LAUDERDALE COUNTY-The 2026 Democratic candidate qualifying dates have been set by the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee to begin on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. and end on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., simultaneous with the Democratic state party and in accordance with Alabama election law. To appear on the ballot as a Democrat for a public office in Alabama for 2026, candidates must qualify with either their local County Democratic Executive Committee or the State Democratic Executive Committee during this timeframe.
Candidates for the following offices are up for election in Lauderdale County in 2026 and would qualify with the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee: County Commission District 1 Place 2, County Commission District 2 Place 2, Sheriff, Revenue Commissioner, County School Board Place 5, and Coroner. The county committee has
waived any qualifying fees for county-level offices. All state-level offices up for election in 2026 can be found on the Alabama Secretary of State’s online Election Cycle Calendar. Included in the 2026 elections on the state-level, and more directly for Lauderdale County, are the legislative seats for Alabama’s State Senate District 1 and State House Districts 1, 2 , and 3. Qualifying for state-level offices will be through the Democratic state party’s election portal at aldemocrats.org, and fees are set at 2% of the annual salary of the office sought. The county committee will assist potential candidates for state-level offices in contacting the Democratic state party.
For those considering a run for public office, this is the moment to step forward. As the chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee, Owen Edwards, explains, “If no Democratic candidates qualify for these offices during the January 5th–23rd window, those positions will appear on the ballot without a Democratic nominee, meaning voters will have no Democratic option to support in the 2026 election. Qualifying is the only way to ensure that our
communities have real choices, real debates, and real representation on the issues that matter”. Those interested in public office for Lauderdale County may contact the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee chairman via email at
info.lauderdalecountyaldems@gmail.com for more information.
Media Release/The Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee
