Madison County commissioners certify November elections, report turnout and approve absentee and calendar items

Madison County Election Commission Chair Helen Carney said the commission certified the Nov. general election and a subsequent runoff during its Dec. 11 meeting and approved routine administrative items including permanent absentee requests and the 2025 meeting calendar.

Circuit Clerk Anita Ray gave vote totals for the November contests and the later runoff. "We had a total of 11,237 absentee ballots through the circuit clerk's office. For ballots total cast that day was 56,327, which is an awesome 72.68 percent turnout," Ray said. She reported 1,529 absentee ballots for the runoff and a total of 20,092 ballots cast in that contest, a 25.69 percent turnout.

Ray said the office submitted recapitulation reports for both elections to the Secretary of State's Office and that commissioners had signed the local copies. "We've certified that particular election," she said, and added that the recapitulation reports and summary results are available on the county website and in the office minutes book.

The commission also reviewed voter-registration activity and a list for potential purging. Ray said 650 voters updated their registration in Madison County between Oct. 9 and Dec. 11 and that the inactive-voter list for purging contained 3,064 names: "The total voters purged was 3,064. And these are the voters that have not had any activity in the last 2 federal elections," she said.

Attorney Spence briefed the commission on an expected special election tied to a recent resignation of the district 4 constable. Spence described the timing rules and the county's planned schedule but used inconsistent calendar references while speaking: he said the regular special-election day is the "first Tuesday of the first Monday in November," noted Nov. 4, 2025 as that date, and also said the county would conduct the special election on Nov. 5 with a qualifying deadline on Nov. 5. The commission did not adopt a separate motion with a different date at the meeting; the transcript records Spence's explanation and the commission's expectation that a special election will occur next November.

On procedural and administrative items the commission voted on a series of routine motions. Commissioners moved to approve minutes for Oct. 9, Nov. 15 and Nov. 27; acknowledged a zero-report for "enactives" by district for the Oct. 2–Dec. 2 period; accepted a 2025 meeting calendar; approved permanent absentee requests brought forward by commissioners; and approved an invoice covering presidential-election and runoff expenses spanning two months. Several commissioners offered personal remarks thanking outgoing Commissioner Pat Truesdale for her service; Truesdale was present and the commission recognized her retirement.

Votes at a glance: Approvals and acknowledgments recorded in the meeting transcript include approval of meeting minutes for Oct. 9, Nov. 15 and Nov. 27 (motions passed); approval of a request for purchase by district (motion passed); acknowledgement of the enactives-by-district 90-day report (0 report; acknowledged); adoption of the 2025 meeting calendar (approved); approval of permanent absentee requests (District 1: 6 requests approved; an additional permanent absentee request(s) presented by Barbara Gross and Pat Truesdale were approved; specific totals for some districts were not specified in the transcript); approval to pay the presidential-election and runoff invoice covering two months (approved); and a motion to adjourn (approved).

The meeting included reminders about where the public can find election documents: Ray said the recapitulation reports and summary results are posted on the county website under the elections tab and in archives. Several commissioners offered farewell remarks to Commissioner Pat Truesdale, who was recognized for two decades of service to the office.