Primary elections to be held March 5
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
With primary elections just a little more than two weeks away, eligible voters should be prepared and informed when heading to the polls on March 5.
For those registering to vote this election, today is the last day to hand-deliver voter registration forms, and tomorrow is the last day to postmark voter registration forms being mailed. Monday is the last day to register to vote electronically.
February 27 is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot to mail, and February 29 is the last day for voters to apply for ab absentee ballot in person. Voters have until March 4 to then hand-deliver the absentee ballot, and absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by noon on March 5.
If needed, the primary runoff election will be held April 2. The general election will then be held November 5.
For primary elections, Alabama has cross over voting rules that went into effect in 2017. Per these rules, if an elector votes in a primary election then that elector may vote in a subsequent primary runoff election only if they voted in the primary election of the same political party for which the runoff election is being held.
Voters who do not vote in a primary election may choose either party’s ballot for a primary runoff election, when those are held.
This is applicable for each election cycle and does not carry over from one year to the next, meaning that if an elector voted in the Democratic Party primary one election and wanted to vote on the Republican Party primary election during the next election cycle, they could.
However, for each election cycle – such as this year’s primary election and potential primary runoff election – if an individual votes in the Democratic Party primary, they may only vote in the Democratic runoff election. If an individual votes in the Republican Party primary election, then they can only vote in the Republican runoff election.
Voters may not cross over and vote on the opposite party’s runoff election. Those who do not vote in the primary election may choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot in the runoff election, should one be needed.
The primary elections and runoff elections, if required, will determine each party’s nominee for the general election in November.
Offices that will appear on the Democratic Party ballot March 5 in Coosa County are the U.S. president and delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, 6th Congressional District.
Offices that will appear on the Republican Party ballot March 5 for Coosa County voters include U.S. president; U.S. representative for the 6th Congressional District; chief justice of the Supreme Court; Court of Civil Appeals judge, Place 2; Court of Criminal Appeals judge, place 2; president of the Public Service Commission; and member of the State Board of Education, District 3.
Locally, only one contested race will appear on the Republican Party primary ballot. That is for circuit clerk of Coosa County, which will have Ramona Cina, Jamey Johnson and Matthew Reams vying for the office.
Nonpartisan ballot measures that will appear on both primary ballots are proposed statewide Amendment 1 and a local referendum.
The amendment is to amend Section 71.01 to the state constitution “authorizing the Legislature to sign and transmit local laws or constitutional amendments before the transmission of basic appropriations.” Voters then cast a yes or no vote for that amendment.
Section 71.01 of the Alabama Constitution establishes the priority of the next year’s budgets over the approval of other laws by the Legislature. Currently that section prohibits bills or laws from being considered by the House of Representatives or the Senate before budgets are approved by the Legislature and sent to the governor, unless an additional vote is approved by the House and Senate of at least a three-fifths vote.
The amendment would change Section 71.01 to provide exceptions for the passage of local laws or local constitutional amendments.
The Fair Ballot Commission explains that if the majority of voters vote “yes” on Amendment 1 then Section 71.01 of the Alabama Constitution will be changed to allow proposed local laws and proposed local constitutional amendments to be considered before the budgets are approved and sent to the governor without the additional three-fifths vote.
If the majority of voters vote “no” on Amendment 1, then Section 71.01 of the Alabama Constitution will not be changed and proposed local laws and proposed constitutional amendments will continue to require the additional three-fifths vote before being considered.
There are no costs or additional taxes related to Amendment 1. During its meeting Tuesday morning, which will be covered in next week’s edition, the County Commission approved and adopted a resolution in support of Amendment 1 and encouraging voters to vote “yes” on the amendment.
The local referendum that will appear on the March 5 primary election ballot relates to the countywide ambulance in Coosa County and the proposed tag fee that has been discussed and reported on many times previously.
The referendum is for the “proposed levy of a motor vehicle fee for county-operated ambulance service, Act 2023-151.”
The referendum reads, “Relating to Coosa County, to authorize the Coosa County Commission to levy an additional issuance fee of fifteen dollars on the issuance or renewal of each motor vehicle or other vehicle license and registration, with certain exceptions, to provide funding to be used solely to fund and operate a county ambulance service and to provide for termination of the fee under certain conditions.”
Electors can then vote “yes” or “no” on whether they favor the adoption of Act 2023-151 to authorize the commission to levy the additional vehicle tag issuance fee to be used to fund the county ambulance service.
For more information on upcoming elections, voter registration and information, district maps, and more, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.alabamavotes.gov.
