Clock ticking on registering to vote in Alabama

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - As the Nov. 6 presidential election draws near, public interest is piquing, but if you’re not registered to vote you can’t participate.

In Alabama, as well as Florida and Mississippi, the clock is ticking to get registered. The deadline for Alabamians to register is Oct. 26.

Record registration in Baldwin County

Wednesday night’s presidential debate will stir talk, emotions, and perhaps prompt folks to get out and vote in the general election.

To take part in that American right, you have register and, with interest high, Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell told us a record number of people have been getting registered over the last few weeks.

“Just this morning, in our school here in Fairhope, Julia Donahue, with our board of registrars told us we had the biggest month she’s known of in August and it looks like September is going to top August,” Russell said.

Russell said Baldwin County’s growing population, contributed to by folks moving to the county to retire, has continued to increase the number of voters to more than 110,000.

“Citizens from all fifty states have chosen to live in Baldwin County. They could have chosen to retire in any state in the nation, or some countries,” Judge Russell told us.

Get out the vote

Sheila Ratliff is taking voter registrations to folks who have a hard time getting out. She told us it’s important that everybody gets a say in how the country is run.

“You can do something about it by being a voter, making sure people are registered and make sure your voice is heard that way,” Ratliff said.

Getting registered to vote is easy. All you have to do is fill out the form and take it to one of the satellite courthouses. They're in Fairhope, Bay Minette, and Foley.

The catch is, you only have a few weeks left to do that. The form has to be turned in by October 26.

“The quickest way is to pop into one of those satellite courthouses and do it today because the twenty–sixth will be here before we know it,” Judge Russell said.

In Florida, the deadline is coming up even sooner. You have to be registered by Oct. 9 in the Sunshine state. In Mississippi, the deadline is Saturday, Oct. 6.