BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Alabama is just hours away from the polls opening for the Super Tuesday primary and those in charge of elections, locally and across the state, have been preparing for months.
“This is your chance, regardless of which party primary you’re voting in, to choose a candidate that you want to represent that party in the fall general election,” said Jefferson County Probate Judge James Naftel.
When asked how many are expected to come out to the polls, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen didn’t want to estimate, and instead let the numbers speak for themselves.
“We can look back at history,” he said. “In 2016, it was 41% in the presidential primary. In 2020, it was 33% in the presidential primary so we’ll see what happens.”
Allen says the anticipated rain could put a damper on numbers but nothing is certain. To avoid the wet weather, Naftel is encouraging voters to turn up early.
Jefferson County has close to 180 precincts so preparation takes months.
“Our county general services has been preparing our vote tabulating machines,” said Naftel. “Our county commission, our board of registrars has been setting the precincts. We’ve had delivery trucks all over the county delivering election supplies, ballots, and all that stuff. There’s just a lot of moving parts.”
Both Naftel and Allen say though there are a lot of moving parts, it’s a process you can trust in.
“Alabama elections are safe, secure, fair, and transparent,” says Allen. “We’ve got paper ballots. We’ll always have paper ballots. The tabulators that we use are not connected to the internet, cannot be connected to the internet. The only plug on that tabulator is the one that plugs into the wall for electricity.”
Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Make sure you bring a photo ID to your polling place. If you’re unsure where that is, visit this website. All you need is your name and your birthday to find your precinct.
To prepare ahead of time and see the ballot you’ll be filling out, the secretary of state provides sample ballots. Click here to choose your party and your county.
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