Muscle Shoals, Alabama Public Records

The registration deadline falls 15 days before any election, though residents can also register in person at the Probate Office or by mail using the National Mail Voter Registration Form. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship, Alabama residency, age 18 or older by election day, and no disqualification by felony conviction unless rights have been restored or by mental incapacity. The city conducts municipal elections for mayor and city council positions under a council-manager government structure with a five-member council and separately elected mayor, all serving four-year terms. Municipal elections typically occur in August with potential runoffs in October, though specific election years vary by position. For the next municipal election cycle information, residents can contact City Hall at 256-389-2440. Residents can find their assigned polling place using the Alabama Secretary of State's voter information lookup at myinfo.alabamavotes.gov by entering name and date of birth or using the voter ID number from registration cards. Publicly accessible election records in Alabama include voter registration lists available with restrictions under Alabama Code § 17-4-3, campaign finance reports for state and local candidates through the Secretary of State's Campaign Finance portal, candidate qualifying information, and precinct-level election results published after each election. In the November 2024 presidential election, Colbert County recorded approximately 65-70% voter turnout with around 32,000 total votes cast out of approximately 38,000 registered voters, continuing Colbert County's historical trend of supporting Republican candidates in most elections. For the November 3, 2026 general election, voters in this community and throughout Colbert County will decide races including the Alabama Governor's race as Kay Ivey's current term expires in January 2027, all seven of Alabama's U.S. House seats with the city located in the 4th Congressional District currently represented by Robert Aderholt, various state legislature seats including Alabama House District 3 and Alabama Senate District 6 which cover portions of Colbert County, county offices including Sheriff, Revenue Commissioner, Circuit Clerk, District Judge, and Board of Education positions, and potentially local ballot measures or municipal races if scheduled concurrently. U.S. Senate seats for Alabama are not up in 2026, with the next scheduled for 2028. Alabama voters can request absentee ballots through written application to the Absentee Election Manager at the Colbert County Probate Office, with applications available at alabamavotes.gov that must be submitted with specific excuse reasons since Alabama does not have no-excuse absentee voting. Valid excuses include being out of the county on election day, illness or physical disability, working a required shift, election official duties, age 65 or older, or caring for an incapacitated family member. Absentee ballot applications must include a copy of valid photo ID unless the voter is 65 or older or has previously provided ID. Emergency absentee voting is available up to five days before the election for voters who become ill after the regular absentee deadline.