Gadsden 2026 voter’s guide: candidates, polling places and deadlines for the Aug. 25 election

Gadsden’s municipal election is Tuesday, Aug. 25. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voter registration closed Monday, Aug. 10, but absentee voting is still open, with applications accepted by mail through Aug. 18 and in person through Aug. 20.

GADSDEN, AL – Voter registration for Gadsden’s Aug. 25 municipal election closed Monday, Aug. 10. Voters who missed the deadline will not be eligible to cast a ballot in this election.

Absentee voting remains open. City Clerk Jennifer Smith confirmed to GadsdenThrive the certified candidate list, the absentee voting schedule, two polling-place changes and how the city will report results on election night.

This guide covers the mechanics of voting on Aug. 25. GadsdenThrive will keep it updated as the clerk’s office posts additional information.

I missed the registration deadline. What now?

Registration for the Aug. 25 election closed Monday. If a runoff is required on Sept. 22, the city will post a new registration deadline for that race on its 2026 Election Information page.

Registration is handled year-round through the Alabama Secretary of State at alabamavotes.gov, or in person at the Etowah County Board of Registrars, Room 206 of the Etowah County Courthouse, 800 Forrest Ave. The registrars can be reached at 256-549-5384.

When is the election and what hours are the polls open?

Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters in line at 7 p.m. are entitled to cast a ballot.

If a runoff is required in any race, it will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. The city’s new administration takes office Nov. 2.

Who is on the ballot?

Smith said the candidate list posted on the city’s 2026 Election Information page is current and final, covering the races for Mayor, City Council by district, and the Board of Education. GadsdenThrive first reported the shape of the field in July, when Gadsden voters lined up to choose a mayor, council and school board.

The certified list covers 15 offices, and seven were settled before Election Day. Those incumbents drew no challenger during the June 9 to 23 qualifying window and were declared elected at the City Council’s July 1 meeting. Five of the seven are Board of Education seats, meaning voters will decide only two of the board’s seven districts.

Gadsden’s municipal races are nonpartisan, and write-in votes are not permitted.

Mayor: Craig Ford, incumbent, and Thomas Worthy. Longtime City Council member Robert Avery qualified on the final day and withdrew July 10, telling the Anniston Star he was dealing with medical issues and did not think two candidates needed to run against the mayor. Avery said he would support Worthy. With only two candidates remaining, the mayor’s race will be decided Aug. 25 without a runoff.

City Council District 1: Brandon “Bowtie” Hall, Russell Johnson, LaMont Kyle, and incumbent Tonya Lynn Latham

City Council District 2: Steve Smith, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected

City Council District 3: Incumbent Larry J. Avery Jr. and Denecia Ann Getaw

City Council District 4: Kent Back, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected

City Council District 5: Linda Riggins Aaron, Curtis Fail, Joey Nichols, and incumbent Jason Wilson

City Council District 6: Incumbent Dixie Minatra and Renay Stokes Reeves

City Council District 7: Singn Horn and incumbent Chris Robinson

Board of Education District 1: Incumbent Adrienne Reed and Cynthia W. Toles

Board of Education District 2: Areatha Rita Smith, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected

Board of Education District 3: Z. André Huff, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected

Board of Education District 4: K. Tiffany Ballou and Mike Haney

Board of Education District 5: Mark Dayton, incumbent and board vice president, unopposed and declared elected

Board of Education District 6: Stewart, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected

Board of Education District 7: Wm. Allen Millican, incumbent, unopposed and declared elected. Millican is a retired presiding circuit judge of Etowah County and was first elected to the board in 2019.

Where do I vote, and have any polling places changed?

Two locations have moved since the 2022 city election, Smith said. GadsdenThrive covered the full box-by-box breakdown in its guide to all 16 Gadsden polling places.

Voters at Boxes 6A and 7A, who previously voted at Dwight Baptist Church, will now vote at the Senior Wellness Center. Voting took place at Dwight Baptist in 2022 because the former Elliott Community Center, long used for voting, was being demolished and replaced by the Senior Wellness Center.

Box 3A has moved from the former Gadsden High School lunchroom to the Abundant Life Church gym.

The full box-by-box list:

• 1A: Antioch Baptist Church Family Life Center, 2103 East Broad St.
• 1B: East Gadsden Community Center, 921 Wilson Ave.
• 2A: East Gadsden Community Center, 921 Wilson Ave.
• 2B: Thompson Community Center, 236 Goldenrod Ave.
• 3A: Abundant Life Church gym, 323 South 12th St.
• 3B: Carver Community Center, 1030 Tuscaloosa Ave.
• 3C: Thompson Community Center, 236 Goldenrod Ave.
• 4A: The Venue, 201 George Wallace Drive
• 4B: Meadowbrook Baptist Church Family Life Center, 2525 Rainbow Drive
• 4C: Downtown Civic Center, 623 Broad St.
• 5A: Downtown Civic Center, 623 Broad St.
• 5B: The Tabernacle Church, 1301 South 11th St.
• 6A: Senior Wellness Center, 2829 West Meighan Blvd.
• 6B: Walnut Park Community Center, 3200 Walnut St.
• 7A: Senior Wellness Center, 2829 West Meighan Blvd.
• 7B: Kiwanis Pavilion, 1500 Noccalula Road

Voters should use the location assigned to their own box and district. The city mailed postcards in mid-July listing each voter’s district and polling place. Anyone who did not receive one, or who received one with incorrect information, should call the City Clerk or the Board of Registrars.

What identification do I need?

Voters should bring an approved form of photo identification. Accepted forms include an Alabama driver’s license or nondriver identification card that is valid or expired by less than 60 days, an Alabama photo voter ID card, a passport, military or tribal identification, qualifying government employee identification, and certain college or university identification cards.

How do I vote absentee, and what are the deadlines?

The City Clerk’s office provided this absentee schedule.

• Aug. 18: Last day for the City Clerk to receive a regular absentee ballot application by mail
• Aug. 20: Last day to apply in person for a regular absentee ballot
• Aug. 24: Last day to apply in person for a qualified non-medical emergency absentee ballot, and the deadline for voters to hand-deliver those ballots
• Noon, Aug. 25: Deadline to receive medical emergency absentee ballots and absentee ballots returned by mail

After Aug. 20, voters who qualify under Alabama law may apply for an emergency absentee ballot. Applications for voters with a qualified medical emergency may be mailed or delivered by a designee.

A copy of a valid photo ID must be submitted with the absentee ballot application. Exceptions to the identification requirement apply only for certain reasons and are noted on the application.

The City Clerk’s office is in Room 401 on the fourth floor of Gadsden City Hall, 90 Broad St. Absentee questions go to 256-549-4517.

Where can I see a sample ballot?

Sample ballots are posted on the city’s 2026 Election Information page. Smith said reader-shared screenshots tend to circulate, and the clerk’s office recommends readers use the official version.

Offices with only one qualified candidate do not appear on the sample ballots, which is why several of the names above are absent from ballot listings circulating this week.

When will results be posted and certified?

On election night, the clerk’s office will update a recapitulation sheet on the city’s website with results as they are received from the polling places.

Results are canvassed and certified at the Sept. 1 City Council meeting, which begins at noon. To meet the noon requirement, the Sept. 1 schedule changes to a Work Session at 11 a.m. and the Council meeting at 12 p.m.

After Aug. 25, the city’s 2026 Election Information page will be updated with results and, if a runoff is necessary, the absentee and voter registration deadlines for that runoff.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Gadsden municipal election?
Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Can I still register to vote?
Not for this election. Registration closed Monday, Aug. 10. A new deadline will be set if a runoff is required on Sept. 22.

Is absentee voting still open?
Yes. Applications are accepted by mail through Aug. 18 and in person through Aug. 20. Mailed ballots must be received by noon on Aug. 25.

Who is running for mayor of Gadsden?
Incumbent Craig Ford and Thomas Worthy. Robert Avery withdrew July 10 after qualifying.

Why is my district not on the ballot?
Seven offices had only one candidate qualify. Those incumbents were declared elected July 1 and do not appear on any ballot.

When is the runoff?
Sept. 22, for any race in which no candidate receives a majority. The mayor’s race cannot go to a runoff, since only two candidates remain.

Are Gadsden city elections partisan?
No, and write-in votes are not permitted.

Sources: Jennifer Smith, City Clerk, City of Gadsden, in replies to GadsdenThrive on Aug. 3 and Aug. 6, 2026; City of Gadsden 2026 Election Information page. Polling-place list and voter identification requirements as published by WEIS Radio, Aug. 7, 2026. Unopposed certifications reported by the Gadsden Messenger, July 3, 2026. Avery withdrawal details as reported by the Anniston Star.