Statewide races fill up Tuesday's primary ballot in Tuscaloosa County

Jason Morton, The Tuscaloosa News
·6 min read
Three polling places have changed as Tuscaloosa County voters prepare to go to the polls Tuesday for the state Republican and Democratic primaries.
Three polling places have changed as Tuscaloosa County voters prepare to go to the polls Tuesday for the state Republican and Democratic primaries.

Tuesday marks the Republican and Democratic primaries for this year’s general election in Alabama, and Tuscaloosa County voters will be called upon to settle some statewide races.

The Alabama House of Representatives District 61 seat is expected to be settled on Tuesday between retired Northport police captain Ron Bolton and media broadcaster Kimberly A. Madison.

The winner of this primary is expected to assume the seat being vacated by Republican Rodney Sullivan, who chose not to seek re-election, as no Democrat qualified for this seat.

Primary voters also will get a say in the Alabama governor’s race, in which nine Republicans and six Democrats will be on their respective ballots, and the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa.

In this one, three Democrats and six Republicans are vying for their respective party’s nomination to seek the seat in November’s general election.

Republican primary voters also will help decide among candidates for Secretary of State, state auditor, public service commission and the Alabama Supreme Court, as well as seats on the Tuscaloosa County Republican Executive Committee.

Depending on their place of residence, Tuscaloosa County Democratic primary voters will choose candidates seeking the party’s nomination for Alabama’s 4th Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Alabama House of Representatives’ District 72 and several positions on the state and county Democratic executive committees.

Other local races, though, are pretty much already decided.

Republican Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy faces no party opposition in Tuesday’s primary and, with no Democrat qualified to run, is expected to assume a third term after the general election in November.

The same holds for Republican incumbent Randy Smalley, who is expected to assume a new term representing Place 6  on the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education, and Republican Neal Guy is expected to assume the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education’s Place 5 seat that’s being vacated by Charles Orr, who opted not to seek re-election.

With no Republican primary opponent or qualified Democratic opposition,  both Smalley and Guy are expected to earn their respective seats after November’s election.

Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson, the county’s chief election official, is urging voter participation while offering up reminders of changes – particularly at three voting locations – since the 2018 election cycle.

“We are looking forward to our citizens exercising their right to vote and another successful election,” Robertson said.

Affected voters should have received notice of these changes from the Board of Registrars, but the polling place changes made for this year’s elections are:

• Ward 22:  Polling location has been changed from Faucett-Vestavia Elementary School to Daystar Family Church located at 3975 Watermelon Road in Northport. In addition to this change, the County Commission also voted to amend the ward line to encompass Daystar Family Church into ward 22.

• Ward 31: Polling location has been changed from Coker Fire Department to Coker Town Hall located at 11549 Eisenhower Drive in Coker.

• Ward 50:  Polling location has been changed from Vance Town Hall to Vance Activity Building located at 17718 Vance Municipal Drive in Vance

Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Those needing additional information or to report election issues can contact:

• Tuscaloosa County Probate Office (General Election Questions) - 205-464-8201

• Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office (Election Security) - 205-752-0616

• Circuit Clerk's Office (Absentee Voting) - 205-464-8405

• Board of Registrars (Voter Registration) - 205-464-8418

A list of the county's 54 polling locations can be found below or by visiting tuscco.com/polling-locations.

Additional information on elections can be found at tuscco.com/government/departments/probate/elections.

Ward/Location/Address

• 1) Whitson Place Church of Christ - 13231 Brandon School Road, Berry

• 2) Windham Springs Baptist Church - 20105 Alabama Highway 69 N., Berry

• 3) Sheriff’s Office Firing Range - 22794 P&M Mining Road, Berry

• 4) Mayfield VFD Fire Station - 19572 Alabama Highway 171, Northport

• 5) Montgomery VFD Fire Station - 16780 Mormon Road, Northport

• 6) Northside Lions Club - 13166 Northside Road, Berry

• 7) County Road Camp No. 3 - 17504 Finnell Road, Northport

• 8) Carroll’s Creek VFD Fire Station 2 - 11604 Stonehedge Road, Northport

• 9) Yellow Creek Baptist Church - 15515 Yellow Creek Road

• 10) Kellerman Antioch Baptist Church - 15755 Lock 17 Road, Brookwood

• 11) Tannehill Valley Baptist Church - 12858 Tannehill Parkway, McCalla

• 12) Lake View Baptist Church - 21168 Mountain View Circle, Lake View

• 13) Abernant Baptist Church - 13646 Lodge Road, Vance

• 14) G.G. Hardin Community Center - 15689 Alabama Highway 216, Brookwood

• 15) Mary Ann Phelps Activity Center - 2200 Rock Quarry Drive

• 16) Carroll’s Creek Baptist Church - 14247 Alabama Highway 69 N., Northport

• 17) Chapel Hill Baptist Church - 8790 U.S. Highway 43 N., Northport

• 18) Echola VFD Fire Station - 14908 Echola Road, Elrod

• 19) Mount Olive Baptist Church - 13303 Mount Olive Road, Coker

• 20) Flatwoods Baptist Church - 4520 70th Ave., Northport

• 21) Northport City Hall - 3500 McFarland Blvd., Northport

• 22) Daystar Family Church - 3975 Watermelon Road, Northport

• 23) Church of the Highlands - 721 Rice Mine Road N.E.

• 24) Soma Church - 212 44th Court N.E.

• 25) Peterson Community Church - 8709 Old Birmingham Highway, Cottondale

• 26) Alberta Baptist Church - 2210 University Blvd. E.

• 27) University of Alabama Student Recreation Center - 401 Fifth Ave. E.

• 28) Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex - 2501 Seventh St.

• 29) New Zion Missionary Baptist Church - 1317 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Northport

• 30) Northport Community Center - 2100 Park St., Northport

• 31) Coker Town Hall - 11549 Eisenhower Drive, Coker

• 32) Buhl VFD Fire Station - 11965 Sipsey Valley Road N., Buhl

• 33) Elrod VFD Fire Station - 11789 Malone Creek Road, Elrod

• 34) Romulus VFD Fire Station 1 - 16500 Romulus Road, Buhl

• 35) Unity Baptist Church - 6622 Unity Road

• 36) Stillman College (Birthright Auditorium) - 3600 Stillman Blvd.

• 37) McDonald Hughes Community Center - 3101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

• 38) Cornerstone Baptist Church - 610 Brooksdale Drive

• 39) Forest Lake Methodist Church - 1711 Fourth Ave.

• 40) University Mall - 1701 McFarland Blvd. E.

• 41) Leroy McAbee Activity Center - 3801 Loop Road

• 42) Cottondale Community Church - 1801 Prude Mill Road, Cottondale

• 43) Cottondale Methodist Church - 2225 Buttermilk Road, Cottondale

• 44) Jerry Belk Activity Center - 2101 Bowers Park Drive

• 45) Grace Presbyterian Church - 113 Hargrove Road

• 46) New Life Baptist Church - 5201 Jug Factory Road

• 47) Bobby Miller Activity Center - 300 Bobby Miller Parkway

• 48) Duncanville Middle School - 11205 Eagle Parkway, Duncanville

• 49) Coaling Town Hall - 11281 Hagler Coaling Road, Coaling

• 50) Vance Activity Building - 17718 Vance Municipal Drive, Vance

• 51) Hagler Community Center - 15451 Hagler Coaling Road, Duncanville

• 52) Big Sandy Baptist Church - 14611 Old Greensboro Road

• 53) Fosters VFD Fire Station 1 - 14661 Gainesville Road, Fosters

• 54) Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church - 15882 Wesley Chapel Road, Ralph

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa County primary election: Statewide races fill up ballot