General election information, quelling rumors

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In case you have somehow missed it, we are in a presidential election year! The election will be held on November 5.

On the national level, in addition to voting for president and vice president, Coosa Countians will have the opportunity to vote for U.S. House of Representatives District 6. On the Alabama state level, voters will see the offices of:

• Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice
• Alabama Supreme Court places 1, 2, 3, and 4
• Alabama Court of Civil Appeals places 2 and 3
• Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, places 1, 2 and 3
• Alabama Public Service Commission President
• Alabama Board of Education District 3

A little closer to home, voters will see the offices of:

• Circuit Judge, 40th Judicial Circuit
• Circuit Clerk
• Judge of Probate
• Superintendent of Education
• Constables for every precinct

There will be no Coosa County Board of Education seats on this ballot. However, there will be one constitutional amendment that affects the Franklin County School System. All offices and candidates’ names appearing on the ballots will be published in a future edition of “The Coosa County News.”

As always, there is no shortage of election misinformation and disinformation; some may even call them lies. Every election cycle these things get worse. As has become the norm, in this column I will attempt to quell some rumors and provide some facts.

First, the 2024 General Election will be November 5. All Coosa County polling facilities will be open. The Coosa County Commission has not consolidated or closed any polling locations/facilities. The Commission has not established “early-voting” locations. Neither have they decreased the number of hours polling facilities will be open. By law, polling facilities must be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The county commissions have no authority over opening or closing times. Please note curbside voting in Alabama is specifically forbidden by law.

Some are asking about “mail-in” or early voting. Alabama does not have “mail-in” or “early” voting. However, any registered voter who is unable to go to the polls, for whatever reason, on election day may apply for and receive an absentee ballot.

Absentee voting began on September 11 in the Coosa County judge of probate’s office. Absentee applications by mail must be received by October 29 (seven days prior to the election). Absentee applications being hand delivered by the voter must be received by October 31 (five days prior to the election).

Only the voter may hand-deliver his/her application and/or ballot to the absentee election manager unless it is an emergency medical absentee situation. Ballots being hand delivered must be received by Monday, November 4. Ballots being delivered by mail must be received by noon on Tuesday, November 5.

To qualify for an emergency medical absentee the voter must have received treatment from a qualified physician within five days of the election. In an emergency medical absentee situation, the voter may designate someone to deliver the voter’s application, obtain the ballot for the voter and return the ballot for the voter. For more information about emergency absentee or regular absentee voting, voters may contact our office at 256-377-4919, option 4, extension 1 or 2.

Any registered voter may call our office to have an absentee application mailed to him/her. The voter may also come into the office to obtain and/or complete the absentee application. If the voter wishes to do so, the voter may complete the entire absentee process during one stop in our office. A copy of a valid Alabama photo identification or other government-issued ID must be presented to the absentee election manager.

For mail-in applications, only one application may be in the envelope. I strongly encourage all absentee voters to read every word on the application to make sure you provide all the information required. I also urge the absentee voter to closely read the ballot envelopes and make sure all required information is provided and the ballot is properly packaged.

There are special rules established by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) related to military and civilian personnel serving overseas. For information voters may go to www.fvap.gov/info/laws or the Alabama secretary of state’s website.

Any voter having a question should call our office (256-377-4919, option 4, extension 1 or 2) or send us an email (CoosaCountyProbate@Outlook.com).

Voters may also ask questions of their respective political party chairpersons. In Coosa County the Democratic Party chairperson is Vanessa Owens; the Republican Party chairperson is Chuck Bradley. We all work closely to educate our Coosa County voters and make sure all eligible votes are counted.

This is only a very brief synopsis of the federal and state elections codes and regulations. Therefore, I can’t cover every aspect of elections in this column. If unsure, ask. I hope to see you in the office or at the polls on election day exercising your rights by casting your vote.

Until next month, stay safe and God bless.