Free rides to polls offered for Autauga County primary voters

Autauga County voters who need a ride to the polls for the Alabama Primary Election can call 334-223-4293 or 866-4AL-VOTE to request free transportation on Tuesday, May 19. The Rollin to the Polls Voting Initiative says it will provide rides to and from polling places for voters in Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery, Lowndes, Dallas and Macon counties, a practical push aimed at people who want to vote but do not have dependable transportation.

The nonprofit effort is built around a simple access problem that can shape turnout in rural and lower-income communities: getting to a precinct and back home again. Organizers say the initiative is nonpartisan and focused on voter education and participation. Kynesha Brown, the initiative’s coordinator, said voting rights remain under attack in Alabama and communities need to stay informed, engaged and ready to cast ballots. The program says it was spearheaded by the Montgomery (AL) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

The rides come as Alabama voters head toward a primary that will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide. Voters also must bring a valid photo ID to cast a ballot in person or vote absentee, according to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. If no candidate wins outright in May, the primary runoff is set for June 16. For absentee voters, hand-delivered ballots must reach the county absentee election manager by close of business on May 18, and ballots returned by mail must arrive by noon on May 19.

Autauga County officials direct voters to the Alabama Secretary of State’s address lookup tool to confirm registration and find a polling place, a reminder that precinct assignments matter in Prattville, Millbrook and the county’s more rural areas. Elections are administered locally through the Autauga County Probate Office. Alabama’s open primary system also means voters choose a party ballot when they vote rather than registering by party in advance, so any turnout effort reaches a broad slice of the electorate. With 3,803,799 registered voters statewide, the rides are only one small piece of a larger election system, but in Autauga County they could decide whether a resident makes it to the ballot box at all.