2020 election
Voters Go to Polls Today for Republican, Democratic Runoffs
Voting at polls in Alabama has been relatively slow so far today. Secretary of State John Merrill downgraded his predicted turnout to 10% to 15%, which is slightly low for party runoffs but now extremely so, saying today’s voting is experiencing a “market downturn.”
In Jefferson County, Probate Judge Sherri Friday said 10% of all registered voters, or 51,235 people, had voted as of 4 p.m.
“That’s pretty good,” she said. “We have had no problems, and everything has been running fine. It’s been a boring day.”
Only two races are on the statewide Republican ballot, and no statewide races are on the Democratic ballot. Additionally, concern about going into public spaces remains because of rising COVID-19 cases in Alabama.
The race drawing the most attention is the battle between Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate seat. Also on the Republican ballot statewide is the runoff for a state Criminal Court of Appeals judgeship. Some other areas of the state have runoffs for seats in the U.S. House, but not in the Birmingham area. Jefferson County has one local runoff, for Jefferson County Treasurer, which is on the Democratic ballot. There are no Democratic runoffs in Shelby County and no local Republican races. Basic information about navigating the polls today includes:
—Polls close at 7 p.m.
—No crossover voting allowed. If you voted in the primary election March 3, you may vote only in the same party’s runoff. If you didn’t vote in March, you can vote in either runoff.
—Poll workers are wearing masks and gloves and polling places are equipped with disinfectant wipes and spray and hand sanitizer. Voters are asked to wear masks, but poll workers cannot require voters to wear masks.
See more information from the 2020 Primary Runoff Voter Guide
