AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Alabama on Election Day

WASHINGTON — Alabama voters head to the polls on Nov. 5 with a newly drawn congressional district and a long history of Republican dominance in the state on the line.

The Democratic candidate for president hasn't carried Alabama since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Since then, the state has become reliably red. Both U.S. senators, six of the state's seven members of the U.S. House and the governor are Republicans. Former President Donald Trump won the state by 28 percentage points in 2016 and 26 points four years later.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and three independent candidates round out the field on the presidential ballot. Alabama has nine electoral votes.

Alabama's 2nd Congressional District was redrawn this year after the Supreme Court ruled that the state had illegally diluted the influence of Black voters. The district stretches across the lower third of the state and includes the cities of Mobile and Montgomery. Democrat Shomari Figures and Republican Caroleene Dobson are both seeking the open seat. Its voting-age population is 49% Black, up from 30% from when the district was reliably Republican.

The current representative, Barry Moore, opted to run in the neighboring 1st District where he beat incumbent Jerry Carl in the primary. The other five incumbent representatives are running for reelection in their current seats.

Neither senator nor the governor is on the ballot this year, and the state's lone ballot measure would affect only Franklin County.

Alabama doesn't offer early in-person voting. It also is one of the few states that still requires an excuse to vote by mail. As a result, nearly all Alabama voters cast their ballots in person on Election Day. In recent elections, the state has reported more than 80% of its votes between poll close and midnight on Election Day.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Alabama:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

8 p.m. ET (portions of some counties that operate in Eastern Time have the option to close at 7 p.m. Eastern).

Presidential electoral votes

9 awarded to statewide winner.

Key race and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent) vs. Jill Stein (Independent) vs. Chase Oliver (Independent).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Supreme Court, Civil Appeals, Criminal Appeals, Public Service Commission, state Board of Education and a ballot measure.

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 62%, Biden (D) 37%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 8 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 3,776,498 (as of September 2024).

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 62% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 13% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 3% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:11 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 84% of total votes cast were reported.

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AP writer Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report.