We fought to be able to vote, and now we have that right, so it’s so important to vote.”
To some Montgomery residents, voting is a duty they see necessary to honor.
“Many people have died for this right for people of all colors, and I think it’s our duty,” said First Baptist Church voter Ben Dupre. “I count it as a privilege handed down by generations before us, and it’d be a shame not to come out and vote today.”
The sentiment was summarized in the words of Tracy Boyd, another voter at First Christian Church on Taylor Road: “If we want change, we have to vote.”
For many Montgomery voters, specific issues didn’t bring voters out to the polls as much as general considerations for the state of the country. Wallace Justice, a voter at First Christian Church, said his main concern was the standards of living he has observed the past four years.
“As a conservative Christian, this is probably one of the most important elections we’ve had in a long, long time. We need to bring America back to Christ,” Justice said. “It’s just not right, we have got to fix it.”
Ward said that the polarizing political rhetoric in the country is a big concern for her.
“A lot of things brought me to the polls today,” Ward said. “In choosing a candidate, I always say that no person is perfect but you have got to look at the issues. I don’t think our country is as bad as people say it is. I don’t like all the rhetoric and hatred that has gone on. I hope some of that will stop after this.”
Six Alabama State University sorority women stood with their shoulders back and their feet apart as they prepared to showcase their performance in front of the Dunn-Oliver Acadome’s polling location. Glorilla’s music trilled from a speaker as they stepped in unison. At the culmination of the dance, the women gathered around a “VOTE HERE” sign, pointing and laughing as they finished.
The women of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., the Beta Chi Chapter of ASU, gathered at about 10 a.m. Tuesday morning to encourage people to vote. “We just want everybody to show up, and show out, and have a say-so in who our president is for the next four years,” said Remy Robinson, a junior and psychology major who participated in the dance.
The ASU students Tuesday were representing their sorority’s national initiative #rhockthevote.
Once Robinson turned 18, she said it was her civic duty to vote. She said she encourages all voters to get out there and cast their ballots. Robinson said voting is important because it is “knowing that your vote is your voice.”
At about 9 a.m. at Huntingdon College, Candice Frazer sat in a group of friends at a picnic table. The trio had just voted at the busy polling location. About 100 people were at the location. “I just think like it’s our civic responsibility and duty,” Frazer said.
Anne Tippett said the newly created Congressional district was particularly important to vote on. “It literally can make a difference in Congress,” Tippett said. Tippett also said she hates that so many people ran unopposed.
Frazer added that she is disappointed in the two-party system. “It’s almost as if we’ve distilled democracy down,” Frazer. She said she hopes ranked-choice voting becomes more prevalent as well.
“It was great to have to walk up here and wait 30 minutes to vote,” Frazer said, adding that she was so glad so many Montgomerians voted.
Election officials at most Autauga County polling places reported heavier-than-normal turnout through about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Polling places opened at 7 a.m.
About 7:30 a.m. a line of about 35 people was standing outside the Autaugaville Volunteer Fire Department. A light drizzle was falling, but it didn’t seem to dampen spirits of those in line.
“Nobody is daring complaining about the rain, we need every drop,” said James Carter. This is farm country, and October has gone down as one of the driest months of usually dry months on record.
In Prattville at the Trinity United Methodist Church polling place, crowds moved through the process quickly. This is one of the county’s largest boxes and has a reputation of having large turnouts in past election.
The presidential election was of high interest with voters, but the Autauga County Board of Education also had a 7 mill county-wide property tax increase to fund education.
“I’ve always voted, every since I turned 18,” said Jackie McDaniels, who joked that she was a “bit” older than that now. “I think it’s important to vote, even in off years. You have to make your voice heard.”
She wanted the make her voice heard in the presidential election.
“It’s more important this year, I think,” she said. “I hope we have more people turnout and vote so we can really get an idea of what the country wants.”
At least three Alabama sites were experiencing problems with voting Tuesday morning, election officials and a civil rights organization said.
Two tabulators were broken at the Hawkins Park Recreation Center in Birmingham, delaying voting, the ACLU of Alabama said. The organization said one tabulator has been replaced by mid-morning, but officials are unsure if or when the second machine will also be replaced.
Elsewhere in Jefferson County, the Center Point Community Center has also reported that two of its voting machines are broken.
The issues were unrelated to misprinted ballots in St. Clair County, which were missing a statewide amendment and a local one. An elections official said those ballots were “in the process of being corrected” late Tuesday morning.
A desire to exercise their voting rights and the hope that their votes will make a difference brought Tuscaloosa County residents to the polls.
Three Northport residents at City Hall on Tuesday morning agreed that Election Day provides a vital chance for voters to decide exactly what kind of government they want.
Grant Long said every citizen needs to vote and ensure that their voice is heard, regardless of which side of the political spectrum they are on.
“Everybody needs to get out and vote no matter who you’re pulling for, get out and vote,” Long said.
Destiny Tubbs said she was motivated to exercise her right to vote and perhaps make a bit of history.
“I’m very excited to be a part of performing my civic duty and making history with our first Black female president candidate,” Tubbs said.
Jessica Ross Romine said she believes that voting is an important civic act that everyone should exercise.
“I think it’s very important … Even if we may not agree on everything, we all come together to see what’s best for our country,” Ross Romine said.
Despite a busy parking lot the early hours of Election Day, the cart shuttles at the Church of the Highlands sat mostly unused in Tuscaloosa.
No lines wrapped around outside the 721 Rice Mine Road NE building, as they had in 2016 and 2020 presidential voting years. Voters moved efficiently in and out, walking from the lot straight into the polling place.
Elsewhere in Tuscaloosa, long lines of voters extending outside the building were reported early Tuesday at the McAbee Center, 3801 Loop Road, and the Mary Phelps Activity Center, 2200 Rock Quarry Drive.
The ACLU of Alabama said Tuesday that all ballots in St. Clair County were inaccurately printed, and they have asked the St. Clair County probate office to extend voting hours as a result.
“If you showed up to vote and did not have an accurate ballot, please go back and vote later today,” said the ACLU in a statement on the organization’s Instagram story. “Our Election Protection team is working on getting this resolved ASAP.”
The St. Clair County ballots were missing State Amendment 1, to “grant certain sixteenth section and indemnity school land that is owned in fee simple by the Franklin County school system,” as well as a local amendment.
“This was not an oversight on our part,” said Judge Andrew Weathington, probate judge of St. Clair County. “It’s not something that was not checked, and we proved all these ballots months ago.” He said that the ballots are “in the process of being corrected” and will be distributed as soon as possible.
St. Clair is a county of about 95,000 people.
Voters can get free rides to the polls Tuesday in Alabama through the following organizations:
Rolling to the Polls Voting Initiative
Toll Free: 866-4-AL Vote (425-8683)Local: 334-625-0758SMS: Text Vote 334 to 31996
Lift Our Vote:
If you have questions or concerns while voting in Alabama, call the Alabama Election Protection Hotline:
English: 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) Spanish: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (839-8682) Asian Languages: 888-API-VOTE (274-8683) Arabic: 844-YALLA-US (925-5287)
If you believe your rights are being violated while voting or attempting to vote, contact the Alabama Secretary of State at 1-800-274-8683.
Polls open in Alabama
Polling places are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. However, as long as you are in line before closing, you will still be able to vote. Polls may also extend their open time in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as software malfunctions or power outages.
Alabama will vote for not only the president, but also for the chief justice of the state Supreme Court and four of its seven U.S. House of Representative seats. Counties will also have their own local races, and voters will get a chance to weigh in on topics like a tax for Autauga County schools.
Marty Roney, Alex Gladden, Sarah Clifton, Mark Hughes Cobb and Jasmine Hollie contributed to this report. This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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Publish date : 2024-11-05 11:34:00
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