With only one local race fielding candidates from both major parties on the ballot for the Nov. 6 general election, it’s hard to know whether straight-party voting will be as popular in Cullman County as it was in the Alabama Republican sweep two years ago.
But, if you’re one of the voters who’s hesitant to tick off a straight party ballot because you prefer one or two (or more) candidates who hail from the other side of the political fence, it helps to bone up on how straight party voting works in Alabama.
The first option at the top of the Nov. 6 ballot in Alabama is “Straight Party Voting,” followed by your party choice of either the Alabama Democratic Party or the Alabama Republican Party. If you mark one of these and leave every other option on your ballot blank, then every candidate representing that party — for every office from President of the United States all the way down to Cullman County probate judge — will get your vote.
But what if you’re a Republican who wants to vote with your party for every race but one — say, the presidential race — in next month’s election?
You can still vote a straight Republican ticket, so long as you also mark your vote for Democrat Barack Obama (or one of the three independent candidates on the presidential ballot) in the corresponding box. All other votes for seats which field a Republican candidate will follow your ‘straight party’ vote, but your vote for another party’s candidate in the presidential race will still count.
Alabama’s deputy secretary of state, Emily Thompson, said the state allows a voter to mark a straight-ticket ballot for one party and then go down the ballot and vote for candidates of the other party. Thompson said there’s no limit on how many candidates can be marked in the other party — and the ballot will still be counted.
Similarly, a straight party vote will only count for candidates in that party. If you vote straight party Democrat, and there’s a race — such as the one for the Cullman County Commission chairman’s seat — that fields only a Republican on the ballot, your vote for the commission chairman’s race will simply be left blank. In other words, no candidate in that race will get your vote, since there aren’t any candidates from your preferred party on the ballot in that race.
Locally, only the probate judge’s race fields a Democratic candidate — incumbent Leah Patterson Lust — who could benefit from Republican voters “bending” their straight ticket.
The Democratic candidate for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bob Vance, has mentioned the little-known practice of straight party ticket crossover voting in his campaign appearances. Vance faces Republican Roy Moore, who previously served as chief justice.
Benjamin Bullard can be reached by e-mail at bbullard@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131 ext. 270.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Top News
Ballots feature options for voters who prefer to cross political lines
- Top News
-
-
Forever Wild an option for county schools’ Section 16 land
Cullman County school officials would consider the state’s Forever Wild program as a selling option for some valuable land on Smith Lake, though the board is still eyeing a variety of avenues to leverage the asset.
-
Six facing drug charges in separate arrests across county
Four people were arrested on multiple charges, including meth manufacturing, after deputies responded to a possible burglary-in-progress call around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
-
Sex offender fails to register
Cullman City police officers responded to a domestic violence call late last week and left with one man arrested for failing to register as a sex offender.
-
Record Powerball jackpot inspires office pools
In workplaces across the nation, Americans are inviting their colleagues to chip in $2 for a Powerball ticket and a shared daydream.
-
Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Cullman County
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Cullman County.
-
Thunderstorms expected through tonight
Expect a lot of rain and some possibly strong thunderstorms through the afternoon and night across Cullman County.
-
ADECA bringing $49 million for tornado relief
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs announced a second round of funding, $49 million, coming to communities in North Alabama who suffered tornado damage from April 27, 2011 at a meeting in the Cullman City Hall on Tuesday morning.
-
Arrests, incidents reports for Thursday, May 16, 2013
Here is a look at the incidents that were reported to the Cullman City Police Department for Thursday:
-
'Prissy' brings warmth happiness to man, wife
Bill Smith couldn’t agree more that a dog is man’s best friend, as he and his wife’s pet Chihuahua has given them a new kind of hope.
-
Tick awareness time as warm months settle in
The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), a nonprofit organization of leading veterinary parasitologists, predicts the threat of Lyme disease for dogs will be extremely high this year. The forecast, the only one of its kind for parasites, was developed in partnership with Clemson University statisticians also responsible for developing the model for severe weather forecasting.
- More Top News Headlines
-
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
