Five days until runoff election, final day for absentee ballot: get voting information here

vote here

With the Alabama runoff election only five days away voters in the Yellowhammer State need to know where to vote, and who’s on their ballot. Absentee ballots are available for those who cannot be physically present to vote, but today, July 12 is the last day to complete an application. According to the Secretary of State’s office here’s how to apply for an absentee ballot: To obtain an absentee ballot, write or visit the local Absentee Election Manager (usually the Circuit Clerk), request an absentee ballot, and provide the following: name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration) election for which the ballot is requested reason for absence from polls on election day party choice, if the election is a party primary. (It is not necessary to give a party choice for a general election; however, in a party primary a voter may participate in only one political party’s primary; thus a choice must be designated so that the appropriate ballot can be provided. If the voter declines or fails to designate a choice for a primary or primary runoff ballot, the absentee election manager may send only the ballot for constitutional amendments.) address to which the ballot should be mailed voter signature (If a mark is made in place of a signature, it must be witnessed) The absentee ballot application must be returned to the Absentee Election Manager by the voter in person (or by the voter’s designee in the case of medical emergency voting) or by U.S. Mail.  No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter’s absentee ballot application. Here are the links to the statewide runoff candidate’s campaign websites: Lieutenant Governor’s race: Will Ainsworth Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh Attorney General’s race: Troy King Steve Marshall Commission of Agriculture and Industries race: Gerald Dial Rick Pate Supreme Court place 1 race: Brad Mendheim Sarah Stewart Civil Appeals Court, place 1 race: Christy Edwards Michelle Thomason Criminal Appeals Court, place 2 race: Rich Anderson Chris McCool Sample Ballots: Jefferson County – Republican: Jefferson County – Democratic: Madison County – Republican: Madison County – Democratic: Mobile County – Republican: Montgomery County – Republican: Montgomery County – Democratic:

Here’s how much statewide runoff candidates have raised, spent since the primary

campaign finance

The July 17 runoff elections less than a week away. Campaign finance reports have been filed weekly with the Secretary of State’s office since the June 5 primary. Looking a them now serves as a good marker of how much support candidates are receiving, and how much money they’re spending on their campaigns in hopes of cinching their party’s nomination. Recap of the month Statewide runoff races have taken a negative turn with Lt. Governor candidates Will Ainsworth and Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh firing shots back and forth at one another via television ads. Restarting their campaigns following the tragic death of Steve Marshall‘s wife Bridgette Genery Marshall, Marshall’s opponent Troy King vowed to keep on message of his political record and qualifications going forward. However, on Monday he filed a complaint against Marshall with the Alabama Ethics Commission, accusing Marshall and his staff of accepting PAC-to-PAC money despite the state’s ban. Even the race for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries took a dark turn earlier this week after Gerald Dial released a campaign ad dredging up a 32 year old divorce document between his opponent Rick Pate and his ex-wife, Carolyn Pate. A look at the numbers Note: All numbers come from weekly campaign finance reports filed from period June 1 to July 6 Lieutenant Governor’s Race: Will Ainsworth Raised: $93,425 Spent: $568,543.94 Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh Raised: $513,300.57 Spent: $658,060.05 Attorney General’s Race: Troy King Raised: $421,610 Spent: $422,598.28 Steve Marshall Raised: $515,344.60 Spent: $263,341.06 Commission of Agriculture and Industries race: Gerald Dial Raised: $58,240 Spent: $209,533.40 Rick Pate: Raised: $97,100 [35,000 in receipts from sources other than cash] Spent: $152,766.52 Supreme Court place 1 race: Brad Mendheim: Raised: $178,050 Spent: $183,521.10 Sarah Stewart Raised: $11,000 Spent: $263,179.52 Civil Appeals Court, place 1 race: Christy Edwards Raised: $120,500 [Receipts from other sources $1,200] Spent: $129,110.69 Michelle Thomason Raised: $23,525 [$51,124.96 in receipts from other sources] Spent: $86,965.83 Criminal Appeals Court, place 2 Rich Anderson Raised: $7,600 Spent: $19,105.23 Chris McCool Raised: $87,000 [$1,448.86 in receipts from other sources] Spent: $107,820.36

Five things you need to know about Chris McCool

The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2. Three candidates stepped up to the plate seeking election in the June 5 primary. Both Chris McCool and Rich Anderson garnered enough support to tip the race into a a runoff election set for July 17. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Chris McCool: 1. Has served on the Executive Committee of the Alabama District Attorneys Association (ADAA) for 10 years. During that time he’s served in multiple roles: as President, Vice President, and Treasurer. 2. He’s won a lot of awards for the work he’s done.  In 2007, he was named “Prosecutor of the Year” by VOCAL (Victims of Crime and Leniency) and “District Attorney of the Year” by the ADAA. He was also named “Prosecutor of the Year” by the Alabama Forest Owners Association in 2012. 3. He’s worked as an adjunct professor.  McCool was an adjunct professor in the Trial Advocacy Program at the University of Alabama, School of Law from 1998 to 2000. 4. He knows a thing or two about farming.  He lives on, and manages, the farm that has been in his family for five generations. 5. Roll Tide Roll (need we say any more?). McCool graduated from the University of Alabama in 1990, with a bachelor’s degree in History and Classics, and the University of Alabama, School of Law in 1993.

Five things you need to know about Rich Anderson

The primary elections are over, but some highly sought spots still remain open due to the primary races resulting in runoffs. One of those races is for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Place 2. Three candidates stepped up to the plate seeking election in the June 5 primary. Both Rich Anderson and Chris McCool garnered enough support to tip the race into a a runoff election set for July 17. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Rich Anderson: ​1. He began his career in Alabama’s Supreme Court. ​ After attending Washington & Lee School of Law in Virginia, Rich began his legal career as a clerk for Justice Gorman Houston on Alabama’s Supre​me Court. He’s been an attorney for over seventeen years, ​2. He’s worked in the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Anderson has been an appellate prosecutor in the Capital Litigation Division of the Alabama Attorney General’s office for over a decade. During his career with the Attorney General’s office, Rich has represented the State in dozens of death penalty cases. Death penalty litigation involves the most complex and serious issues that come before the Court of Criminal Appeals.  Every day, Rich proudly fights to get justice for crime victims at every level of the appellate system. 3. ​Being a judge is a family tradition. Anderson is son of former Circuit Judge Mark Anderson and Jean Anderson, herself the daughter of long-time Sumter County Judge of Probate Wilbur Dearman.​ 4. ​He’s a member of a non-profit board. For several years Anderson has been a member of the Friends of Academics and Magnets in Education (FAME) Board, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports local public education efforts in the fdr 5. ​He’s a card-carrying member of the Federalist Society and the NRA. ​ “On the back of my Federalist Society membership card is a quote from The Federalist paper No. 78 that pretty much sums up my judicial philosophy: ‘The courts must declare the sense of the law, and if they should be disposed to exercise WILL instead of JUDGEMENT, the consequence would be the substitution of their pleasure for that of the legislative body.’ As a prosecutor, I have always sought to be an advocate for justice without exceeding the bounds of the law. As a Judge, I promise that I will decide every case on its merits and on what the law requires.”

Here’s everyone who the BCA has endorsed in the 2018 election cycle

BCA

The Business Council of Alabama (BCA), considers itself Alabama’s foremost voice for business. It is a non-partisan, statewide, business association representing the interests and concerns of nearly 1 million working Alabamians. The BCA works with the Alabama Legislature to promote “pro-business” reforms such as: Tax credits for small business Job creation Incentives for economic development Ethics reform Positive changes in our public education system Here are the candidates who the BCA has endorsed, who they believe will bring the best changes and initiatives for Alabama’s businesses: Statewide Races: Governor: Kay Ivey  Lieutenant Governor: Twinkle Cavanaugh  Attorney General: Steve Marshall Secretary of State: John Merrill  State Treasurer: John McMillan Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries: Rick Pate   Judicial Races: Chief Justice: Lyn Stuart  Associate Justice Place 1: Sarah Stewart and Brad Mendheim  Associate Justice Place 2: Tommy Bryan  Associate Justice Place 3: Will Sellers Associate Justice Place 4: Jay Mitchell Court Of Civil Appeals Place 1: Christy Edwards  Court Of Civil Appeals Place 2: Judge Terri Thomas  Court Of Civil Appeals Place 3: Judge Terry Moore  Court Of Criminal Appeals Place 1: Richard Minor  Court Of Criminal Appeals Place 2: Chris McCool Court Of Criminal Appeals Place 3: Judge Bill Cole  State Senate Races Senate District 2: Tom Butler  Senate District 3: Arthur Orr   Senate District 5: Greg Reed Senate District 7: Mary Scott Hunter  Senate District 12: Del Marsh  Senate District 13: Randy Price Senate District 14: Cam Ward  Senate District 16: Jabo Waggoner  Senate District 17: Shay Shelnutt Senate District 18: Rodger Smitherman   Senate District 32: Chirs Elliott State House Races House District 3: Humphrey Lee  House District 6: Andy Whitt House District 8: Terri Collins  House District 9: Scott Stadthagen House District 13: Connie Rowe House District 14: Richard “Bull” Corry  House District 27: Wes Kitchens   House District 30: Craig Lipscomb House District 36: Randy Wood House District 39: TJ Maloney  House District 40: K.L. Brown  House District 41: Corley Ellis  House District 42: Jimmy Martin House District 43: Arnold Mooney  House District 44: Danny Garrett  House District 45: Dickie Drake  House District 46: David Faulkner  House District 47: David Wheeler House District 48: Jim Carns House District 49: April Weaver House District 50: Jim Hill House District 55: Rod Scott  House District 73: Matt Fridy  House District 87: Jeff Sorrells House District 88: Jeremy Arthur  House District 89: Marcus Paramore  House District 96: Matt Simpson House District 102: Willie Gray 

Prosecutors: Ex-manager at Fayette water board stole money

Prison Jail

The former manager of Fayette’s water board is accused of spending more than $25,000 in public money on lingerie, strippers, gun parts and other purchases. Al.com reports 54-year-old Scotty Moore was recently indicted on 34 felony charges accusing him of misusing public money, including first-degree theft by deception. Prosecutors said Moore used a board-issued credit card on a variety of purchases, including more than $10,000 at strip clubs in New Orleans, Dothan and Birmingham. He’s also accused of spending more than $2,500 on lingerie, ladies’ jackets, sweaters, high-heel boots, other clothing items and gun parts. Moore was released from jail after paying an $180,000 bond. He did not return a message seeking comment. District Attorney Chris McCool said that the arrest was the result of a months-long investigation. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.