On Aug. 15, voters in Alabama will be able to cast their ballots in the special election primary for Alabama's junior senate seat.
The deadline to register to vote in the special election primary is July 31. Eligible voters can register to vote online or by mail with the Alabama Secretary of States Office or your local Board of Registrars.
If you're unsure of your registration status, you can visit the Secretary of State's website and check your registration.
Registrars recommend the online registration application because it can be processed much faster and easier than the mail-in paper application. The online applications can be processed about four times faster than the traditional paper applications with far fewer errors.
Gov. Kay Ivey called the special election back in April to elect a permanent replacement for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by now-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The special primary is set for Aug. 15 while the special election is scheduled for December.
In February, Bentley appointed then-Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange to the seat formerly held by Sessions. The decision came under fire because Strange’s office at the time was conducting an investigation into the former governor’s relationship with a top political staffer, Rebekah Mason, with whom Bentley was suspected of having an affair.
Strange, who is now the effective incumbent, faces a heated Republican primary including competitors Rep. Mo Brooks and former Chief Justice Roy Moore.
Strange has been backed by establishment forces in the primary. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Mitch McConnell-aligned super PAC, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have both endorsed him and have launched ads in his favor.
The PACs have attacked Brooks for not aligning closely enough with President Donald Trump. Brooks has pushed back against the attacks.
Strange, Moore and Brooks are considered the top three candidates in the Republican primary, though they're joined by seven other Republican hopefuls including State Sen. Trip Pittman and activist Randy Brinson.
Former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones leads the Democratic primary pack in fundraising with more than $158,000 raised. But that sum is only a small fraction of Strange's $1.8 million raised so far.
Brooks and Moore have raised about $300,000 a piece, according to reports filed with the Secretary of State's Office.
Tips and reminders:
- Check your registration on alabamavotes.gov before you register. You could already be registered.
- Make sure you include your apartment, lot or house number on the registration application.
- If you live on a Lee or Macon County Road, spell out r-o-a-d on your application. Don't use the Rd. abbreviation. It will be kicked out of the system.
- If you're a full-time Auburn student who lives in Auburn, you can register as an Auburn resident or vote absentee from your permanent home address.
- If you received a letter about an incomplete address, make sure you respond quickly.
- If you've registered, you will receive a voter registration card in the mail, but it could take some time.
- Register online, if possible.
- The registration deadline for the special senate primary is July 31
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