Secretary of State John Merrill issued guidance on Wednesday about straight party voting.

“Voters who wish to cast a straight party vote for all of the candidates on the ballot in either the Republican or Democratic Party may do so by filling in the bubble next to their party preference,” he said. “However, if a voter wishes to vote for any candidate outside the party that they have chosen, they may do so by marking the space next to the candidate’s name.  Regardless of whether the voter cast a straight party vote or not, filling in the bubble next to a candidate’s name will be counted as the voter’s choice in that contest.

“Additionally, voters should be reminded that they may still obtain a free government-issued ID from the State of Alabama by visiting their local county board of registrar’s offices which are open the same hours as the county courthouse in each county,” Merrill said. “If a voter is unable to visit the registrar’s they can contact the Secretary of State’s Office at 334-242-7200 and request a home visit in which a Secretary of State Staff member will visit them at home to produce a photo ID for voting purposes.”

The General Election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 6.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.