OWENS CROSS ROADS — A large crowd turned out in Owens Cross Roads on Monday to celebrate the official opening of the new Madison County Center for Elections Management and Probate Court Archives.
A dedication was held at the center, which is located on U.S. Highway 431 at the old Roller Coasters skating rink. Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger opened by welcoming the audience, which included many public officials such as Secretary of State Wes Allen, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Madison County Commission Chairman Mac McCutcheon.
Barger said outfitting the 30-year-old building to accommodate the election center and probate archives cost roughly $5 million, well below initial estimates of a new building. The old skating rink will now serve as storage for election equipment and a staging area for polling sites, plus house the county's probate archives dating back nearly 100 years.
"If it were not for probate judges like Frank Barger and those throughout the state, the circuit clerks, and sheriffs and board of registrars, we would not have strong elections like we do in the state of Alabama," Allen said during the dedication ceremony. "...The facility you are witnessing takes a lot of hard work, a lot of collaboration and it just doesn't happen. Everything rises and falls on leadership, and you certainly have great leadership in this community."
McCutcheon said the new facility could become a "model" for other counties in that state.
"Madison County has a history of protecting the integrity of our election process," he outlined. "… We are second to none when it comes to respecting our election process and protecting the voter and running that process as it should be. This is a plan for the future. We're growing in Madison County."
Barger said his office is working to digitize as many records as possible so that they will be available to the public online in 2025.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on X and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
