Government

A Big Blue Dot in a Sea of Red. But Jefferson County’s Presidential Vote Tally Masks Deep Community Divisions

(As the nation inaugurates a new president this month, BirminghamWatch will look at what divides us and connects us close to home. This is the first of the stories.) Hillary Clinton was the clear winner in Jefferson County on election-day, besting Donald Trump in the race for president by more than 7 percentage points. But that result doesn’t mean the county escaped the polarization of the 2016 presidential election nationwide or the potential for conflict over public policy in the county and the region. Clinton won the county with 51.07 percent of the vote, or 156,873 votes, according to certified vote results from the Alabama Secretary of State. Trump took 43.87 percent of the vote, or 137,768 votes. Other candidates and write-in votes accounted for 12,550 votes, slightly more than 4 percent of the ballots cast in the county. Read more.

by Virginia Martin

Calm Before a Storm? Election Workers Prepare for Alabama’s Biggest Voter Turnout

The ballots are stacked, pens gathered, poll workers trained and rolls of “I Voted” stickers ready to go. Election workers this weekend were taking a “deep breath before the plunge,” as Barry Stephenson, chairman of the Jefferson County Board of Registrars, described it. They’ve been working seven days a week since Labor Day to prepare for what could be historic turnout at the polls, he said. The state has topped 3.3 million registered voters, Secretary of State John Merrill said last week, surpassing the state’s highest registration by 584,252 registered voters. Likewise, Jefferson County has set a record for registered voters, with 456,000. Before this, the record was 435,000 for the 2012 election, when 302,000 people voted in the county. Stephenson said the county is expecting more than 300,000 voters to show up at the polls Tuesday. In preparation, the Jefferson County has increased the number of precincts and added an extra 150 poll workers, bringing the total number to 1,900. There will be more voter sign-in books at the polls in an attempt to avoid long lines, but Stephenson warned, “It still may not be a quick process.” Read more.

by Maggie Andrews

PARCA: Tackling Alabama’s Budget Problem

Too little money for Medicaid? Not enough dollars to deal with overcrowded prisons? A fight over taking parks money for other purposes? Why does Alabama always face budget problems? The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama has looked behind the legislative battles to root causes of the recurrent problem. And now PARCA is reporting on

by Maggie Andrews

Hoover, City or Suburb? Uneasy Voters Focused on Schools, Growth, Identity

Hoover will have four new City Council members in November after voters Tuesday chose political newcomer Curt Posey over former Hoover City Councilman Trey Lott in the runoff election for City Council Place 1. Posey won 2,555 votes, or 77.35 percent of the votes cast in the Oct. 4 runoff. Lott garnered 748 votes, or 22.65 percent. The City Council Place 1 runoff wraps up a municipal election in which voters unseated the long-time mayor; elected four new council members; and returned three incumbent council members who faced stiff competition, with one winning by 24 votes. In the Aug. 23 election, Posey won 41.21 percent of the votes; Lott won 40.59 percent; and incumbent Joe Rives, who was appointed to fill Lott’s seat when Lott moved to Alabaster in 2015, received 18.20 percent. Many residents, school officials and city leaders say this hard-fought election was a referendum on issues inextricably tied to each other–school funding and growth management. Candidates also said voters were facing the reality that Hoover is Alabama’s sixth-largest city, no longer a typical suburb, and must define its identity going forward.

by Maggie Andrews

Legislative Update

Alabama lawmakers reached agreement Wednesday on a plan for spending BP settlement money that will give $120 million to Medicaid over the next two years, $120 million to road projects near the coast and $400 million to pay back state debt. Legislators adjourned their special session after reaching that agreement and will return to Montgomery

by Virginia Martin

Municipal Election Results

Voters across Alabama went to the polls Tuesday to select new mayors and council members. In the seven-county Birmingham metro area, 85 cities held elections, potentially changing the face of local government when new officials take office Nov. 7. Polls closed at 7 p.m. Results in available races will be posted as they are reported. Click here to read the results.

by Liz Harris

Aug. 8 Is the Deadline for Registering to Vote in City Elections

Aug. 8 is the last day to register to vote in the Aug. 23 municipal elections. Citizens interested in registering should contact the Board of Registrars in the counties where they live. Voter registration forms also are available and may be submitted at state or county offices that provide public assistance, such as Medicaid, WIC

by Virginia Martin

Lawmakers to Consider an Alabama Lottery, but Is It a Fix for Medicaid or Prison Funding?

The Legislature is going into session Aug. 15 to consider Gov. Robert Bentley’s lottery proposal to raise money for the General Fund, but the plan is not a guaranteed quick fix for either of the state’s biggest budget dilemmas. Medicaid and prisons together make up more than 60 percent of the state’s General Fund spending, according to budget documents. Both are in need of an infusion of cash, and the Legislature adjourned its regular session without making significant changes to funding for either the Medicaid Agency or the Department of Corrections. The governor hasn’t released details of his lottery plan. He has said he believed it would raise $225 million a year, and he is proposing to allocate profits to the General Fund, which would let legislators determine each year where the money is most needed. Read more.

by Maggie Andrews

2016 Primary Election Voter Guide

Alabama voters go to the polls March 1, and there’s a lot more on the ballot than the high-profile presidential race. In Democratic and Republican primaries, voters will nominate candidates  for U.S. Senate and the state’s Public Service Commission president, Supreme Court and Board of Education, plus decide on an amendment. Voters in Jefferson and

by Maggie Andrews

Primary Runoff Voter Guide 2016

Voters go back to the polls April 12 to determine the nominees in several races that were undecided after the March 1 primary. For races in which no candidate got half of the votes or more, the top two candidates will compete for the nomination. There is no statewide race on the ballot. In Jefferson

by Maggie Andrews