WBHM Jefferson County may allow absentee voting on a Saturday later this month, but county Probate Judge James Naftel said any such move would first need to be authorized by county or state officials. Read more.
People who want to vote absentee now must provide a photo ID to apply for an absentee ballot and have the signatures of two witnesses or a notary to cast the ballot itself. A federal court ruled Tuesday that the state should enforce those requirements. However, the court did say curbside voting should be allowed in Alabama if counties want to offer it. Read more.
The circuit clerk’s office at the Jefferson County Courthouse was closed Monday for Columbus Day, but staffers in the office weren’t taking a holiday. “The absentee staff is working on the mail today, getting out ballots, the ballots that have been returned,” said James P. Naftel II, the presiding probate judge of Jefferson County. “(Columbus Day is) a state holiday and the circuit clerk's office is closed for in-person voting today but it will reopen tomorrow.” It’s been a working weekend of those in the clerk’s office as they have set the stage for what they hope is a more efficient processing of in-person absentee voters. Read more.
Jefferson County Commissioner Lashunda Scales gave absentee voters some cautionary advice during Thursday’s commission meeting, but county attorney Theo Lawson said her concern is unwarranted. Scales suggested that absentee voters continue to send in copies of their identification and have the signatures of two witnesses to avoid the possibility their vote would not be counted if a recent federal judge’s ruling is overturned. Lawson said that caution is unnecessary. Read more.
Corrected — Help is on the way to deal with a flood of Jefferson County absentee ballots in the general election. Deputy county manager Cal Markert during a Jefferson County Commission meeting Thursday said 24 temporary workers are expected to start work in the clerk’s office by Monday. These temp workers will deal with in-person absentee voters as well as a backlog of mailed-in absentee ballots. Circuit Clerk Jacqueline Anderson-Smith told BirminghamWatch recently that 400 to 500 persons have been coming to the Birmingham Courthouse every day to cast their ballots. A similar wave of voters is descending on the Bessemer Courthouse, and lines of people wanting to vote have formed at both locations. Alabama appears on its way to having a record number of absentee ballots cast this year. More than 130,000 voters already had requested absentee ballots earlier this week. Oct. 29 is the deadline to apply for absentee ballots. Read more.
Alabama set a high for absentee ballots in 2012, when 89,000 were successfully cast. But Secretary of State John Merrill said the state is on pace to surpass that number. “For the Nov. 3 general election, we've actually had more than 125,000 ballot applications that have been submitted to us and more than 50,000 that have been successfully returned already,” he said. “As you can see,” Merrill said, “we're going to shatter that record.” But the secretary of state said election officials in the state’s 67 counties aren’t worried because they’re ready. “We've already made preparations for this, hiring additional people, enabling more than what we would perceive the necessary number of tabulators to be available on election day to process the ballots,” he said. Read more.
The governor and a federal court made changes Wednesday that could affect the election process on Nov. 3. The governor issued an order allowing election officials to begin counting absentee ballots at the same time the polls open, at 7 a.m. on election day. Secretary of State John Merrill welcomed the move to ease the counting of an unusually large number of absentee ballots. The state was not as welcoming of another development on the voting front. A federal court judge also Wednesday issued a ruling that lightens absentee voting requirements for older and infirm Alabamians and allows counties to offer curbside voting if they chose to do so. Attorney general Steve Marshall said he would appeal that ruling. Read more. It’s Oct. 1, Do You Know Where Your Absentee Ballot Is? You can see where your absentee ballot is in the process, as well as finding your polling place and registration status. For more absentee ballot information, read BirminghamWatch’s earlier story: Absentee Ballot Season Gets Underway
Debate over the future of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat is the latest political clash. The divide is reflected in Alabama too.
Barry Stephenson frequently has attended meetings of the Jefferson County Commission this year as polling places have said, ‘Thanks; no thanks’ to hosting elections during a pandemic. The county registrar stood before commissioners during their committee meeting Tuesday, again announcing a change in a polling place. “I hope this is the last one I bring before you,” he said. “It's been interesting. We've been told to leave over the summer, and we found replacements.” Read more.
Absentee ballots started showing up in county offices and going out in the mail Wednesday, which was the deadline for absentee election managers to be provided with absentee ballots and supplies. Usually, Alabama voters must fit into narrowly defined categories to be able to vote by absentee. But for the general election, Secretary of State John Merrill has approved absentee voting for any voter who has concerns about the coronavirus. Read more about voting in the general election and voting by absentee.
