Clarke County Election: Open License Commissioner Seat, School Board and House Races on Nov. 3 Ballot

GROVE HILL, Ala. — When polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Clarke County election ballot will ask voters to choose a new license commissioner and a county school board member, settle two Alabama House races and a state Senate contest that touch the county, and weigh in on races for Congress and governor at the top of the ticket.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters who are in line when polls close will be allowed to cast a ballot.

Here is a look at the contests Clarke County residents will see.

License commissioner: an open seat

The most closely watched local race is for license commissioner. License Commissioner Linda Goodman is not seeking re-election, leaving the office open.

Two candidates who know the office from the inside are competing to succeed her. Democrat Valencia Allen Coats and Republican Sheramie Larrimore both work as clerks in the license commissioner’s office. Each has been on leave from the job since announcing a candidacy.

In Alabama counties, the license commissioner’s office is where many residents handle the business of owning a vehicle, including tags and registrations, and the office serves a steady stream of residents throughout the year. Because it touches so many households, the race for the post is often one of the more visible local contests on a county ballot.

Clarke County Board of Education, District 3

Voters in District 3 will choose a member of the Clarke County Board of Education.

Republican Marlene Davis is seeking a full term on the board. Davis was appointed to the seat after incumbent Tara Moseley resigned. She faces Democrat Brian Chapman.

The Clarke County Board of Education oversees the county school system, setting policy, adopting a budget and hiring the superintendent. Members are elected from districts, so only voters who live in District 3 will see this race on their ballots. The city of Thomasville operates its own school system, separate from the county system.

Alabama House District 65

Two seats in the Alabama House of Representatives that include parts of Clarke County are on the ballot.

In House District 65, Republican John Knapp, a law enforcement officer, faces former state Rep. Elaine Beech, who is running as an independent. No Democrat qualified for the seat, setting up a two-way contest.

The seat is open. Incumbent Rep. Brett Easterbrook, R-Fruitdale, had already announced he would not seek re-election before he was arrested earlier this month on charges of attempted human trafficking and soliciting prostitution during an undercover sting operation in Atmore, in Escambia County. Easterbrook has not been convicted and is presumed innocent. Court records show his arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 18.

Knapp, a political newcomer, has spent more than two decades in law enforcement and is campaigning as a conservative who supports police. Beech served in the Alabama House as a Democrat for nearly a decade. She sought to run in the 2022 Republican primary, but the Alabama Republican Party rejected her bid because of her previous affiliation with the Democratic Party. She is now on the ballot as an independent and has drawn support from several Montgomery-based political action committees, according to campaign finance filings.

Alabama House District 68

In House District 68, incumbent Rep. Thomas E. “Action” Jackson, D-Thomasville, is seeking re-election. He is being challenged by Republican Fred Kelley, who has worked in marketing and safety for a natural gas utility.

The race is a rematch. Kelley ran against Jackson four years ago and lost.

State Senate District 23

In state Senate District 23, incumbent Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, faces Republican Thayer “Bear” Havard Spencer.

Members of the Alabama Legislature serve four-year terms. The House has 105 members and the Senate has 35, and all seats in both chambers are on the ballot this year.

Congress: 7th District

In the 7th Congressional District, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell is seeking a ninth two-year term. She faces Republican Ammie Akin, an educator and entrepreneur.

Sewell was first elected in 2010. Members of the U.S. House are elected every two years, and every House seat in the country is on the ballot this fall.

Governor tops the state ballot

Topping the list of state offices is the race for governor. Gov. Kay Ivey is barred by term limits from seeking another term, and two familiar names are competing to succeed her: Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Democrat Doug Jones, a former U.S. senator.

Tuberville is considered the favorite. The race is a rematch of sorts. Tuberville defeated Jones in the 2020 U.S. Senate race, ending Jones’ term in the Senate after he won a 2017 special election.

The governor serves a four-year term. Other statewide offices are also on the ballot this year, so voters should expect a long ballot and may want to review it before heading to the polls.

Constitutional amendments and a Clarke County measure

Four statewide constitutional amendments are on the ballot. Voters will also see a local amendment that applies only in Clarke County.

If approved, the Clarke County measure would freeze homestead property assessments for qualified senior citizens. The Legislature approved similar local amendments this year for voters in 18 Alabama counties, including Clarke, Mobile and Monroe. Under the measure as written, a taxpayer 65 or older who has lived in the home as a single-family residence for at least five years immediately before claiming the exemption could have the home’s value for tax purposes held at its Oct. 1, 2026, level.

The proposal would not freeze property tax rates. The home would remain subject to any changes in millage, and the value of additions built after the exemption is claimed would be added to the assessment. The exemption could first be claimed beginning Oct. 1, 2027, and would have to be claimed in writing with the county revenue commissioner between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. It would continue as long as the owner uses the home as a principal residence.

Local amendments in Alabama must be approved by the Legislature and then by voters in the affected county before they take effect.

Clarke County election: what voters need to know

• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3
• Polling hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Photo ID: Alabama requires voters to show an acceptable photo ID, such as a driver’s license, at the polls.
• Early voting: Alabama does not offer early in-person voting. Voters who qualify under state law may vote absentee, but the deadline to apply in person is Thursday, Oct. 29.
• Sample ballots and polling places: Voters can confirm their registration, find their polling place and view a sample ballot through the Alabama Secretary of State’s website.

Because district lines for some offices do not follow county lines, not every Clarke County voter will see every race listed here. The races on an individual ballot depend on where the voter lives.

Results will be reported after polls close Tuesday night, with county totals posted as precincts report.