Tuscaloosa Sets Special Election for District 5 Council Seat

Tuscaloosa voters in City Council District 5 will head to the polls in December to elect a new representative to the Tuscaloosa City Council.

The City of Tuscaloosa has announced a Special Municipal Election for Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2026. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at Alberta Baptist Church, located at 2210 University Boulevard East.

The special election comes after the death of longtime District 5 Councilor and City Council President Kip Tyner on Sept. 18 at age 70. Tyner was first elected to represent District 5 in 1997 and was serving his seventh consecutive term and second term as council president. City of Tuscaloosa.

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The city currently lists the District 5 council seat as vacant. City of Tuscaloosa

Candidates interested in seeking the seat will have a two-week qualifying period. According to information provided by the city, qualifying begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, and ends Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m.

Absentee voting for the special election is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 8 a.m. through the Tuscaloosa City Clerk’s Office. The city says Thursday, Dec. 3, will be the final day to apply for a regular absentee ballot.

Voters seeking to vote absentee must first complete an absentee ballot application before a ballot can be issued. Alabama requires voters to meet an eligible reason to vote absentee rather than offering no-excuse absentee voting.

Applications for the District 5 special election can be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, requested by mail or printed through the City of Tuscaloosa Elections website The City Clerk serves as Tuscaloosa’s municipal elections administrator.

The City Clerk’s Office is located at Tuscaloosa City Hall, 2201 University Boulevard. Absentee voting correspondence can also be mailed to P.O. Box 2089, Attention: City Clerk, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403.

District 5 voters can find additional municipal election information, including election resources and district information, through the city’s elections website.