ALABASTER, Alabama (WBRC) – Election Day was just a few days ago, but the Alabaster City Council is already investigating issues that could be avoided in the next round of elections.

The Alabaster Police Department stated limited parking at the Kingwood polling place created traffic and congestion.

Mayor Scott Brakefield told WBRC that some people waited up to two and a half hours to vote.

I wanted to clarify that the city does not set up polling locations for state or federal elections, however, they did hold a meeting Thursday night to discuss issues voters experienced.

These traffic dilemmas can now be conveyed to the Shelby County Commission.

However, the city is responsible for next summer’s municipal elections, where residents will elect a mayor and council members.

This was once held in the Restore building next to the First United Methodist Church of Alabaster, however, the city school system purchased it.

City leaders seem open to continuing to use the building, they are just trying to figure out the logistics since it is an educational space. They could, for example, divide the building into rooms.

The mayor said improving the electoral process does not take away from the hard work of volunteers.

“I voted in Kingwood and I can’t say enough about the poll workers there, the staff at Kingwood Church,” Mayor Scott Brakefield said. “They did an incredible job with the sheer volume of people. Just the flow and how much volume was in that place, you know, we just want to make sure we do everything we can to prevent that from happening.”

The mayor added that he doesn’t want anyone to be discouraged from voting in the midterm or 2028 elections, which is why the issue was addressed.

Receive news alerts on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2024 WBRC. All rights reserved.