In early March, thousands of residents across the state will head to the polls to vote in the primary election.
Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election and can be nonpartisan or partisan. In partisan primaries, voters choose the candidates they prefer for a political party to nominate in the general election.
The laws governing primary elections vary from state to state and can even vary within states by locality and political party. This variation has created a number of different types of partisan primary elections.
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Alabama Supreme court to draw new Alabama congressional map with greater representation for Black voters. In October, federal judges selected new congressional lines for Alabama to give the state a second district where Black voters comprise a substantial portion of the electorate.
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The new districts could help Democrats trying to flip control of the House of Representatives.
Deadlines in the March 5 primary election
- Friday, Feb. 16 – Last day to hand-deliver voter registration forms
- Saturday, Feb. 17 – Last day to postmark voter registration forms
- Monday, Feb. 19 – Must register to vote electronically by 4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb. 27 -Last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail.
- Thursday, Feb. 29 – Must apply apply in person for absentee ballots by 4:30 p.m.
- Monday, March 4 – Last day to hand-deliver an absentee ballot
- Tuesday, March 5 – Mail in absentee ballot accepted until noon
Where and how to register to vote
If a person’s name does not appear on the list of registered voters for the polling place, the poll worker will contact the county Board of Registrars to determine if the person is eligible to vote at that polling place. If the Board of Registrars are unable to verify the person’s voter registration, the voter may vote a provisional ballot.
Do you want to find out what you can find on the ballot? Visit the Alabama Secretary of State’s website for sample ballots for every county in the state.
The local polls are preparing for the 80,687 already registered voters in Houston County.
Voting kicks off with the primary election on March 5 from 7AM to 7PM. There are 27 polling places in Houston County. To find your specific polling location you can visit https://probate.houstoncountyal.gov/, under the elections tab you can find a map where you put in your address and find the exact location you are supposed to vote at. Registration for voting ends Feb. 19 which you can do online at alabamavotes.gov or in person at the Houston County Administration building on the third floor. Absentee voting has already started and absentee ballots must be sent in by March 29.
After the severe weather experienced in the Wiregrass area the town of Cottonwood unfortunately lost their community center which doubled as their polling precinct during elections. Judge Davenport shared that Calvary Baptist Church in Cottonwood offered up their fellowship hall since the original location wouldn’t be fixed in time for voting. The new location is just about a mile away at the other end of Metcalf Street.
A citizen can register to vote or update voter registration by:
- visiting alabamavotes.gov when you have your valid Alabama driver’s License or non-driver ID card handy;
- using the Vote for Alabama app with your valid Alabama driver’s license or non-driver ID card handy;
- applying for or renewing an Alabama driver’s license or non-driver ID card;
- visiting state and local government offices when applying or recertifying SNAP, TANF, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, Aid to Dependent Children, or Rehabilitation Services;
- by visiting armed forces recruiting stations;
- by visiting your county’s Board of Registrars office;
- by submitting a mail-in form available at Probate Judge and License Commissioner offices, colleges, universities, public schools or library;
- by requesting a mail-in registration form be mailed to you by contacting the Elections Division at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) and mailing it to your local Board of Registrars office;
- by downloading a voter registration from the Secretary of State’s website at alabamavotes.gov and mailing it to your local Board of Registars office.
Traffic on West Main Street is shown as an electronic billboard reminds residents in the Wiregrass to vote on Tuesday.
Key federal and statewide races
- President/vice president
- U.S. House of Representatives (Seven seats)
- Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice
- Associate Justice of Supreme Court (Places 1, 2, 3, and 4)
- Court of Criminal Appeals (Places 1, 2, and 3)
- Court of Civil Appeals (Places 1, 2, and 3)
Find your polling place
When you register to vote or update your registration information, the county Board of Registrars office sends a Voter ID card to each voter. The card is a postcard which includes the voter’s precinct information and polling location.
Voters can verify their polling place by going to the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.alabama.gov and selecting the link labeled, “My Voting Information.” For municipal elections, check with the city clerk.
Alabama polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone who attempts to join the voting line after 7 p.m. shall not be permitted to vote.
If you have not received a Voter ID card, call your county Board of Registrars Office. You can reach the Coffee County Board of Registrars Office on East McKinnon Street by calling (334) 894-5347. You can reach the Dale County Board of Registrars Office near South Union Avenue by calling (334) 774-9038.
What do you bring to the voting polls? How to obtain a free Alabama Voter ID Card?
The voter arrives at the polling place and provides their name to a poll worker. The voter must also present an acceptable form of photo identification .Prior to the date of the election, any registered voter who does not possess a form of valid photo identification may receive a free Alabama Photo Voter ID.
To receive a free Alabama photo voter ID card, a voter must show:
- A photo document or a non-photo identity document that contains one’s full legal name and date of birth;
- Documentation showing the voter’s date of birth (can be verified by information in the statewide voter file);
- Documentation showing the person is a registered voter (can be verified by voter registration information);
- Documentation showing the voter’s name and address as reflected in the voter registration record (can be verified by voter registration information).
When a voter can submit an absentee ballot and how?
According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, any qualified voter can submit an absentee ballot application by mail or in person to the Absentee Election Manager’s Office under certain circumstances. Multiple absentee ballots cannot be mailed in the same envelope. Each absentee ballot must be mailed separately.
Alabamians may obtain an application or register to vote online at www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/register-to-vote. They may also obtain a voter registration application at driver license offices, libraries, and at Alabama Public Assistance offices such as Medicaid, WIC, and DHR.
Citizens can submit an absentee ballot under these circumstances:
- The voter is out of the country or state on Election Day;
- The voter has any physical illness or infirmity which prevents the voter from attending the polls;
- The voter works a shift that has at least 10 hours which coincide with the hours the polls are open at the voter’s regular polling place;
- The voter is a student enrolled in school outside the county of residence;
- The voter is a member, a spouse, or a dependent of a member of the United Stated Armed Forces or is similarly qualified to vote absentee according to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act;
- The voter is a caregiver for a family member who is confined to their own home;
- The voter is incarcerated in prison or jail and has not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude.
