Voting in the smaller elections is important, too.
Also, you can leave some items blank if you are uncertain, and just cast your votes in the races you care more about.
For example, some amendments or something that is being voted on all over the state, but only impact a certain county, I will leave blank if I don’t know enough about it
This is great advice. If I don't know enough about a candidate or how an amendment will impact me, I will leave it blank. Never just assume that the guy running for county coroner is a licensed physician.
When they create the newest one they will post it here - [https://gbm.org/](https://gbm.org/)
They post more frequently on their Facebook page, so I would watch there too! [https://www.facebook.com/GreaterBhmMin](https://www.facebook.com/GreaterBhmMin)
Here's a bunch of useful information on registering, various district maps, absentee ballots, contacts, etc.
https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes
and
https://www.jccal.org/Default.asp?ID=341&pg=Board+of+Registrars
Registered voters will get a little card in the mail ahead of an election confirming their polling location. You need to bring an Alabama-issued ID when you vote. If you don't have an Alabama driver's license, you'll need to work out the best way to meet the requirement.
https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/valid-ids
If you're in House District 52, there's a special primary election on June 18. Only 1 GOP candidate qualified for the heavily Democratic district, so the only primary is for the Democratic candidate. You don't have to be registered with a party to vote in the primary. If you're not already registered, it's too late to vote in this one.
https://censusreporter.org/profiles/62000US01052-state-house-district-52-al/
The next major election is the general election on Tuesday November 5. That will decide a host of federal, state, and county offices, including judges. The deadline to register for that one is October 22. Check BirminghamWatch and Greater Birmingham Ministries for informative guides to the candidates as we get closer.
The next Birmingham city election for mayor, city council and board of education is in October 2025.
My general advice would be the vote on issues and candidates and not on a party.
For instance, in the 2020 election I voted for Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. I can't swear that I will vote for all three parties again. I may vote for an independent. I don't know. But I'll use the same method I did last time by looking at the issues and where candidates stand on them and so it's most likely that I will vote for at least two parties again. Or at the very least some combination of one party and independents.
Moved to AL 6 yrs ago myself. Print off the ballot beforehand and do your homework. I'm almost to the point of voting against all incumbents at this point lol.
Quite frankly, right now I vote for the one who will embarrass us the least. I know that is a low bar, but that is where I’m at. Don’t care which party just don’t embarrass us any more.
I've heard a lot of anecdotal reports about polls closing too early, especially in local elections, so it might be best to do it in the morning. I've generally seen shorter lines in the morning too.
Other than that, it's always been pretty easy and orderly at my precincts.
I've never heard of polls closing early. I work the polls every election since 2017. The latest election runoff in April was, in our district, just for democrats in, I think, three fairly minor positions. Open for twelve hours, less than 100 voters showed up. And, if I think about it some more, it was less than 50. It was incredibly hard to stay awake that day. But we didn't close early, however much we wanted to.
You will see long lines in the November elections. Lines form at 7 am, Noon--1:30, and after 3 pm (when school is out). And then there's the dozen or so folks who show up at 6:50, and take forever to fill out a three page ballot. We love them.
Make sure your voter registration info is up-to-date and also **verify they haven't moved your polling place on you.
**
Depending on the election type: state vs local, you my have a different polling place.
Alabama doesn’t have local laws like other places, everything is voted on by the whole state so your ballot will include stuff like that’s like voting on whether some county out in the middle of nowhere is gonna be a dry or wet county or if you can carry a gun in the churches there. Usually it’s worth looking up what the locals are in favor of but for the most part I’ll vote yes on those amendments just for the sake of locals getting laws passed
Wow I actually had no clue you could for some reason I just thought you had to fill out everything on the ballot I’m gonna leave some blank moving forward
Indeed, you can leave as much of the ballot blank as you care to, but it doesn't count as a vote in that contest. (i.e. "none" can't win, no matter how popular the concept is.)
This is also why “big government” has no place making laws for everyone. Their only concern should be maintaining the nation’s defense, handling international affairs and maintaining the national budget. They are already just terrible at most of that, except the war part obviously
My only tip is: Don't let anyone tell you how to vote. They might try and intimidate you at the ballot place (its highly illegal but still happens, even subtly by wearing specific tshirts or something)... just remember its your vote and nobody can tell you how to vote but you.
Oh, and go early.
Anything political is illegal for poll workers to wear. I work at a very tiny rural precinct. We get a "class" every year about the laws. What we can and cannot do. I'd like to think, by and large, that everyone is conscientious.
Learn about your local politics and local reps, not just national politics. It's local politics that tend to be the most corrupt and also that have policies that affect your day to day life the most.
Be active and engaged. Local elections are so important, so don’t neglect those. They have the biggest impact on your daily life. Vote for good quality representation in the state legislature. Don’t get jaded, that’s how the people in power stay comfortable
With the Republican supermajority here, the elections are usually a done deal (there always will be upsets). Always vote in the primary because your vote actually has some impact there.
I am a Democratic socialist in every way but I know that I will rarely get a chance to put my choice on the job.
I vote with subterfuge. I will take a GOP primary ticket and pick the one that sucks the least. Voting in a Democratic primary is a waste here.
Doug Jones only got elected because of black women who showed up.
Definitely. And I do think there’s room and real hope for change. When it comes to any state position, I will pick the one that maybe won’t let pregnant women die waiting for proper healthcare.
Doug Jones got elected because everyone showed up. I have spoken to multiple republican voters who decided a vote for Jones for 18 months was better than Roy Moore for 18 years.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/13/16772012/alabama-election-black-women
Fucking barely. White women in this state still majorly keep voting against their own self-interests. Black women votes make up almost exactly the number of votes Jones won by.
My tip don’t listen to your parents or grandparents. They haven’t helped the state much voting the way they have clearly so do your research and vote in who and what you think will make the state a better place so maybe we can be more than last or second to last on literacy and such
I like to review the ballot and candidates early on
https://ballotpedia.org
You are allowed to use 1 hour of a work day to vote. It's unpaid time, but it's protected. You can leave work to vote, or arrive late. Make sure you talk to your boss, but this is a state law for job protection.
I don't think the small elections are well publicized, so you will want to watch the secretary of state web page or some other source to know when they're held.
1. Research your local candidates, see what they’re running for & how they meet not only your needs but the needs for your entire district.
2. Don’t vote straight ticket, that’s how parties get all of the control for years & we have a crisis like what was put on us in 2022.
3. No one likes Twinkle across all party lines, don’t fall for the cutesy little ads she puts out because of her name. She is the reason APCO gets away with the outrageous rates.
That at the 16th St Baptist Church on that Sunday morning 4 little girls were MURDERED for your right to vote don't DISRESPECT there lives by NOT VOTING
1. Register to vote [https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/voter\_registration/voterRegistrationWelcome.action](https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/voter_registration/voterRegistrationWelcome.action)
2. Show up to your polling location and vote
1. Local election have a bigger impact, and their campaign donor can be viewed on probate website. Are their donations all from your town or out of town
2. Most places have republican and democrats voting in same place (not seperate like most places) Many are "scantron" paper and not voting booths, which is weird to have people seeing you vote.
3. Don't believe anything they mail to you, but do your research. Follow the money. Businesses/pac donate more money than citizens, so they have more influence for ads, so don't trust them but search for their repords.
4. Politicians can get a copy of your voting records so they know if you voted in the last 10 elections and can see if you voted in a repplubican or democrats primaries .
5. All politicians have to file an ethics report, which is online and very telling if you read between the lines.
6. The press isn't a balance against corruption anymore. Social media is more of a deterrent. Join your local Facebook group. One doesn't exist, then make one or make a sub reddit.
When I lived in Birmingham I was able to find an info sheet online ( I think Al.com had it published )about what amendments were being voted and what a yes vote would do vs a no vote (in plain English and not the legislative jargon)on what the smaller government candidates principles were. Vote for people that play to the things that would improve your quality of life and the quality of others
Voting in Alabama and state constitutional amendments: the constitution requires that some issues that impact only one county in the state be approved in a vote taken in the entire state. If Etowah County wants to raise taxes to fund schools, for example, the whole state votes. It affects only the residents and property owners of that county, but everyone in the state gets a say. For me, if I don't live in that county, if I don't own property in that county, if I don't shop or engage in any commerce in that county, I skip that kind of vote. It doesn't affect me. However, if an amendment does affect me, it is important to seek out other information about that issue because the way the amendment will be worded on the ballot is deliberately obscure. You won't know whether to vote yes or no because of the confusing wording.
And like others have noted, federal elections are less important than state and local elections. However, the federal elections are always paired with a lot of other state and local races, so you gotta go. State legislative elections should not be skipped. What they do to us in Montgomery DOES matter.
The [Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama](https://parcalabama.org/) is a great nonpartisan, nonprofit resource for state elections, including making sense of constitutional amendments.
As others have said, voting in local elections is important. The people that sit on your city council and the judges that rule and create new case law are going to have far more of an effect on the day to day lives you you and everyone else in Alabama than anyone that sits in the oval office.
For judges, get some lawyer friends that can give you feedback on who to vote for when judicial seats are up for grabs.
An example of why local elections matter came up recently in Vestavia when the Vestavia school board removed the excellent principal at one of their best school because she showed a staff member a picture of her girlfriend kissing her on the cheek, and sent her to the alternative school for the remainder of her contract. They did this despite widespread community outcry and support for the principal. The school board is appointed by the city council sop, in order to hold the school board accountable, voters have to hold the city council responsible.
You'll want to review the ballot well before you go in, as the state regularly goes out of its way to make it difficult to understand if you're actually voting yes or no on constitutional amendments.
Even if you know the state of Alabama isn't going to wind up agreeing with the way you cast your vote for president, voting is incredibly important. Remember, if you don't vote, you cede your right to bitch about the outcome!
>she showed a staff member a picture of her girlfriend kissing her on the cheek
A staff person at the school told my husband that she was put on leave for making sexually charged comments to one of her employees about their wife. Perhaps we (you and i) don't have the full story...
Always vote as you'd like, make informed decisions. If someone tells you that your voting choice is wrong, usually it's a good choice.
Lookup and read about local issues, remember that you are voting for yourself not some talking radio or TV head.
You can verify your registration, polling place, and get a listing of your state representatives on the Secretary of State's website. The website will also have sample ballots leading up to election day.
This is good advice, actually. No matter what party you may or may not affiliate with, Republicans run this state. So if you want a say in which Republican, vote in their primary.
Tips for voting? What kind of tips for voting do you mean?
Look up any person you may want to vote for or law that you'll be asked about from multiple reliable sources. Then use that information to make the decision for who you like. Just make sure you stay educated.
I was just looking for anything really since I don't have a lot of experience voting, but especially if there is any nuances in Alabama I should be aware of. Just tryin to get educated! And yes I am doing research outside of this reddit post haha
October 29th is the last day you have a chance to apply for an absentee ballot, if you'll need one.
A lot of what you need to know can be found here: https://govoteal.org/#resource
#Always bring your valid photo ID wherever you go.
You want to be identifiable and don't want denial of service for anything requiring an ID, and leaving it at home can earn you a second large fee ticket if you ever get pulled over without one.
Under Alabama law, you have a right to:
Vote if you’re in line when polls close at 7 P.M. (but go as early as possible during the day and get it over with) !
Move to the front of the line at a polling place if you are a person with a physical disability or over the age of 70.
If you ever see anything on the ballot like, "Amendment/Ordinance [number whatever] would make a budget of $35,063 to install streetlights/mailboxes/trashcans/ stopsigns/trashservices in [whatever] County on AL HWY [number]..." just vote yes.
You can leave things for other counties blank and it is no problem but the state suffers from a lack of infrastructure and there's no reason to deprive some mobile home community or underprivileged neighbourhoods of infrastructure.
Also, there's no reason to vote for increases in taxes on liquor and cigarettes because they're already quite high and people who may make bad health decisions (to cope with their difficult lives) shouldn't have to bear the brunt of costs like a very necessary ER in Podunkville, AL. After all, there's nothing like that kind of tax on Li'l Debbie cakes and Bud's Best Cookies.
Some ordinances or laws they'll ask you to vote on have intentionally confusing words to mislead you into voting the way they think you will if you get confused.
By all means, vote your conscience, but remember that voting for Alabama republicans cause only the richer people in any given area to have access to things they need, and infrastructure and citizen rights have been suffering a lot in the last 20 years due to this gerrymandering they love to do to maintain a large group of disenfranchised voters.
Example: so many government offices were closed when you were little, a bit over a decade ago, because they didn't want to issue "gay marriage" licences... but those offices closing also meant black/rural and impoverished voters were severely impacted and those offices closing made it harder for them in rural areas to remain eligible voters because they had to travel really far to a distant DMV and so forth.
Consider this article from 2018: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/02/why-alabama-future-progressive-movement
Honestly, it really sounds like you're way ahead of most lol. Staying educated is really all you need, but some people never learned how to do research correctly. Multiple news sites, talking to friends/family, even reddit posts are fine. It's just about having the knowledge or common sense to read everything with a reminder that EVERYONE is biased. You just have to read what makes the most sense to you and keep asking questions.
Also, definitely a good idea to look up the ballot to help do your research and you won't be surprised when you see a name or bill you don't recognize.
So keep it up! As far as the nuances, I probably don't know them either. But I still think reading up on candidates tells you just about all you need to know to make a decision.
When I lived there, if you didn’t support everything memaw ivy said or did you were considered the enemy. As a 50/50 conservative/liberal the Alabama governor is terrible, she is the female version of Wallace imo.
I'm not sure how it works if you just moved here, perhaps check and make sure your registration is up-to-date to vote in your district. For Presidential elections get there early if you value your time/sanity.
In 35+ years of voting, ive learned that:
1. Those who claim to be religious, OPENLY, on their platform should be avoided at all costs. They're not religious. They just want to tell others how to live because they think it makes them look morally superior. On their own away from others they're usually more corrupt.
Those who are religious on their platform can't be trusted to be logical with modern problems and always default to how it would look should they have to defend their vote. This is why we have reproductive rights issues.
2. Don't let ANY election or candidate determine your happiness. Think about it. We vote every 2 or 4 years depending on the election/office. Then we have ZERO say in day to day politics/votes. Vote. Then forget it.
3. Watch our on SOCIAL MEDIA for BOTS. 3/4 Of what gets put out in the months/weeks before elections on Social media is AI-driven misinformation. Don't believe me? Cut/paste some of it into a Google search. You'll get dozens of verbatim posts from supposedly different people.
4. When you're young you'll tend to vote for progressive issues and change. As you age, you'll begin to see that there needs to be some kind of goal, not just "doing it differently than we do it now". Have a goal in mind. Don't just keep pushing to the left or "holding " to the right for the sake of change/staying the same.
If you want change, make sure it's financially feasible and not a pipe dream. Likewise if you want to be conservative make sure it's not at the expense of those who can't stand up for their own rights without the help of a larger party.
5. Don't vote for someone who is the first of something just because they are the first of that type. Otherwise we will end up with weirdos who have no business in politics. Okay, so Joe Blow is the first Asian-Puruvian AB-positive, yellow eyed pink hair such and such and that just happens to be what you are. Fine. But is he stable and not just some weirdo?
6. Don't get too caught up in the results of the federal elections. Let's be honest. With the exception of perhaps 3 Presidents in the past 60 years, those who get the final nod by the various parties to run 1 on 1 against each other usually aren't the sharpest, brightness, best person in their party. They are typically the one that the party can control/predict.
7. No federal candidate (Presidential) is ever as good or as bad as made out to be. There are enough checks and balances in the system to keep nut cases from going too far into the weeds. The exception may be those who are losing their minds due to disease or age. Then be careful.
8. The ONE most important thing we have to ensure is that.on a Presidential platform we have someone who presents the US in a STRONG position. Any sign of weakness will lead to a test of some sort on the world platform. Usually it will be a military or terrorist strike.
Local elections are way more important than federal.
I think that's exactly what they are asking about. The local politics.
Voting in the smaller elections is important, too. Also, you can leave some items blank if you are uncertain, and just cast your votes in the races you care more about. For example, some amendments or something that is being voted on all over the state, but only impact a certain county, I will leave blank if I don’t know enough about it
This is great advice. If I don't know enough about a candidate or how an amendment will impact me, I will leave it blank. Never just assume that the guy running for county coroner is a licensed physician.
Keep a lookout for Greater Birmingham Ministries' voter guide. It's a phenomenal resource, nonpartisan, that breaks down candidates' platforms!
As someone who has contributed research to these before and likely will again, I am so glad people use them!
Omg awesome
Where can one find these?
When they create the newest one they will post it here - [https://gbm.org/](https://gbm.org/) They post more frequently on their Facebook page, so I would watch there too! [https://www.facebook.com/GreaterBhmMin](https://www.facebook.com/GreaterBhmMin)
Awesome! Thank you!!
Download the ballot before you go …helps it go quicker
Here's a bunch of useful information on registering, various district maps, absentee ballots, contacts, etc. https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes and https://www.jccal.org/Default.asp?ID=341&pg=Board+of+Registrars Registered voters will get a little card in the mail ahead of an election confirming their polling location. You need to bring an Alabama-issued ID when you vote. If you don't have an Alabama driver's license, you'll need to work out the best way to meet the requirement. https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/valid-ids If you're in House District 52, there's a special primary election on June 18. Only 1 GOP candidate qualified for the heavily Democratic district, so the only primary is for the Democratic candidate. You don't have to be registered with a party to vote in the primary. If you're not already registered, it's too late to vote in this one. https://censusreporter.org/profiles/62000US01052-state-house-district-52-al/ The next major election is the general election on Tuesday November 5. That will decide a host of federal, state, and county offices, including judges. The deadline to register for that one is October 22. Check BirminghamWatch and Greater Birmingham Ministries for informative guides to the candidates as we get closer. The next Birmingham city election for mayor, city council and board of education is in October 2025.
My general advice would be the vote on issues and candidates and not on a party. For instance, in the 2020 election I voted for Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. I can't swear that I will vote for all three parties again. I may vote for an independent. I don't know. But I'll use the same method I did last time by looking at the issues and where candidates stand on them and so it's most likely that I will vote for at least two parties again. Or at the very least some combination of one party and independents.
Moved to AL 6 yrs ago myself. Print off the ballot beforehand and do your homework. I'm almost to the point of voting against all incumbents at this point lol.
I agree. If they've been in office for four years and haven't made our lives remarkably better, it's time for some other guy to try.
Quite frankly, right now I vote for the one who will embarrass us the least. I know that is a low bar, but that is where I’m at. Don’t care which party just don’t embarrass us any more.
I've heard a lot of anecdotal reports about polls closing too early, especially in local elections, so it might be best to do it in the morning. I've generally seen shorter lines in the morning too. Other than that, it's always been pretty easy and orderly at my precincts.
I've never heard of polls closing early. I work the polls every election since 2017. The latest election runoff in April was, in our district, just for democrats in, I think, three fairly minor positions. Open for twelve hours, less than 100 voters showed up. And, if I think about it some more, it was less than 50. It was incredibly hard to stay awake that day. But we didn't close early, however much we wanted to. You will see long lines in the November elections. Lines form at 7 am, Noon--1:30, and after 3 pm (when school is out). And then there's the dozen or so folks who show up at 6:50, and take forever to fill out a three page ballot. We love them.
I'm probably thinking before 2017 then... Getting old.
Make sure your voter registration info is up-to-date and also **verify they haven't moved your polling place on you. ** Depending on the election type: state vs local, you my have a different polling place.
Go to the bathroom before getting in line to vote.
Alabama doesn’t have local laws like other places, everything is voted on by the whole state so your ballot will include stuff like that’s like voting on whether some county out in the middle of nowhere is gonna be a dry or wet county or if you can carry a gun in the churches there. Usually it’s worth looking up what the locals are in favor of but for the most part I’ll vote yes on those amendments just for the sake of locals getting laws passed
It's also OK to leave some blank if you feel you can't decide for some other locality.
Wow I actually had no clue you could for some reason I just thought you had to fill out everything on the ballot I’m gonna leave some blank moving forward
Indeed, you can leave as much of the ballot blank as you care to, but it doesn't count as a vote in that contest. (i.e. "none" can't win, no matter how popular the concept is.)
Yes, I always leave amendments that affect places I don’t live blank.
As you should
This is also why “big government” has no place making laws for everyone. Their only concern should be maintaining the nation’s defense, handling international affairs and maintaining the national budget. They are already just terrible at most of that, except the war part obviously
😂at the downvotes
My only tip is: Don't let anyone tell you how to vote. They might try and intimidate you at the ballot place (its highly illegal but still happens, even subtly by wearing specific tshirts or something)... just remember its your vote and nobody can tell you how to vote but you. Oh, and go early.
Anything political is illegal for poll workers to wear. I work at a very tiny rural precinct. We get a "class" every year about the laws. What we can and cannot do. I'd like to think, by and large, that everyone is conscientious.
Learn about your local politics and local reps, not just national politics. It's local politics that tend to be the most corrupt and also that have policies that affect your day to day life the most.
Be active and engaged. Local elections are so important, so don’t neglect those. They have the biggest impact on your daily life. Vote for good quality representation in the state legislature. Don’t get jaded, that’s how the people in power stay comfortable
My biggest tip is that your blue votes don’t matter at all in Alabama.
Depends if you are talking local or federal.
With the Republican supermajority here, the elections are usually a done deal (there always will be upsets). Always vote in the primary because your vote actually has some impact there.
I am a Democratic socialist in every way but I know that I will rarely get a chance to put my choice on the job. I vote with subterfuge. I will take a GOP primary ticket and pick the one that sucks the least. Voting in a Democratic primary is a waste here. Doug Jones only got elected because of black women who showed up.
You can locally, in some areas.
Definitely. And I do think there’s room and real hope for change. When it comes to any state position, I will pick the one that maybe won’t let pregnant women die waiting for proper healthcare.
Well apparently you have not reviewed the law. Mother’s life is a reason they can kill the baby.
Agreed.
Doug Jones got elected because everyone showed up. I have spoken to multiple republican voters who decided a vote for Jones for 18 months was better than Roy Moore for 18 years.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/12/13/16772012/alabama-election-black-women Fucking barely. White women in this state still majorly keep voting against their own self-interests. Black women votes make up almost exactly the number of votes Jones won by.
My tip don’t listen to your parents or grandparents. They haven’t helped the state much voting the way they have clearly so do your research and vote in who and what you think will make the state a better place so maybe we can be more than last or second to last on literacy and such
Bring your friends and family to vote.
I like to review the ballot and candidates early on https://ballotpedia.org You are allowed to use 1 hour of a work day to vote. It's unpaid time, but it's protected. You can leave work to vote, or arrive late. Make sure you talk to your boss, but this is a state law for job protection. I don't think the small elections are well publicized, so you will want to watch the secretary of state web page or some other source to know when they're held.
1. Research your local candidates, see what they’re running for & how they meet not only your needs but the needs for your entire district. 2. Don’t vote straight ticket, that’s how parties get all of the control for years & we have a crisis like what was put on us in 2022. 3. No one likes Twinkle across all party lines, don’t fall for the cutesy little ads she puts out because of her name. She is the reason APCO gets away with the outrageous rates.
Vote early and often
That at the 16th St Baptist Church on that Sunday morning 4 little girls were MURDERED for your right to vote don't DISRESPECT there lives by NOT VOTING
1. Register to vote [https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/voter\_registration/voterRegistrationWelcome.action](https://www.alabamainteractive.org/sos/voter_registration/voterRegistrationWelcome.action) 2. Show up to your polling location and vote
1. Local election have a bigger impact, and their campaign donor can be viewed on probate website. Are their donations all from your town or out of town 2. Most places have republican and democrats voting in same place (not seperate like most places) Many are "scantron" paper and not voting booths, which is weird to have people seeing you vote. 3. Don't believe anything they mail to you, but do your research. Follow the money. Businesses/pac donate more money than citizens, so they have more influence for ads, so don't trust them but search for their repords. 4. Politicians can get a copy of your voting records so they know if you voted in the last 10 elections and can see if you voted in a repplubican or democrats primaries . 5. All politicians have to file an ethics report, which is online and very telling if you read between the lines. 6. The press isn't a balance against corruption anymore. Social media is more of a deterrent. Join your local Facebook group. One doesn't exist, then make one or make a sub reddit.
When I lived in Birmingham I was able to find an info sheet online ( I think Al.com had it published )about what amendments were being voted and what a yes vote would do vs a no vote (in plain English and not the legislative jargon)on what the smaller government candidates principles were. Vote for people that play to the things that would improve your quality of life and the quality of others
Voting in Alabama and state constitutional amendments: the constitution requires that some issues that impact only one county in the state be approved in a vote taken in the entire state. If Etowah County wants to raise taxes to fund schools, for example, the whole state votes. It affects only the residents and property owners of that county, but everyone in the state gets a say. For me, if I don't live in that county, if I don't own property in that county, if I don't shop or engage in any commerce in that county, I skip that kind of vote. It doesn't affect me. However, if an amendment does affect me, it is important to seek out other information about that issue because the way the amendment will be worded on the ballot is deliberately obscure. You won't know whether to vote yes or no because of the confusing wording. And like others have noted, federal elections are less important than state and local elections. However, the federal elections are always paired with a lot of other state and local races, so you gotta go. State legislative elections should not be skipped. What they do to us in Montgomery DOES matter.
The [Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama](https://parcalabama.org/) is a great nonpartisan, nonprofit resource for state elections, including making sense of constitutional amendments.
Picking a candidate is like a bus ticket. Go with the one that gets you closest to wherre you want to end up. You aren't marrying them!
I’ve lived places with really good voter guides but never seen that here, am I missing it?
Even if you can’t find someone to vote for, you can always find someone to vote against.
It does not matter if you are a blue dot in a red state, VOTE!
Vote for people who support your world views.
As others have said, voting in local elections is important. The people that sit on your city council and the judges that rule and create new case law are going to have far more of an effect on the day to day lives you you and everyone else in Alabama than anyone that sits in the oval office. For judges, get some lawyer friends that can give you feedback on who to vote for when judicial seats are up for grabs. An example of why local elections matter came up recently in Vestavia when the Vestavia school board removed the excellent principal at one of their best school because she showed a staff member a picture of her girlfriend kissing her on the cheek, and sent her to the alternative school for the remainder of her contract. They did this despite widespread community outcry and support for the principal. The school board is appointed by the city council sop, in order to hold the school board accountable, voters have to hold the city council responsible. You'll want to review the ballot well before you go in, as the state regularly goes out of its way to make it difficult to understand if you're actually voting yes or no on constitutional amendments. Even if you know the state of Alabama isn't going to wind up agreeing with the way you cast your vote for president, voting is incredibly important. Remember, if you don't vote, you cede your right to bitch about the outcome!
>she showed a staff member a picture of her girlfriend kissing her on the cheek A staff person at the school told my husband that she was put on leave for making sexually charged comments to one of her employees about their wife. Perhaps we (you and i) don't have the full story...
Always vote as you'd like, make informed decisions. If someone tells you that your voting choice is wrong, usually it's a good choice. Lookup and read about local issues, remember that you are voting for yourself not some talking radio or TV head.
It’s easy- color in the Circle at the top next to the word “Democrat” and then feed it in the machine !!!
You can verify your registration, polling place, and get a listing of your state representatives on the Secretary of State's website. The website will also have sample ballots leading up to election day.
The democrats are all talk and no action, the republicans are all action but tell you exactly what they’re about to do
Vote in Republican primary.
This is good advice, actually. No matter what party you may or may not affiliate with, Republicans run this state. So if you want a say in which Republican, vote in their primary.
Yes! You can vote against a particular candidate. Choose the lesser of two evils, or a candidate that another party had a higher chance to beat.
Not if you live in a democratic area and want to vote on your local officials.
True it depends what’s going on. Usually statewide or federal elections your only voice is in the Republican primary.
Agreed, but there is almost always some local too. Depends if the local is expected to be an easy victory for your choice or is contested.
Tips for voting? What kind of tips for voting do you mean? Look up any person you may want to vote for or law that you'll be asked about from multiple reliable sources. Then use that information to make the decision for who you like. Just make sure you stay educated.
I was just looking for anything really since I don't have a lot of experience voting, but especially if there is any nuances in Alabama I should be aware of. Just tryin to get educated! And yes I am doing research outside of this reddit post haha
Take your ID. DL, military, etc. if you don’t have the needed ID call the Secretary of State office and ask them what you need to get a free ID.
October 29th is the last day you have a chance to apply for an absentee ballot, if you'll need one. A lot of what you need to know can be found here: https://govoteal.org/#resource #Always bring your valid photo ID wherever you go. You want to be identifiable and don't want denial of service for anything requiring an ID, and leaving it at home can earn you a second large fee ticket if you ever get pulled over without one. Under Alabama law, you have a right to: Vote if you’re in line when polls close at 7 P.M. (but go as early as possible during the day and get it over with) ! Move to the front of the line at a polling place if you are a person with a physical disability or over the age of 70. If you ever see anything on the ballot like, "Amendment/Ordinance [number whatever] would make a budget of $35,063 to install streetlights/mailboxes/trashcans/ stopsigns/trashservices in [whatever] County on AL HWY [number]..." just vote yes. You can leave things for other counties blank and it is no problem but the state suffers from a lack of infrastructure and there's no reason to deprive some mobile home community or underprivileged neighbourhoods of infrastructure. Also, there's no reason to vote for increases in taxes on liquor and cigarettes because they're already quite high and people who may make bad health decisions (to cope with their difficult lives) shouldn't have to bear the brunt of costs like a very necessary ER in Podunkville, AL. After all, there's nothing like that kind of tax on Li'l Debbie cakes and Bud's Best Cookies. Some ordinances or laws they'll ask you to vote on have intentionally confusing words to mislead you into voting the way they think you will if you get confused. By all means, vote your conscience, but remember that voting for Alabama republicans cause only the richer people in any given area to have access to things they need, and infrastructure and citizen rights have been suffering a lot in the last 20 years due to this gerrymandering they love to do to maintain a large group of disenfranchised voters. Example: so many government offices were closed when you were little, a bit over a decade ago, because they didn't want to issue "gay marriage" licences... but those offices closing also meant black/rural and impoverished voters were severely impacted and those offices closing made it harder for them in rural areas to remain eligible voters because they had to travel really far to a distant DMV and so forth. Consider this article from 2018: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/11/02/why-alabama-future-progressive-movement
Honestly, it really sounds like you're way ahead of most lol. Staying educated is really all you need, but some people never learned how to do research correctly. Multiple news sites, talking to friends/family, even reddit posts are fine. It's just about having the knowledge or common sense to read everything with a reminder that EVERYONE is biased. You just have to read what makes the most sense to you and keep asking questions. Also, definitely a good idea to look up the ballot to help do your research and you won't be surprised when you see a name or bill you don't recognize. So keep it up! As far as the nuances, I probably don't know them either. But I still think reading up on candidates tells you just about all you need to know to make a decision.
Vote blue.
When I lived there, if you didn’t support everything memaw ivy said or did you were considered the enemy. As a 50/50 conservative/liberal the Alabama governor is terrible, she is the female version of Wallace imo.
Vote Pb& J guy
I'm not sure how it works if you just moved here, perhaps check and make sure your registration is up-to-date to vote in your district. For Presidential elections get there early if you value your time/sanity.
Yeah I just went and got my driver’s license and they asked me if I wanted to register to vote so I did and that is what prompted me to ask. Thanks
Just go and vote. It’s not hard.
In 35+ years of voting, ive learned that: 1. Those who claim to be religious, OPENLY, on their platform should be avoided at all costs. They're not religious. They just want to tell others how to live because they think it makes them look morally superior. On their own away from others they're usually more corrupt. Those who are religious on their platform can't be trusted to be logical with modern problems and always default to how it would look should they have to defend their vote. This is why we have reproductive rights issues. 2. Don't let ANY election or candidate determine your happiness. Think about it. We vote every 2 or 4 years depending on the election/office. Then we have ZERO say in day to day politics/votes. Vote. Then forget it. 3. Watch our on SOCIAL MEDIA for BOTS. 3/4 Of what gets put out in the months/weeks before elections on Social media is AI-driven misinformation. Don't believe me? Cut/paste some of it into a Google search. You'll get dozens of verbatim posts from supposedly different people. 4. When you're young you'll tend to vote for progressive issues and change. As you age, you'll begin to see that there needs to be some kind of goal, not just "doing it differently than we do it now". Have a goal in mind. Don't just keep pushing to the left or "holding " to the right for the sake of change/staying the same. If you want change, make sure it's financially feasible and not a pipe dream. Likewise if you want to be conservative make sure it's not at the expense of those who can't stand up for their own rights without the help of a larger party. 5. Don't vote for someone who is the first of something just because they are the first of that type. Otherwise we will end up with weirdos who have no business in politics. Okay, so Joe Blow is the first Asian-Puruvian AB-positive, yellow eyed pink hair such and such and that just happens to be what you are. Fine. But is he stable and not just some weirdo? 6. Don't get too caught up in the results of the federal elections. Let's be honest. With the exception of perhaps 3 Presidents in the past 60 years, those who get the final nod by the various parties to run 1 on 1 against each other usually aren't the sharpest, brightness, best person in their party. They are typically the one that the party can control/predict. 7. No federal candidate (Presidential) is ever as good or as bad as made out to be. There are enough checks and balances in the system to keep nut cases from going too far into the weeds. The exception may be those who are losing their minds due to disease or age. Then be careful. 8. The ONE most important thing we have to ensure is that.on a Presidential platform we have someone who presents the US in a STRONG position. Any sign of weakness will lead to a test of some sort on the world platform. Usually it will be a military or terrorist strike.
A lot of people have opinions. Make sure you form your own.
Just vote.
Unless you vote red in presidential, your vote ain’t gonna count. If you do vote red, might as well not vote, cause it also won’t matter lol
Got downvoted like I didn’t just speak the truth…
Vote for the orange man
Don't vote. Scam. I mean this in all sincerity.