BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s most populous county will open its courthouses for absentee voting on two Saturdays because of the heavy turnout expected on Election Day and the pandemic.
Commissioners in Jefferson County voted during a special meeting Friday to open courthouses in Birmingham and Bessemer this Saturday and again on Oct. 24. The decision was driven by concerns over public health precautions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Critics also had questioned whether not having the courthouses open during a flood of absentee balloting amounted to voter suppression. Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Jefferson County over President Donald Trump four years ago.
