Constables, write-in voting process explained
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
Following another election cycle and a longer wait for certifying official election results, Judge of Probate Richard Dean has taken time to explain the write-in process for voting and the constable votes in detail.
Considering the extra time and resources that went into this election, Dean encourages everyone to take elections seriously, including when casting a write-in vote. With numerous constable offices on the ballots this year and only six qualifying for the election to appear on the ballots, there were numerous write-in votes cast for those offices that had to be reviewed.
The county received a total of 214 write-in votes for constable, with many of those being cast in the 10 precincts where no one was on the ballot for that office.
Dean said that among the Board of Registrars, probate office and Sheriff’s Office, they likely spent between 70 and 75 hours just in going through the constable votes.
While much of that extra time was because of the number of write-in votes received that had to be reviewed, Dean said there was also an issue with the usual election software used and the separate program for reviewing write-in votes communicating with each other, which took extra time to work through.
Once that was taken care of, they were able to see all of the write-in votes cast, at which time they went through and put all of those names down for review. That entire list was then sent to the Board of Registrars.
The registrars then had to go in and look for every name to see if that individual was in the precinct for which they received a vote. The registrars also have to notify the election officials if names are very similar, such as essentially the same name but being spelled slightly different.
Dean explained that they want every vote to count, but that the rules state the names have to match. As such, he encourages anyone casting a write-in vote to be sure they have the registered voter’s name spelled correctly to ensure their vote counts.
After identifying the individuals who received write-in votes and checking their eligibility, the task then becomes to look up or find phone numbers for those individuals and begin calling them to see if they are interested.
Dean said that for some it takes multiple attempts to contact them, such as when voicemail is not set up or the voicemail box is full. He said that they make multiple attempts as a courtesy to contact the individual and see if they are interested, as that is not required by law.
He said they typically try to know the outcome of those by the Tuesday following the election, when provisional ballots are reviewed and counted. However, he said that does not always happen, such as this year, and that in those cases they complete the process and have everyone’s answers, where possible, by the following Friday, which is when the state certifies election results.
Dean said they also post the list of write-in votes on the courthouse door, as required by law, so those who are really interested could check and view the list there to see if they received votes.
In cases where no one written in was interested in the office, Dean said those precincts simply will not have a constable now. That applies to three precincts this election cycle, precincts 306, 710 and 721.
If more than one individual written in is interested in the office, then Dean said the winner is determined by lots. If only two are interested in the position, Dean said they would flip a coin.
This election year, as of the Thursday prior to the Friday on which they were going to certify results, Dean said they still had one precinct with more than one individual interested. However, by that Friday, only one individual was interested per precinct, so no winners were determined by lots.
Once the winners have been determined, Dean said they send out letters to officially notify them and to provide details on the swearing-in ceremony and other pertinent information.
The letter notifies them that as a constable they are required to purchase a bond and to file the original bond with the judge of probate prior to the swearing-in ceremony, which will be held January 21. Dean said constables must have a $1,000 bond and buy their own constable badges.
The letter further informs the elected constables that it is their responsibility to learn the duties and requirements of their office and encourages them to speak with Sheriff Michael Howell to learn more about the constables’ authority and relationship with the Sheriff’s Office.
The letter further recommends that the constables contact the Alabama Constables Association to obtain information regarding the purchase of their badge and handgun, as well as to obtain answers to any other questions they may have.
Once the constables are sworn into office, Dean said that as a courtesy they each will receive a package containing their Oath of Office and other information, such as the steps required for receiving their Commission Certificate.
The constables must send in their required forms and a $5 commission fee in order to receive their Commission Certificate. Constables then serve a 4-year term in office.
In further discussing the write-in vote process and the votes for constables, Dean added that anyone who wishes to conduct an official write-in campaign for any office in any election have a process to go through and must follow the same regulations as others to legally conduct a write-in campaign for themselves.
Dean further emphasized the importance of taking elections and write-in votes seriously. He said that many people said they wrote in a name as a joke, and some of them apologized when they realized it was a more serious matter and how much time it takes to go through the process.
Dean said that it is an election, so his office and election officials must take it seriously. He asked that voters think before writing in someone for office.
“Elections are serious, and this time took everyone away from other important duties,” Dean said. “It definitely caused many people to have to wait longer than normal for service in our office.”
Additionally, he further stated that if a voter is serious about writing someone in, he encourages them to double check the spelling of the registered voter’s name to be sure their vote counts.
Further, for any election in which a voter is casting a write-in vote, they have to bubble in the circle next to “write-in” and also write in the person’s name. He stated many of the ballots received were blank or were not bubbled, and those did not count.
For more information on the 2024 election, to register to vote and for other election information, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.alabamavotes.gov.
