Tag: 2020 election
More Workers Being Added to Handle Lines of Absentee Voters in JeffCo
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.
Absentee Ballots Hit Jefferson County Like a “Monsoon,” Clerk Says
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.
Absentee Count Can Start Election Morning, Judge Allows Curbside Voting and Waives ID Requirements for Absentees
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
Jones Says Supreme Court Nomination Is ‘a Political Power Play.’ Tuberville Says Go Ahead With Vote.
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.
Polling Place Changes Prompt Jefferson County to Send Out New, More Colorful Cards
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 Ballot Season Gets Underway
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.
Jefferson County Municipal Election Results
Results of municipal elections Tuesday in Jefferson County.
Below is a list of municipal election results. It will be updated during the evening as returns are reported
Tuberville Ignores DC’s Order to Self-Quarantine
Tommy Tuberville, in Washington this week as he campaigns for Alabama’s U.S. Senate election, ignored the city’s orders for people visiting from states with COVID-19 outbreaks to quarantine, The Washington Post reported. Read more.
Anti-COVID Absentee Ballot Rules Extended to Cover Aug. 25 and Nov. 3 Elections
Absentee voting rules that were in place to lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus during the July 14 runoff have been extended to cover the Aug. 25 municipal elections and the Nov. 3 general election. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill announced the change in a statement Monday. Read more.
Jones Starts Last Leg of Campaign With Almost 16 Times as Much Money as Tuberville
Freshman Democrat Doug Jones, widely regarded as the most vulnerable member of the U.S. Senate in the November general election, heads into the race against Republican Tommy Tuberville with a huge cash advantage, according to reports the candidates filed Wednesday with the Federal Elections Commission.
In reports for the second quarter of this year, Jones showed a campaign balance of $8.78 million while Tuberville, who defeated former Sen. Jeff Sessions on Tuesday for the GOP nomination, listed his cash on hand at $551,285. Read more.
