General elections already see some of the highest voter turnouts in Limestone County, but when combined with the need for social distancing, polling locations that are already struggling with space or parking issues could be under additional stress this year.

To that end, some locations are under review or being changed altogether to ensure voters aren’t crammed together or waiting in long lines to cast their ballot Nov. 3. Among them is Elkmont, with the Elkmont Town Council voting Monday to move polling from the Elkmont Town Hall to the Elkmont Volunteer Fire Department building on Sandlin Road.

“We’re expecting to have about four times the number (of residents) vote in the general election than we did in the runoff,” Elkmont Mayor Tracy Compton said Tuesday. “… We didn’t have any issues and were able to distance correctly during the runoff (July 14), but certainly at four times that number, it would be impossible.”

In the past, the fire department and town hall were in the same building, but voters were often left parking elsewhere and walking to the building to vote. The fire department has since moved to a new building, but voting stayed at the town hall until now.

Compton said the town is “most appreciative” that the fire department is willing to let voters use their facility for upcoming elections.

Collin Daly, chairman of the Limestone County Commission and a registered voter in Elkmont, said he is also grateful for the change. The county commission also voted to approve the change, and they could be voting on a change in Ardmore soon.

Limestone County Probate Judge Charles Woodroof told commissioners during their Monday work session that Ardmore has more registered voters than Elkmont, but the space available is actually smaller. He told The News Courier on Tuesday that once the Ardmore Town Council approves a new location, he’ll be back before the commission to get their approval, too.

Other spots being eyed for change are the Westside Community Center in Athens and Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Madison-annexed Limestone County. Woodroof said he isn’t sure if either will be changed before November, but “we’d like to.”

The church in Madison is “our largest precinct by far,” he said. As of the July 14 primary runoff election, there were 6,687 registered voters. Fewer than 1,000 showed up to vote in the runoff, but Woodroof expects there to be more registered voters and possibly even a 70% turnout.

If they manage to reach 7,000 registered voters by Oct. 19 — the deadline to register for the 2020 general election in Alabama — and achieved a 70% in-person turnout, that would mean 4,900 voters visiting the church.

Even with polls open for 12 hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., that’s more than 100 people entering the building, waiting to get a ballot, casting their vote and exiting every 15 minutes — assuming they are able to space themselves out evenly throughout the day, instead of rushing to vote before work, on a lunch break or after work.

Woodroof said the increase in voters will be a problem across the county. Limestone could see 70 to 75% turnout across the county, and the total number of voters could pass 70,000 between now and then.

“That’s just one of the many aspects of more people” living in Limestone County, Woodroof said. He said there were 58,214 registered voters in November 2016, with an increase of about 17.4% from then until July’s primary runoff election.

On the ballot

Turnout will also be influenced by the number of races on the ballot. In addition to picking president and vice president, there are candidates on the ballot for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Alabama Supreme Court, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, Alabama Public Service Commission President, Alabama State Board of Education, Limestone County Commission and Limestone County Board of Education.

“Presidential is always routinely one of our highest turnouts, and then you add the state and local — you’ve got a lot to be elected,” Woodroof said.

There are also six amendments on the November ballot. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s website, these are as follows:

• An amendment granting the right to vote in Alabama to “only” U.S. citizens who meet certain requirements, compared to “every” U.S. citizen who meets the requirements;

• An amendment that would let the Alabama Supreme Court appoint the Administrative Director of Courts, add two members to the Judicial Inquiry Commission, determine who appoints said JIC members, allow the governor to appoint a member of the Court of the Judiciary, prevent a judge from being automatically disqualified from holding office simply because a complaint was filed with the JIC, let only the COJ remove a judge and provide county district courts the option of not holding city court in a city with fewer than 1,000 residents;

• An amendment that would allow a judge appointed to fill a vacancy to serve an initial term of at least two years, instead of simply until the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January following the next general election, as is stated in current law;

• An amendment rearranging the Alabama Constitution (currently the longest in the U.S. at nearly 400,000 words) only to remove racist language, remove language that is repeated or no longer applies, combine language related to economic development and combine language that relates to the same county;

• An amendment allowing for a special “Stand Your Ground” law that would apply only to churches in Franklin County; and

• An amendment allowing for a special “Stand Your Ground” law that would apply only to churches in Lauderdale County.

Visit votelimestone.com for more information on the upcoming general election, including how to apply for an absentee ballot, find a polling location and more.