2025 Statewide Municipal Election Risk Analysis
Prepared by: Shayla Mitchell, Election Protection Organizer
The ACLU of Alabama is raising urgent concerns following multiple reports of restricted access to fair, free, and safe elections during the August 5th and the August 26th Municipal Elections in the Cities of Dothan, Prichard, Mobile, Decatur, Tuskegee, Franklin, and Leeds. By estimate of the total number of registered voters on your website, an estimation of ~ 313,000 registered voters in Mobile County1 (Includes both the City of Mobile and the City of Prichard), ~ 52,722 registered voters in the City of Dothan2, ~ 67,470 registered voters in Morgan County3 (includes the City of Decatur), ~ 9,400 registered voters in the City of Leeds, AL4, and ~ 14, 817 registered voters in Macon County, AL5 (includes the City of Tuskegee and the City of Franklin) were exposed to operational disenfranchisement as a result of municipal negligence on Election Day.
In the Cities of Prichard (Districts 1, 2, 3, and 5), Mobile (District 2, 3, and 5), and Leeds (Districts 1 and 4) the Voter Files and Rolls were incorrectly input into the SOS website. The Registrar’s Office and City Clerks did not provide proper and timely notice to voters of poll changes, redistricting updates, or the migration of polls identified in municipal elections as opposed to county/federal elections. Voters reported being listed as “Registered” and “Active” on the Secretary of State website. We received multiple reports of voters arriving at their poll location as listed on the Secretary of State’s website and being turned away, sent elsewhere, or offered a provisional ballot. Unfortunately, in Prichard Provisional Ballots did not exist and were not available at several precincts. In Mobile, Provisional Ballots were poorly managed causing the Poll Inspector to write “Provisional Ballot” on traditional ballots and deposit them into the Provisional Ballot Box. This raised a concern of ballot integrity and uncertainty around the provisional ballot chain of custody in the City of Mobile.
The issues brought to the attention of our election protection team are as follows:
- In Leeds, the Registrar’s Office published an incorrect voter file that disenfranchised residents of the Charles Barkley Housing Development. Due to improper redistricting, residents’ voter registration records were updated in error, denying their right to vote in the August 26th municipal election. Impacted residents were offered provisional ballots with instructions to cure their ballots at the County Clerk’s Office. The Registrar’s Office informed the City Administrator’s Office that the error would be corrected on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
- In Mobile, (at District 4, Precinct 2 - Mobile Regional Library), multiple voters confirmed as “Registered” on the Secretary of State’s website were missing from the official voter rolls and told to vote provisional. The Alabama Election Protection Coalition had also received multiple reports of Mobile voters being told they were at the wrong polling location, despite the Secretary of State’s website confirming they were at the correct one. Only after intervention, Mobile City Clerk Lisa Lambert suggested that there may have been confusion between municipal and county/federal polling sites. By midday, Ashley Flores, Director of Council Communications & Community Engagement, committed to informing citizens throughout the day with updated information and asked broadcasters to re-air municipal election polling site information.
- In Prichard, several precincts did not have provisional ballots available. In some cases, poll inspectors wrote “provisional” on standard ballots and deposited them into provisional ballot boxes, creating a serious chain of custody risks. The City Clerk’s staff failed to respond to calls or inquiries throughout Election Day, despite widespread reports of ballot access issues, ballot mismanagement, and inoperable tabulators.
- In Decatur, a report received via the 866-Our-Vote Hotline indicated that ballots at Decatur Baptist Church, in Decatur, AL were misprinted and excluded Mayoral Candidates. Decatur City Clerk Stephanie Simon “stated she verified the ballots herself for accuracy;” however, voters in Decatur are now petitioning the City Clerk’s office and the U.S. Elections Commission to request ballot review.
- In Tuskegee, voters in multiple districts reported misprinted ballots that excluded candidates’ names. Voters in Tuskegee are now petitioning the City Clerk’s Office and the U.S. Elections Commission to request ballot review.
- The Town of Franklin’s website and the Secretary of State’s website both had a Notice of Election for the City of Franklin, AL. Upon contact, the Mayor Pro Tem Rheba Knox advised that the city would not hold an election as all five (5) candidates on the ballot were unopposed. She declined to email a copy of the notice, stating it could be requested from the Tuskegee Times Newspaper.
- The Alabama League of Municipalities Special Report: Prepared for the 2025 Municipal Elections – Notice of Elections states:
Notice of the general municipal election is required to be published by the mayor on the second Tuesday in June or the first business day thereafter. Section 11-46-22(a), Code of Alabama 1975. If a newspaper is published in the municipality, the notice of election must be published at least one time in such newspaper. If no newspaper is published in the municipality, then the notice must be published by posting in three public places in the municipality. The form of the notice should resemble the sample set out in Section 11-46-22(b), Code of Alabama 19756.
Unfortunately, voters were unaware of the election cancellation and misguided due to the clear advertisement of an election. This prevented voters from exercising their right to write in a candidate of their choice, as permitted under election law.
These are not minor clerical errors. They are widespread failures that jeopardize Alabamians’ fundamental right to vote. Many of the elected officials we spoke with were severely dismissive when informed of these failures. Even with the significant concerns raised on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, none of the above-mentioned cities took action to file a motion to extend polling hours.
The lack of action is a resounding confirmation of the lack of intention when it comes to Voting Rights in the State of Alabama. The access to free, fair, and safe elections was jeopardized by municipalities without apology. This is especially troubling in communities where Black voters have historically fought to defend their right to vote against systemic oppression.
We call on you to immediately resolve the voter roll problems and establish stronger safeguards for registration validation before the upcoming municipal runoffs and federal and state primaries, so that no voter is silenced in the future. Please contact us if we can provide further information or partner with your office in correcting these issues.
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The ACLU of Alabama works to preserve and protect the civil liberties and civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, specifically those principles contained in the Bill of Rights. Learn more at aclualabama.org.
1 Mobile County, AL Probate Court "Information for Voters” https://probate.mobilecountyal.gov/elections/information-for-voters (2025)
2 City of Dothan, ”2025 City of Dothan Municipal Election Information”, Official Canvass Report (August 11, 2025)
3 Wes Allen, Alabama Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Statistics – 2025", https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/election-data/2025-08/AL... (August 2025)
4 City of Leeds, Alabama, “City Council GIS Data”, Voters List for all and by district (May 12, 2025)
5 Wes Allen, Alabama Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Statistics – 2025", https://www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/election-data/2025-08/AL... (August 2025)
6 Alabama League of Municipalities, “Notice of Elections”, 2025-Elections-Manual_Web.pdf, (2024).
