BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Chambers County voters will cast ballots at 16 polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when Alabama holds its general election for governor, U.S. Senate, the Legislature and a slate of other statewide and county offices.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, and in Chambers County that means two time zones. Valley and Lanett run on Eastern time, so their polls open and close on Eastern time. The rest of the county votes 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT. State law lets polling places in areas on Eastern time follow that clock, though the County Commission may exclude any polling place by resolution.
Voters at Huguley or other precincts near the city lines who are unsure should call election officials before Election Day. Anyone who tries to join the line after 7 p.m. will not be allowed to vote.
Most of the county’s voting sites are fire stations, churches and community buildings. The largest precincts vote at the Valley Sportsplex, Lanett High School and the LaFayette High School gym.
What’s on the ballot
Every Chambers County voter will see the statewide races and four proposed constitutional amendments. Legislative, County Commission and Board of Education races vary by district, so voters should check their own sample ballot, posted on the secretary of state’s website. Voters may mark a straight-party ticket or choose candidates race by race, and every race includes a write-in line.
Polling places
Buffalo: Lebanon Church, 2090 County Road 172, LaFayette
Cusseta: Cusseta Fire Department, 4429 County Road 299, Cusseta
Five Points: Five Points Community House/Town Hall, 27031 U.S. Highway 431, Five Points
Fredonia: Fredonia Fire and Rescue, 10417 County Road 267, Five Points
Huguley: Huguley Fire Department, 5016 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Lanett
LaFayette: LaFayette High School Gym, 214 First Ave. NE, LaFayette
Lanett: Lanett High School, 1301 S. Eighth St., Lanett
Lanier: Lanier Baptist Church, 3295 County Road 289, Lanett
Mt. Olive: Mt. Olive Club House, 2209 County Road 237, Roanoke
Mountain Springs: Mountain Springs Baptist Church, 15191 County Road 62, Wadley
Ridge Grove: Ridge Grove Volunteer Fire Department, 9104 County Road 48, LaFayette
Standing Rock: Standing Rock Community Center, 3490 County Road 278, Five Points
Union Hill: Union Hill Community House/Fire Department, 1022 County Road 122, LaFayette
Valley: Valley Sportsplex, 130 Sportsplex Drive, Valley
Waverly: Waverly Town Hall, 2094 Patrick St., Waverly
West Chambers: West Chambers Fire Department, 21331 Veterans Memorial Parkway, LaFayette
What to bring
Voters must show one of these forms of photo ID approved under state law:
Valid Alabama driver’s license, not expired or expired less than 60 days
Valid Alabama nondriver ID, not expired or expired less than 60 days
Valid Alabama Photo Voter ID card
Valid state-issued ID from Alabama or any other state, such as an Alabama Department of Corrections release temporary ID, an Alabama prison or jail movement/booking sheet or a pistol permit (photo required on all three)
Valid federal-issued ID
Valid U.S. passport
Valid employee ID from the federal government, the State of Alabama, or an Alabama county, city, board or other state entity
Valid student or employee ID from a public or private college or university in Alabama, including postgraduate technical or professional schools
Valid student or employee ID from a state college or university in any other state
Valid military ID
Valid tribal ID
Voters without one of these can get a free Alabama Photo Voter ID card; the Secretary of State lists mobile and office locations online at www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/mobile-id-locations. On Election Day, a voter without ID may still cast a regular ballot if two election officials can positively identify them; otherwise, the voter may cast a provisional ballot.
Voters may bring a marked sample ballot for their own use. Campaigning, including signs, must stay at least 30 feet from a polling place entrance.
At the polls
Every polling place has voting equipment that lets voters with disabilities cast a ballot without help. Voters whose disability is not accommodated should contact the probate judge or the Secretary of State’s office.
On request, poll officials may move a voter who is over 70 or physically disabled to the front of the line. Any voter may ask for help marking a ballot from anyone they choose, except their employer, an agent of their employer or an officer or agent of their union. Voters do not have to give a reason.
Voters may bring a cell phone, but use should not disturb others, and voters may photograph only their own ballot. Campaign buttons and T-shirts are allowed, but voters should not loiter or leave campaign materials behind.
A voter who spends four minutes or more in the booth may be asked whether they need help. When others are waiting, a voter who declines help gets one more minute, and one who accepts gets at least five. With no line, voters may take as long as they need. A voter who makes a mistake should ask a poll worker for a new ballot rather than erase or attempt to alter the one they first received.
Finding your precinct
Voters’ polling place is printed on their voter ID card the Board of Registrars mailed when they registered. Voters can also look it up under “My Voting Information” at alabamavotes.gov, or through the precinct finder on the Chambers County Probate Office’s election management page at www. chamberscountyal.gov/departments/probate-office/election-management.
The Chambers County Board of Registrars is at 2 S. Lafayette St., Suite B, in LaFayette and can be contacted at (334) 644-7781. The Probate Office runs election management offices at 18 Alabama Ave. E, Room 101, in LaFayette, which can be contacted at (334) 864-4313, and at 610 S. Gilmer Ave. in Lanett, which can be contacted at (334) 644-7781.
Voters who moved within the county without updating their registration should contact the registrars for their new polling place. They can update their registration there and cast a provisional ballot.
Absentee deadlines
The deadline to register for this election passed on Oct. 19. For absentee voting, the last day to apply by mail was Oct. 27, while the deadline to apply for in-person absentee voting is Thursday, Oct. 29. Hand-delivered absentee ballots are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, and mailed ballots must reach the absentee election manager by noon on Election Day.
Provisional ballots
A voter whose name is not on the poll list, or who lacks photo ID and cannot be identified by two election officials, may cast a provisional ballot after signing an affidavit and filling out a voter update form. Voters who requested an absentee ballot but never received or returned it may also vote provisionally.
Voters who voted provisionally because they lacked ID have until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, to bring a valid photo ID to the Board of Registrars. If they do, and all other requirements are met, their ballot will be counted.
Results and turnout
Chambers County Probate Judge Paul Story serves as the county’s election manager and reads unofficial results on election night. Following a delay in reporting in 2022, he read the county’s results just before 11 p.m. CT. There is not a particular time Story is expected to release results on election night.
Turnout in the county has swung widely. In the 2022 midterm, 9,178 of 25,827 registered voters cast ballots, or 35.53%. Turnout reached 58.96% in the 2020 presidential election and 53.37% in the 2024 presidential election.
Who to call
Voters with questions or problems on Election Day can call the Chambers County Board of Registrars or the Secretary of State’s Elections and Voter Fraud Hotline at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683). Campaigning, including by candidates and their supporters, must stay at least 30 feet from a polling place entrance. Violations can be reported to the chief inspector at the polling place.
More resources for voters
Alabama 2026 Voter Guide: The Secretary of State’s full guide covers registration, absentee voting, voter assistance and frequently asked questions. Download the guide at www.sos.alabama.gov/sites/default/files/election-2026/2026-VoterGuide.pdf.
Free Alabama Photo Voter ID: Registered voters without an accepted photo ID can get a free card from the Board of Registrars, the Secretary of State’s office in Montgomery or in limited cases a home visit. Learn how to apply at www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/photo-voter-id/obtain-free-photo-voter-id.
Free nondriver ID: The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency also issues a free nondriver ID for voting purposes. Requirements are at alea.gov.
Restoring voting rights: People barred from voting by a disqualifying felony conviction who have completed their sentence may apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote. Contact the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles at (334) 353-7771 or pardons.state.al.us.
Military and overseas voters: Service members, their families and Alabama citizens living abroad can find absentee voting help through the Federal Voting Assistance Program at fvap.gov.
Vote.gov: The federal government’s official site links to each state’s registration and election information at vote.gov.
