Primary roundup

By: Jennifer Foster | Opelika Auburn News
Published: June 02, 2008

It's unfortunate, but true, that most Alabamians aren't paying much attention to the local and state races that will be decided tomorrow.

Chalk it up to all the political oxygen being sucked up by the presidential race. But while Alabama voters turned out in big numbers for the presidential preference primary that was moved to Super Tuesday, all the other races were left on the regular schedule.

So, there are elections tomorrow. One race -- a showdown between State Board of Education member Stephanie Bell and challenger Skip Smithwick -- is making waves (more on that later). But most races are going relatively unnoticed.

If you live in the Opelika-Auburn News coverage area, pick up a copy of the paper today and give Joe McAdory's editorial page a read. Joe has provided capsules for you on each of the candidates in every area race, contests from the U.S. Senate to the Lee County Constable.

The primary roundup is also available online here on the OA News' web site.

You can also read expanded bios on the candidates by position here and see and hear many of them (including lesser-known Criminal Court of Appeals candidates) speak for themselves here.

You may not have realized or remembered that there is an election tomorrow. But you still have time -- and the responsibility -- to make an informed choice about who will govern you.

Educate yourself, pass the information along to at least two other people so they can do the same and make voting tomorrow a priority. You owe it to your country, the people who defend it, your state, your neighbors and yourself.