2026 ELECTION CALENDAR
This timeline includes the statewide elections between now and November 3, 2026, including the special legislative primaries ordered following Alabama's redistricting litigation, the June primary runoff, municipal elections, and the November General Election.
CITY OF MONTGOMERY - CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 SPECIAL ELECTION:
A special election has been called to fill the vacant Montgomery City Council District 3 seat.
Key Dates:
Candidate Qualifying: June 30 – July 14, 2026
Special Election: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Potential Runoff: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Impacted Neighborhoods:
Brookview Estates, Capitol Heights, Charleston, Chisholm, Cottage Hill, Downtown Montgomery, Erinwood, Garden Square, Hamner Hill, Highland Gardens, Highland Park, Houston Hill, Jackson/King Hill, Newtown, Park Manor, Rosemont Heights, Shawnee, and Sheridan Heights.
As of today, the qualified candidates are:
Gregory A. Crawford
Syreeta Bailey
Robert Marcus
Bibby Simmons
Marion J. Ackley
Kevin Elkins
Jose Harris
Jonathan Robinson
De'Anthony Powell
Johnnie Sankey
Mark Bailey
Montaski McCoy
Justin Hampton
Steven Lambert
LaPawn Carter
Glinda Sanders
Johnny Bannister
AUGUST 2026
WHAT TO NOTE: More than 23,000 voters in Alabama State Senate Districts 25 and 26 cast ballots in the May 19 Primary Election, but those votes have now been voided following a federal appeals court ruling that allowed Alabama to revert to its 2021 State Senate map. The affected districts cover parts of Montgomery, Elmore, and Crenshaw counties. As a result, Gov. Kay Ivey has called a new Special Primary Election for August 11, 2026, and the results from May 19 in those two Senate races will not count toward determining the nominees.
The votes were voided because the court's decision changed which district lines would be used for the election. Candidates who ran under the court-ordered map must now run again under the reinstated 2021 map, meaning voters in Districts 25 and 26 will have to return to the polls and cast their ballots a second time.
Alabama is currently scheduled to hold a Special Primary Election on August 11, 2026, for Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 because of ongoing litigation over the state's congressional maps. Following recent court rulings and actions by the U.S. Supreme Court, state officials moved to use a different congressional map than the one voters used in the May 19 primary election. As a result, any votes cast for congressional candidates in those four districts on May 19 are considered void, and voters in those districts will be required to vote again.
Monday, July 27 | Voter Registration Deadline
Tuesday, August 4 | Mail Absentee Application Deadline
Thursday, August 6 | Hand-Delivered Absentee Application Deadline
Monday, August 10 | Hand-Delivered Absentee Ballot Deadline
Tuesday, August 11 | Special Primary Election – Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6, &7)
Polls open 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
No runoff election is scheduled.
AUGUST 2026 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS - AUGUST 25, 2026
Most Alabama municipalities hold their elections in odd-numbered years, but a small group of cities has municipal elections scheduled for August 25, 2026, because they operate on a different election cycle. Based on currently published election schedules, the municipalities holding elections on August 25, 2026 include:
Auburn
Bessemer
Gadsden
Huntsville
Mountain Brook
Scottsboro
August 10, 2026 | Voter registration deadline
August 25, 2026 | Municipal Election Day
September 22, 2026 | Municipal runoff elections, where required
TIMELINE FOR NOVEMBER 3 GENERAL ELECTION
Wednesday, September 9 | Absentee Voting Begins for November General Election
Monday, October 19 | Voter Registration Deadline for General Election
Tuesday, October 27 | Mail Absentee Application Deadline
Thursday, October 29 | Hand-Delivered Absentee Application Deadline
Monday, November 2 | Hand-Delivered Absentee Ballot Return Deadline
GENERAL ELECTION DAY - NOVEMBER 3, 2026
Polls Open: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Mail Absentee Ballots Due: Noon on Election Day.
With recent court rulings, redistricting changes, special elections, and election results being voided in some districts, Alabama voters should verify their voter information before heading to the polls. Your polling location, voting district, and even the candidates on your ballot may have changed since the last election. Don't assume your voting information is the same as it was on May 19.
Before every election, take a few minutes to confirm your voter registration status, polling location, sample ballot, and absentee ballot information through the Alabama Secretary of State's voter portal.
SAMPLE BALLOTS
Become a Poll Worker!
We are currently facing an unprecedented shortage of poll workers, which could result in closed polling locations and long delays on Election Day. Poll workers are paid election officials who staff local polling places to carry out assigned Election Day procedures.
Requirements include:
Must be a registered voter in the State of Alabama
Must be registered to vote in the precinct in which they desire to act as a poll worker
Must attend a mandatory poll worker training
Cannot be a member of a candidate’s immediate family or the second degree of kinship, and cannot be a member of a candidate’s political committee
The application should be returned to the county Probate Judge for consideration.
In addition, high school or college students age 16 or older can apply to become student poll worker interns. Students must be recommended by a principal, other school official, or the individual responsible for the student’s home instruction program. Full information can be found here. The application should also be returned to the county Probate Judge for consideration.
For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of the Secretary of State at (334) 242-7200 or your county Probate Judge.
Compiled from the Alabama Secretary of State’s website, alabamavotes.gov.