CAMPAIGN 2024: Presidential Election Day is underway
It is Election Day in Alabama and across the country, as voters choose a new president and decide which party will control both houses of Congress.
Republicans are looking to extend their control on all statewide offices. Many state races have no Democratic opposition.
In the last presidential election of 2020, 3.7 million votes were cast in Alabama, representing a 63% voter turnout.
WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT:
The presidential race is what is getting the most attention. In Alabama, these are the candidates who are on the ballot for president and vice president:
DEMOCRAT – Kamala Harris/Tim Walz
REPUBLICAN – Donald Trump/JD Vance
INDEPENDENT – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr./Nicole Shanahan
INDEPENDENT – Chase Oliver/Mike Ter Maat
INDEPENDENT – Jill Stein/Samson Komlan LeBeau Kpadenou
But there are other races besides the one for president. All seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be decided, with the winners earning two-year terms in Washington.
Remember, the district lines were redrawn, which means that many counties are now in different districts.
The newly-redrawn District 2, which includes all of Montgomery County, is an open seat. Democratic candidate Shomari Figures and Republican candidate Caroleene Dobson want to replace incumbent Congressman Barry Moore, who no longer lives in the district.
Moore now lives in District 1, where he is the Republican nominee and faces Democrat Tom Holmes.
Alabama Congressional District Map – Photo from Alabama Secretary of State’s Office
All voters will be electing a new Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice to replace Tom Parker, who couldn’t seek re-election due to age limits.
SEE SAMPLE BALLOT FROM YOUR COUNTY
Many state races are uncontested, which means you’ll see only one name on the ballot in addition to a place to write-in a different person’s name.
At the local level, some counties have races for county commission and school board seats as well as constable positions.
GOING TO VOTE:
Polls are open from 7AM to 7PM statewide. Straight-ticket voting is allowed.
For those voting absentee, mailed absentee ballots must be received by noon on Tuesday (except people covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA.)
AWAITING ELECTION RESULTS:
Action 8 News will have complete state and local results on TV, online and on our mobile app once the polls close.
Counting the votes can go late, but wide victory margins often allow races projections to be done earlier in the evening. In the high-turnout presidential election in 2020, Alabama’s vote count reached 90 percent at 3:34 a.m. the next morning.
It is hard to predict when other states will complete their vote counts.
AFTER THE VOTES ARE COUNTED:
An automatic recount is required when a public office or statewide ballot measure is decided by 0.5% or less in a general election. Otherwise, election results will be certified later this month.
