Hurricane Sally Bay Minette Services Business Government Departments Recreation Contact Us City Clerk City Clerk Rita Diedtrich, MMC rdiedtrich@ci.bay-minette.al.us phone: 251.580.1637 fax: 251.580.2573 Goal of City Clerk The goal of City Clerk's office is to accurately record all official actions of the governing body, protect and maintain city records and archives efficiently conduct impartial municipal elections, and provide services to the citizens, elected officials, city departments and outside organizations in a professional manner. Clerk's Message It is the City Clerk's responsibility to oversee and keep records of all legal documents including Council Minutes, Ordinances, Resolutions, etc. I prepare the semi-monthly Council Agenda, attend all City Council Work Sessions and Meeting, officially certify actions taken by the Council and attest to the correctness of documents executed by the Mayor and City Council. The City Clerk also serves as the City's Election Manager and is responsible for planning, conducting and supervising all City elections. The Office of the City Clerk is available to answer any questions you may have about the City of Bay Minette. Please give me a call or send me an e-mail should you have a question or need assistance. Rita Diedtrich, MMC Public Records Request Frequently Asked Election Questions Q. If I want to run for municipal office, what is the time period for qualifications? A. Candidates may begin qualifying once notice is published, which is the first Tuesday in July. For more information regarding qualifications see Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 11-46-22(a) and 11-46-25(g). The candidacy period runs fifteen days. Q. When is the municipal election? A. Municipal elections are held every four years on the fourth Tuesday in August. For more information regarding these elections see the Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 11-43-2. Q. How much is the qualification fee? A. The qualification fee is $50.00. If you have any questions regarding the qualification fee, call the City Clerk's Office at (251) 580-1637. Q. How often do citizens vote for a new Mayor and Council? A. In the State of Alabama municipal elections are held every four years on the fourth Tuesday in August. If a runoff is declared it is held on the sixth Tuesday, after the general election. Q. How is my voting district determined? A. The voting district is based on the physical address where you live NOT where you work. Q. Who can vote? A. Persons can vote if they are a registered and qualified voter of the State of Alabama who have resided within the corporate limits of the municipality for 30 days or more immediately preceding the date of the election and are qualified to vote in the County precinct which embraces and covers that part of the municipality in which the elector resides. Section 11 - 46 - 22, Code of Alabama 1975. Q. What is the deadline for registering to vote? A. The deadline for registering to vote is ten days prior to any election. Q. Where do I go to vote? A. All City of Bay Minette residents who live in Districts 1,2,3, and 5 vote at the Bay Minette Civic Center. The residents that live in District 4 vote at the Boykin Center for any municipal election, regardless of whether it is for Mayor, Council, or some type of new law that will be enacted. Exceptions are annexation referendums which always take place in the subdivision or area that is being annexed by a referendum vote (those annexations that are not contiguous). The Bay Minette Civic Center is located at 301 D’Olive Street and the Boykin Center is located at 900 B Still Blvd., Bay Minette, Alabama. 2020 Municipal Election The City Clerk is the local elections administrator and coordinate with Baldwin County and the City’s election consultant in the organization and conduct of Municipal Elections. This includes, but is not limited to: Preparation of necessary resolutions calling General and Special Municipal Elections The coordination of the candidate qualifying process, ballot preparation Recruitment and training of election workers Canvassing and certification of election results The City of Bay Minette is a “Mayor-Council” form of government. The Mayor and five Council Members are elected every 4 years. The City is divided into five districts, with a Council Member elected from each district, and the Mayor elected from the City at large. The next municipal election for the City of Bay Minette is August 25, 2020. City of Bay Minette Municipal Election Results MAYOR Harry Still, III 194 Robert A. "Bob" Wills 658 DISTRICTS 1 Anne Corbett 152 Pete Sellers 167 DISTRICT 2 - Unopposed Mike Phillips DISTRICT 3 John W. Biggs 116 Matt Franklin 148 DISTRICT 4 - Unopposed William C. Taylor DISTRICT 5 - Unopposed Shannon Clemmons Sample Ballots Please click on the position to see the Sample Ballot: Mayor District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Notice of Testing of Electronic Vote Counting System The City of Bay Minette will conduct a public test of the voting machines to be used in the City of Bay Minette's Municipal Election to be held on August 25th, 2020. The test will be conducted, Thursday, August 20th, at 9:00 o'clock a.m. in the John F. Rhodes (Bay Minette) Civic Center located at 301 D'Olive Street. Click here for copy of posting. Voting Voting Locations DISTRICTS 1, DISTRICT 2, DISTRICT 3 AND DISTRICT 5 John F. Rhodes Civic Center (Bay Minette Civic Center)--301 D'Olive Street DISTRICTS 4 Boykin Center--900 B Still Blvd. Registration of Voters In order to vote in an election, you must be registered to vote. Voter Registration Forms can be obtained through the Baldwin County Board of Registrars located at 119 West 2nd Street, Bay Minette, Alabama or call (251) 937-0305. The Board of Registrars may not register persons within 10 calendar days prior to a municipal election. Please register at Baldwin County Board of Registrars. Persons who are 18 years of age may vote and to affect this constitutional demand, persons who are 17 years of age at the time registration closes but who will become 18 years of age prior to the election must be permitted to register. Persons 18 to 21 years of age may establish voting residency in locales different from their parents or guardians. University students may establish voting residency in university communities. Absentee Voting Eligibility A voter may cast an absentee ballot if he or she: EXPECTS TO BE ABSENT FROM THE COUNTY on election day IS ILL OR HAS A PHYSICAL DISABILITY that prevents a trip to the polling place IS A REGISTERED ALABAMA VOTER LIVING OUTSIDE THE COUNTY, such as a member of the armed forces, a voter employed outside the United States, a college student, or a spouse or child of such a person IS AN APPOINTED ELECTION OFFICER OR POLL WATCHER at a polling place other than his or her regular polling place EXPECTS TO WORK A REQUIRED SHIFT, 10-HOURS OR MORE, that coincides with polling hours IS A CAREGIVER for a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity and the family member is confined to his or her home IS CURRENTLY INCARCERATED in prison or jail and has not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude ANY QUALIFIED VOTER WHO DETERMINES IT IS IMPOSSIBLE OR UNREASONABLE TO VOTE AT THEIR VOTING PLACE DUE TO THE DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO COVID-19 MAY VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT. When applying, you should check the box that reads “I have a physical illness or infirmity which prevents my attendance at the polls.” The deadline to submit an absentee ballot application is the 5th day prior to the election. EMERGENCY ABSENTEE VOTING applications can be made after the absentee deadline but no later than 5 PM on the day before the election, if the voter: is required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be unavailable at the polls on the day of the election is a caregiver of a person who requires emergency treatment by licensed physician within five days before an election has a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity die within five days before an election MEDICAL EMERGENCY ABSENTEE VOTING applications can be made by a voter who has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5-days of an election. During that 5 day period, the medical emergency absentee ballot application and the voted absentee ballot must be returned no later than noon on the day the election is held. The medical emergency absentee ballot application requires that the attending physician describe and certify the circumstances as constituting an emergency. The voter may designate someone to turn in the medical emergency absentee ballot application, receive the absentee ballot on behalf of the voter, and return the voted absentee ballot to the Absentee Election Manager on behalf of the voter. Absentee Voting Ballot Application To obtain an absentee ballot, please click here to download or write or visit the local Absentee Election Manager (City Clerk) to request an absentee ballot, and provide the following: name and residential address (or other such information in order to verify voter registration) a copy of your valid photo identification election for which the ballot is requested reason for absence from polls on election day 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), by U.S. Mail, or by commercial carrier. No absentee ballot application may be mailed in the same envelope as another voter's absentee ballot application. Upon receiving the absentee ballot application, the Absentee Election Manager may request additional evidence on the reason for voting absentee if the voter has a history of absentee voting. The absentee ballot applications must turned in no later than the fifth calendar day before the election. BALLOT RECEIPT/RETURN If the absentee ballot application is approved, the Absentee Election Manager forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail, or hands the absentee ballot to the voter in person (or to a designee in the case of medical emergency absentee voting) Absentee Voting Ballot Procedure The absentee ballot comes with three envelopes -- one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain envelope, preaddressed (the outer envelope). Once the voter casts the ballot, the procedure is as follows: Seal the ballot in the plain envelope Place the plain envelope inside the accompanying affidavit envelope Seal the affidavit envelope and complete the affidavit that is on the outside of the envelope Sign the affidavit and have the signature witnessed by either a notary public or two witnesses 18 years of age or older WITNESSES OR NOTARIZATION An absentee ballot cannot be counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has the signatures of two witnesses. The voter has only the following legal ways to return the absentee ballot: forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail forwards the absentee ballot by commercial carrier hands the absentee ballot to the absentee election manager in person (or delivers by a designee in the case of emergency absentee voting) Absentee Voting Deadline An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election and received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon on election day. If hand-delivered, the ballot must be in the office of the Absentee Election Manager by the close of business (but no later than 5 p.m.) on the day prior to the election. Candidate Overview GENERAL INFORMATION Date of Election: August 25, 2020 Runoff Election (If Necessary): October 6, 2020 Assumes Office: November 2, 2020 QUALIFYING FEES Candidates for mayor and council must pay a qualifying fee of $50.00 QUALIFICATIONS Mayor/Council Member Qualified elector of the City Resident of the City for at least 90 days prior to election day Resident of the City during term of office WHEN DO I BECOME A CANDIDATE The Fair Campaign Practice Act (FCPA) defines a candidate as a person who has: Qualified to be listed on an election ballot by filing qualification forms; or Received contribution or made expenditures for an election campaign equal to $1,000 or more for municipal office Candidate must comply with set rules as required by the Fair Campaign Practice Act. If you reach the threshold of becoming a candidate prior to filing qualification forms, please visit www.sos.state.al.us for candidate guidelines. FORMS Statement of Candidacy (qualifying form) is available from the City Clerk’s Office at the Bay Minette City Hall Statement of Economic Interests form is available at the Alabama Ethics Commission website: www.ethics.alabama.gov Appointment Principle Campaign Committee form is available at the Alabama Secretary of State website: www.sos.state.al.us Summary of Contributions and Expenditures form is available at the Alabama Secretary of State website: www.sos.state.al.us TELEPHONE NUMBERS: City of Bay Minette City Clerk: (251) 580-1637 Baldwin County Probate Judge: (251) 937-0285 Baldwin County Board of Registrars: (251) 937-0305 Secretary of State Election Division: (800) 274-8683 Alabama Ethics Commission: (334) 242-2997 IMPORTANT WEBSITES: Alabama League of Municipalities: www.alalm.org City of Bay Minette: www.cityofbayminette.org State of Alabama: www.alabama.gov Alabama Secretary of State: www.sos.state.al.us Alabama Ethics Commission: www.ethics.alabama.gov Sign Regulations--Excerpt from City of Bay Minette Ordinance 16.2.17  Political signs. Political signs are subject to the following requirements: a. Political signs shall not be erected earlier than 60 days prior to the primary election date and must be removed within seven days after the election. In the event of a run-off election, the signs of the run-off candidates may be maintained until the date of the run-off election and must be removed within seven days after the official election date. However, signs belonging to successful primary candidates may remain in place for the general election and must be removed within seven days after the official election date. b. Political signs are limited in size to no more than 32 square feet. c. Such signs are confined wholly to placement on private property. d. Pursuant to Code of Ala. § 21-3-6, it is unlawful to erect or display political signs on any property owned or controlled by the City of Bay Minette or on School Board property. This shall include public rights-of-way, trees, light poles, sidewalks, streets, benches, fire hydrants, public parks or playgrounds, libraries, fire stations, City Hall, and schools. e. The regulations of this section do not prohibit the purchase of advertising space on permitted advertising signs in addition to the signs permitted by this section. f. It is the candidates' responsibility to ensure that the volunteers and sign contractors who distribute and erect political signs during an election are doing so in compliance with this regulation. Candidates will be held responsible for violations. Municipal Districts The Municipal Districts map can be found here. 2020 Municipal Calendar The 2020 Municipal Calendar can be found here. site by altegra technologies