2017 Birmingham Elections

Bell, Woodfin Advance to Runoff in Birmingham Mayor’s Race

Birmingham Mayor William Bell may be in for the fight of his political life. Bell failed to win a majority of votes cast in the Aug. 22 mayoral election — in fact, he wasn’t even the leading vote-getter — and now will go head-to-head against Birmingham Board of Education member Randall Woodfin in a runoff Oct. 3. Woodfin took the top spot in the returns with 15,656 votes; at 40.84 percent, he was well short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff. Bell trailed Woodfin by a wide margin in early returns but closed the gap as the night wore on and finished with 14,011 votes, or 36.55 percent. Woodfin attracted a diverse following in his campaign, and Bell ended the night vowing to focus in on his base before the next round of voting. Read more.

by Robert Carter

Birmingham City Election Results

Check here for results from Tuesday's election. Many races, including the mayor's race, are headed to runoffs because no candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote.

by Virginia Martin

Winners in Tuesday’s Birmingham city election and candidates headed for runoffs:

Mayor Randall Woodfin                15,656            40.84% William Bell Sr. (I)              14,011            36.55%   Council District 1 Lashunda Scales (I)              2,384          68%    Council District 2 Kimberly Rafferty (I)               488             17% Hunter Williams                   1,053            38%   Council District 3 Valerie Abbott (I)                    2,547           65%   Council District 4

by Virginia Martin

Follow the Vote

The Birmingham City Clerk’s Office is posting results as they come in tonight. You can follow the results live here. BirminghamWatch will be posting the final tallies tonight.

by Virginia Martin

Voter Tools

Find Your Polling Place Verify Your Voter Registration In a recent “refresh” of the voter rolls, the Secretary of State’s Office has moved 340,162 people to the inactive voter list. You can check the status of your registration above. If you arrive at the polls and are told you have been put on the inactive

by BirminghamWatch

BirminghamWatch Listening Sessions: A Community Conversation

BirminghamWatch Listening Sessions: A Community Conversation Antidote to Birmingham Crime? Community Investment, Not More Police, Some Residents Say Parents Criticize Birmingham Public Schools. Still, ‘Somebody in Every School is Fighting for Something,’ They Say. Young Voters Seek Transformative Leadership With a New Vision in Birmingham Elections Quality of Life Issues Dominate Discussion in Forest Park-South

by Virginia Martin

Most of the Birmingham Board of Education members will be new after the election. What do they have to say?

BirminghamWatch has put together a package on the Board of Education that includes a Q&A of candidates on some of the top issues the board will be facing, along with stories on challenges before the board and a rundown of what the board could look like after the new group is elected and takes office. Read more.

by Virginia Martin

What Could the Board of Education Look Like After the Elections?

With five of nine Birmingham City Schools board members not seeking reelection, the city school’s governing body will have a majority of new members in the next administration. Read more.

by Jackie Romine Walburn

BW Listening: What were residents thinking about before Tuesday’s election?

VIDEOS: BirminghamWatch brought residents together for a series of meetings leading up to the 2017 elections.

by Zachary Rogers

Challenges Loom for New Board of Education Members

When seats are filled in the upcoming election, what challenges will the new board face? Charter schools, for one thing, but put communication systems on that list, too. Read more.

by Nick Patterson