Cottonton, Alabama Public Records

The voter registration deadline in Alabama is 15 days before any election. Registration requires providing an Alabama driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. As an unincorporated community, Cottonton does not hold municipal elections for mayor or city council. Residents instead participate in county, state, and federal elections. Russell County elections include races for County Commission (six districts), Sheriff, Revenue Commissioner, Probate Judge, Circuit Clerk, and other county constitutional offices, typically held during general election cycles. Local voters also participate in Alabama state legislative elections for the Alabama House of Representatives and Alabama Senate, as well as federal races for U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and President. Voters can find their assigned polling location using the Alabama Secretary of State's voter information lookup at https://myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/VoterView, which allows searches by name and date of birth to display registration status, polling place address, and sample ballots. Alabama law requires voters to present valid photo identification at the polls, including Alabama driver's licenses, state-issued ID cards, U.S. Passports, government employee IDs, student IDs from Alabama public colleges, or tribal IDs. Election records that are public in Alabama include voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes under Alabama Code §17-4-1), campaign finance reports (searchable through the Alabama Secretary of State's Electronic Fair Campaign Practices Act reporting system at https://fcpa.alabamavotes.gov), candidate qualifying lists, and certified election results by precinct. The Russell County Probate Office and the Alabama Secretary of State maintain these records.Current federal, state, and local election schedules, ballot contests, candidate filings, and certified results for Cottonton voters are published by the Alabama Secretary of State (https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes).S. House seats representing Alabama districts (Cottonton falls in Alabama's 3rd Congressional District), all 105 Alabama House seats, and approximately half of the 35 Alabama Senate seats (depending on district cycle). Countywide, voters will decide various Russell County offices depending on the election cycle, potentially including County Commission seats, Sheriff (four-year term), and other constitutional officers. The U.S. Local ballot measures or referenda may also appear if the Russell County Commission or state legislature places items before voters. Alabama offers absentee voting for all registered voters. Absentee ballot applications can be submitted online, by mail, or in person to the Russell County Absentee Election Manager at the courthouse. The application deadline is typically five days before the election (seven days for mail delivery). Completed absentee ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day, with postmarks not sufficient unless the voter is military or overseas. Alabama does not have no-excuse early in-person voting; absentee voting requires meeting specific criteria or signing a sworn affidavit. More information is available at the Alabama Secretary of State's elections division website at https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes.