Runoff election approaching

Published 4:00 pm Monday, June 22, 2020

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On March 3, the results Dallas County Primary Elections revealed that there will be changes to come among county leadership. On Tuesday, July 14 the changes to come will be finalized after voters determine the winners of the Primary Runoff Election.

Originally scheduled for March 31, the runoff election was rescheduled by Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold of the nation.

While the rescheduled election is approaching, there are several other dates Dallas County Voters should be aware of before July 14 arrives: Monday, June 29 is the final day for voter registration; Thursday, July 9, is the final day to apply for an absentee ballot; and Monday July, 13 is the deadline for absentee ballot to be either hand-delivered or postmarked.

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Dallas County Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn, who serves as the county’s chief elections officer, said many are predicting a low voter turnout due to the current health crisis.

“We’re hoping everything balances out with the absentee ballots though,” Nunn said.

Nunn said everyone in Dallas County should participate in next month’s election no matter how they chose to vote.

“It’s our constitutional right to vote,” said Nunn. “Even in a pandemic, we should exercise our right to vote. This election will determine the local leaders of Dallas County.”

The results of the initial March 3 election determined that only one of four Dallas County Commissioners will hold onto their current seats on the Dallas County Commission next year, District 4 Commissioner Curtis Williams.

District 1 Incumbent Valerie Reubin, District 2 Incumbent Roy Moore a District 4 Incumbent Larry Nickles were all voted out.

Reubin’s only challenger, Connel Towns, will return to the Dallas County Commission next year after winning 50.44 percent of the vote in March. Towns held the District 1 seat on the commission for several years before Reubin became the first woman to serve on the commission in 2016.

Moore’s District 3 seat will be taken by either Mike Irwin, who won 38.64 percent of the vote in March, or Vivian Rogers, who won 35.93 percent of the vote.

Nickles’s District 4 seat, which had the most number of candidates during the March election, will be taken by either Jan Justice, who won 38.25 percent of the vote, or William Lumpkin, winner of 23.88 percent of the vote.

Also headed to the runoff election next month is the race for Dallas County Tax Collector, which will be won by either Janet Frasier, winner of 37.36 percent of the vote, or Tanika Wagner-Neely who won 42 percent of the vote.