Election updates: Official results, independent candidates qualified

By Christa Jennings

Senior Staff Writer

 

Following last week’s primary election, the Coosa County Canvassing Board and representatives for the local Democratic and Republican parties met Tuesday to review provisional ballots and certify election results.

The county had three eligible provisional ballots which were reviewed and counted. Those were added to the county’s total numbers before the election results became official, but with only three being added they did not impact the outcome of any elections.

For the provisional ballots, all three were Republican Party ballots, with none being cast for the Democratic Party.

At the local level, those three additional ballots gained one vote for John Forbus for County Commission District 1, one vote for Ronnie Joiner for County Commission District 4 and three votes for Michael Howell for sheriff. It did not include any votes for Board of Education District 5.

At the state level the county’s three provisional ballots added two votes for Kay Ivey and one vote for Tim James for governor; two votes for Katie Britt and one for Mike Durant for U.S. Senate; two votes for Michael T. Joiner and one for Mike Rogers for U.S. representative of the 3rd Congressional District; three votes for Steve Marshall for attorney general; three votes for Debra Jones for associate justice of the Supreme Court, Place 5; two votes for Wes Allen and one for Jim Zeigler for secretary of state; one vote each for Stan Cooke, Rusty Glover and Andrew Sorrell for state auditor; two votes for Brent Woodall and one for John Hammock for Public Service Commission, Place 1; two votes for Chip Beeker and one vote for Robert L. McCollum for Public Service Commission, Place 2; and two yes votes for the proposed statewide amendment.

Once those ballots were reviewed Tuesday afternoon, the Canvassing Board and local parties certified the county’s results, making them official.

As reported last week with the unofficial election results, in addition to state office runoffs, there will be a local runoff for the Board of Education District 5 seat. With none of the three candidates receiving 50%-plus-one vote, Joshua A. Culver and Jenny Kimbrell will be on the Republican ballot on June 21 for a runoff election.

Following the June 21 primary runoff election, the general election will be held on November 8.

A local office that was not on the primary ballot will be on the general election ballot, with one Democratic and one Republican candidate running for the County Commission District 3 seat. As there was only one candidate for each party running for that office, it did not appear on the primary ballot.

However, Brandon Davis and Ken Whitehead will be on the ballot in November vying for the commission seat being vacated by Unzell Kelley.

Additionally, there will be two independent candidates on the November ballot seeking office at the local level.

As reported last week, Jerry Sewell qualified as an independent candidate for County Commission District 1. He will be on the ballot along with Republican Party primary election winner John Forbus for that office.

Additionally, Josh Jones filed a petition with the probate judge’s office on May 23 to qualify as an independent candidate in Coosa County. As of Wednesday, June 1, Jones officially qualified with the probate office as an independent candidate for the office of sheriff.

Therefore, he will proceed to be included on the November ballot with incumbent Sheriff Michael Howell vying for that elected office.

Judge of Probate Richard Dean reported that the deadline for filing a petition to gain ballot access closed at 5 p.m. May 24. He said there are no other petitions for independent candidacy pending, nor will any other petitions be accepted for the November 8 general election as that deadline has passed.

This means Coosa County voters now know who will be on the primary runoff election ballots this month and have a clearer idea of who to expect on the ballot in November, at least at the local level.

The last day to register to vote electronically or to postmark a voter registration form for the primary runoff election is June 6. The last day to register to vote for the general election is October 24.

For election information, voter registration and more, visit the secretary of state’s official election center website at www.alabamavotes.gov.