By Mary Sell, Alabama Daily News
Local city elections are expected to go on as originally scheduled on Aug. 25, the Alabama League of Municipalities leadership decided Thursday.
If the state is still grappling with the coronavirus in June, that decision could be revisited, league Deputy Director Greg Cochran said.
The league’s executive committee met Thursday to discuss the possibility of delaying elections in 200 to 300 cities across the state because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“They have directed us to make no change at this time,” Cochran told reporters. “Most of the committee felt it was a little too early to make that decision to delay at this time.”
Individual cities can not move their elections. That takes the action by the governor or Legislature. The state would have to be under a coronavirus emergency order for Gov. Kay Ivey in June to decide to postpone the elections, Cochran said.
Last month, Ivey delayed the March 31 primary runoff until July 14 because of concern about the spread of the coronavirus. Its peak is expected in Alabama next week. As of Thursday afternoon, the Alabama Department of Public Health has reported about 4,300 cases of COVID-19 and 82 confirmed deaths.