Candidates qualify for local offices for 2026 elections
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
With qualifying for the two major political parties having ended last Friday, Coosa County’s Democratic and Republican parties have announced their candidates who have qualified to be on the ballot this year.
For the Coosa County Democratic Party, Chair Nieshia Whetstone reported that three incumbents qualified to run again for their current offices. Those are District 2 County Commissioner Bertha Kelly McElrath, District 3 County Commissioner Brandon Davis and District 3 Board of Education Member Joe N. Belyeu.
With those being the only candidates who qualified and with no opposition for those offices, there will be no countywide offices on the Coosa County ballots for the Democratic Party primary election in May.
For the Coosa County Republican Party, Chair Lamar Daugherty reported that seven incumbents qualified for reelection, with three offices having two candidates qualify.
For the local Republican Party, those who qualified are Sheriff Joseph Michael Howell, Revenue Commissioner Debra Lamberth, District 1 County Commissioner John Forbus, Matthew Reams and Johnnie Schmidt for County Commission District 4, Dillon Adams and incumbent Lamar Daugherty for County Commission District 5, District 1 Board of Education Member Sharon Massie, incumbent Sharon Coffman and Kimberly Crowe for Board of Education District 4, and Coroner Jack Brewer.
District 4 County Commissioner Ronnie Joiner did not seek reelection, making him the only incumbent not to qualify this year.
While qualifying has ended for the major parties, those candidates who choose to not run as a political party candidate and instead choose to run as an independent still have time to qualify for office.
Independent candidates may obtain ballot access by submitting a petition to the secretary of state if seeking a state or federal office, or to the local judge of probate if seeking a county office. There is no qualifying fee to run as an independent.
For ballot access in this year’s general election, the petition must be filed no later than 5 p.m. on May 19.
An independent candidate’s ballot access petition must contain signatures of registered Alabama voters, with the number of valid signatures equal to or exceeding at least 3% of the qualified electors who cast ballots for the office of governor in the last general election in the political jurisdiction for which the independent candidate is seeking ballot access.
For countywide or county district offices, such as County Commission or Board of Education, prospective independent candidates should contact the judge of probate for the required number of signatures of registered voters. In Coosa County this can be obtained by calling Judge of Probate Richard Dean at 256-377-4919.
For federal and state district offices, prospective independent candidates should contact the Secretary of State’s Election Division at 334-242-7210 for the required number of signatures of registered voters.
For statewide offices, an independent candidate must submit a petition that contains at least 42,258 signatures of registered voters in Alabama.
For a sample petition and more information on running as an independent candidate, visit www.alabamavotes.gov.
With the qualifying period having ended, local and state candidates are hitting the campaign trails preparing for the primary election to be held May 19. A primary runoff election will be held June 16, if necessary, and the general election will be held November 3.
While there are numerous state offices on the ballot this year, there are no district or circuit positions to be on the 2026 ballot in Coosa County. However, there are many county-level offices up for election this year.
Local offices included in the 2026 election cycle are the sheriff; revenue commissioner; all five County Commission seats; Board of Education, District 1; Board of Education, District 3; Board of Education, District 4; and coroner.
The office of revenue commissioner and all Board of Education positions are elected to 6-year terms. The other local offices are elected to 4-year terms.
Federal offices to be included on the 2026 ballot are U.S. senator and seven seats on the U.S. House of Representatives.
State offices that will be on the ballot are governor; lieutenant governor; secretary of state; state treasurer; state auditor; commissioner of agriculture and industries; state senator; state representative; Alabama Board of Education districts 2, 4, 6, and 8; Court of Criminal Appeals judges, Place 4 and 5; Court of Civil Appeals judges, Place 4 and 5; Public Service Commission, Place 1 and 2.
While Coosa County’s are not up for election this year, various seats for Circuit Court judges and District Court judges across the state will also be on some ballots.
The deadline to register to vote for the primary election in May is May 4. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot to mail is May 12, and the last day to apply for an absentee ballot in person is May 14.
May 18 is the last day to deliver an absentee ballot by hand, and absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by 12 p.m. on May 19.
For November’s general election, the last day to register to vote or update voter registration is October 19.
For more information on the upcoming elections or to check voter registration information, visit www.alabamavotes.gov or contact the Coosa County Board of Registrars at 256-377-2418.