Two of Alabama’s largest counties scramble to meet deadline for special primary election

As Alabama gears up for a pivotal special primary election on August 11, officials in the state's two largest counties—Jefferson and Mobile—are working against the clock. Both counties were still in the process of finalizing voter reassignments into updated congressional districts as of Monday afternoon.

This high-stakes effort is mandated by a schedule set by Gov. Kay Ivey, following directives from the Legislature. The deadline to complete these reassignments is Wednesday, which coincides with the start of the absentee voting period, 55 days before the election.

Probate judges across the state are required to submit lists of qualified voters to their respective absentee election managers by the Wednesday deadline. Laney Rawls, communications director for Secretary of State Wes Allen, noted that expectations are for the process to be wrapped up by Wednesday morning. According to Rawls, ballot vendors are on track to deliver the necessary ballots and voter lists in accordance with the timeline.

Tracking Your District

Alabama’s special primary will impact congressional districts 1, 2, 6, and 7. While state officials acknowledged that preparations have been complex, many regions have already cleared the hurdle. Voters residing in Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Monroe, and Washington counties can now verify their district assignments using the online voter information tool available via the Secretary of State’s website.

Across the 40 counties involved in these four districts, 14 faced boundary changes. While 12 of those counties have already finished their reassignments, the final push continues in Jefferson and Mobile.

A Shift in Maps

This election marks the first time Alabama is utilizing the district map approved by the Legislature in 2023. This follows a legal journey that saw the state operate under a court-approved map in 2024 after a federal ruling found the previous legislative version violated the Voting Rights Act.

On June 2, the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the lower court’s injunction, permitting the state to move forward with the Legislature’s map. The shift was spurred by state leaders seeking clarity following the Supreme Court’s April decision in the Louisiana vs. Callais case.

Although a primary was held on May 19 under the previous court-ordered map, the Legislature passed a bill to invalidate those results for Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 to accommodate the new boundaries. The goal for Republicans is to regain a 6-1 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation by challenging the seat currently held by Democrat Shomari Figures. Despite the district's redrawn status, Figures is actively campaigning for reelection.