Voters in Cullman County and across the U.S. will head to the polls on Nov. 5 to cast their ballots for the presidency, the U.S. House of Representatives, one-third of the U.S. Senate, and numerous other federal, state, and local candidates and ballot measures.
In Cullman County, every local race in next week’s General Election fields only a single candidate — each a Republican — while at the state level, only the race for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama is contested between a Democrat (current 15th Judicial Circuit Judge Greg Griffin) and a Republican (current state Supreme Court Associate Justice Sarah Stewart).
That leaves the presidential race between leading candidates Donald Trump (R), Kamala Harris (D), and three independents as the contest driving many local voters to the polls, alongside a local ballot measure to determine whether to impose an additional 15 percent sales tax on medical cannabis products sold in Cullman County.
Alabama contributes nine electoral votes to the overall 538 electoral votes nationally that determine the winner of the presidential race. If the local ballot measure is approved by Cullman County voters, revenues raised by the proposed additional tax on medical cannabis would be divided between the district attorney’s office (at 66.7 percent) and the local legislative delegation (at 33.3 percent).
To find out your current voter registration status, as well as determine which local polling place to attend if you plan to vote in person on election day, visit the interactive online search site operated by the Alabama Secretary of State’s office at https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview.
While the Oct. 21 deadline has passed for newly-registered Alabama voters to cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 General Election, already-registered voters wishing to vote absentee still have a rapidly closing window of time to request their absentee ballots.
The deadline to apply as an absentee voter falls no later than five days before the General Election, which this year means absentee voters have until Thursday, Oct. 31 to request a ballot in person at the Cullman County Circuit Clerk’s Office (Cullman County Courthouse, 500 2nd Ave. SW, Room #303).
Though the Oct. 29 deadline to request an absentee ballot via U.S. mail already has passed, absentee ballots can still be requested in person at the circuit clerk’s office through the close of the Oct. 31 business day. Absentee voters will then have until the close of the business day on Monday, Nov. 4 to return their completed absentee ballots in person to the circuit clerk’s office. Completed absentee ballots returned by mail must be received in the office no later than noon on election day (Nov. 5).
In Cullman County and across Alabama, General Election polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Whether voting absentee or in person on election day, all Alabama voters are required to present a valid form of photo identification in order to cast a ballot.
Via the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, presenting one of the following forms of identification will satisfy the state’s voter ID requirement:
— Valid Driver’s License (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days).
— Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Driver’s License.
— Valid Non-driver ID (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days).
— Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Non-driver ID.
— Valid Alabama Photo Voter ID.
— Valid State Issued ID (Alabama or any other state).
— Valid AL Department of Corrections Release- Temporary ID (Photo Required).
— Valid AL Movement/Booking Sheet from Prison/Jail System (Photo Required).
— Valid Pistol Permit (Photo Required).
— Valid Federal Issued ID.
— Valid US Passport.
— Valid Employee ID from Federal Government, State of Alabama, County Government, Municipality, Board, Authority, or other entity of the state.
— Valid student or employee ID from a college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools).
— Valid Military ID.
— Valid Tribal ID.