With the overwhelming majority of the state going to the polls for municipal elections on August 26, absentee ballots have begun to roll in, with hundreds being cast in some of Central Alabama's cities.
Many voters who fulfill the state's limited absentee ballot criteria vote in person, meaning that they go to the city clerk's office, request a ballot, make their choices, and then turn it in all at the same time. Voters can also mail in their ballots.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said the application deadline for mail-in ballots for the August 26 elections is August 19. The in-person deadline for applications is August 21.
"Absentee voting is a vital component of our elections process. Preserving the integrity of absentee voting is of utmost importance to my Office," Allen explained. "That is why I have fought to protect Alabama voters against bad actors who profit off of absentee elections through the passage of SB1 and assisted law enforcement in the prosecution of absentee ballot fraud."
According to the city clerk's offices, the following total number of ballots have been cast.
In Mountain Brook, which has staggered municipal elections for their city council and mayor's office, two city council races are on the ballot. Graham Smith will be the new mayor as she ran without opposition. A total of 310 ballots were requested, with fewer than 10 yet to be returned as of Monday afternoon, just before 2 p.m.
Hoover, which has a contested mayoral election and five city council races, has had 391 ballots requested with 330 ballots cast. Two city council members were reelected without opposition.
An official with the city clerk's office in Birmingham said they weren't able to answer the question of how many ballots have been cast because they do not count them as they come in, but said over 500 have been requested.
Trussville, which has an open mayor's race, has seen 155 applications with 142 ballots cast. The city has four contested races for city council and a contested mayoral race.
Sources say Homewood has had approximately 150 requests, but a request to the city clerk's office has not been answered.
For more information on absentee voting in Alabama, the application can be found on the Secretary of State's website. The Alabama League of Municipalities worked with the Secretary of State's Office on a 2024 Special Report for Mayor-Council form governments that details relevant laws, statutes and guidelines for the elections.
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