A Bifurcated Primary

[CARLHAYDEN]

Mardi Gras Prompts 2-Day Vote in Ala. 

Friday, January 25, 2008 4:30 PM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Don't mess with Mardi Gras in Alabama.

Voters in two coastal counties _ Baldwin and Mobile _ will vote Wednesday even though the state primary is six days later on Feb. 5. The reason: Feb. 5 also is Fat Tuesday when throngs of people celebrate Mardi Gras on the Gulf Coast. The frenzied end to Carnival is an official holiday in the two counties in Alabama.

When the state legislature moved up the presidential primary from June 3 to Super Tuesday, it discovered belatedly that it fell on Mardi Gras. In Baldwin and Mobile counties, government shuts down and crowds by the tens of thousands jam the port city's streets for parades.

The legislature's solution was to let voters in those two counties go to the precincts six days early. The votes cast will be sealed and counted with the others on Super Tuesday.

Mobile voter Aubrey Leatherwood said he appreciates the opportunity to vote early.

"I don't miss Mardi Gras," he said.

Alabama's two-date primary is unique among the 24 states holding primaries, caucuses and conventions on Super Tuesday, but presidential campaigns are finding it helpful.

"It will be a dry run for what we do Feb. 5," said Jerome Gray, state political director for Democrat Barack Obama.

State Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, Alabama co-chair for Republican Mike Huckabee, said the campaign focused on the coast first. That included mailing campaign literature before the rest of the state and distributing leaflets at the Senior Bowl game Saturday in Mobile.

Mobile County, which has the most parades and balls, will have all its regular polling places open Wednesday and one place open in Mobile on Feb. 5.

Baldwin County will have one polling place open on Wednesday and then all its regular polling places open on Feb. 5.

"We are not affected in Baldwin County like Mobile is by Mardi Gras," Probate Judge Adrian Johns said.

Baldwin County voter Mike Serda said he plans to go to his regular polling place in Fairhope on Feb. 5 because the town's last Mardi Gras parade is the day before.

"Plus I'm off on Mardi Gras Day," he said.

Johns expects more voters in Baldwin County on Feb. 5 than on Wednesday. Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis expects the opposite in his county. To generate a good turnout, he has mailed a post card to every registered voter and used the media to get the word out about the early voting.

"It's kind of like birthing a baby. We're ready to get it over with," he said.

___

 

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Probably hurts McCain a bit on the GOP side, not much effect on the Dem side.

[Padfoot]

interesting.  I think this is a great illustration of what a cluster the primary system has become though.  States are so eager to jump ahead that they don't even realize their own government won't be in operation on the day people are supposed to vote.

[CARLHAYDEN]

interesting.  I think this is a great illustration of what a cluster the primary system has become though.  States are so eager to jump ahead that they don't even realize their own government won't be in operation on the day people are supposed to vote.

A very good point.