On August 26, 2025, most cities and towns in Alabama with a mayor-council form of government will hold elections. Many candidates have already announced their intentions to run for office and have started campaigns, although the qualification window is from June 10 through June 24 at 5:00 p.m.

Sylacauga is comprised of five districts, and we will elect five council members and a mayor. Of the total 8.553 active registered voters:

District 1: 2,084 (24%)

District 2: 1,454 (17%)

District 3: 1,606 (19%)

District 4: 1,858 (22%)

District 5: 1,551 (18%)

Not sure where you live? Click here to view the city’s base map, including color-coded districts (which requires an Acrobat PDF-compatible viewer). Note that this file is quite larger due to the included detail and may be slow to load depending on your internet connection. You may enlarge and zoom to desired areas of the map for more detail.

And how does city government work — not just in Sylacauga, but statewide?

One of the most misunderstood aspects of municipal government is the separation of powers between the mayor and the council. Like government on the state and federal levels, municipal government is divided into three separate branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each of these branches has distinct duties, powers, and restrictions on how far it can intrude into the affairs of the other branches.

At the municipal level, the mayor serves as the head of the executive branch. As such, the mayor is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the municipality. He or she oversees municipal employees, makes sure that bills are paid on time, executes municipal contracts, and, in general, performs many of the same functions as a CEO of a private corporation. In cities with populations of more than 12,000, the mayor is not a member of the council.

The city council is the legislative branch and has authority over the municipality's finances and property, establishes policies, passes ordinances and resolutions, sets tax levels, determines what services the municipality will offer, and has authority over all other legislative aspects of municipal government.

Intrigued? Additional information is here.

Candidates must also file with the Alabama Ethics Commission at ethics.alabama.gov.

Key dates:

June 10 -- Mayor must give notice of the election. Candidates may begin qualifying at city hall once notice is published.

June 24 -- Last day, by 5:00 p.m., to qualify to run for municipal office.

May 28 -- Last day a person can become a resident of the municipality and district in order to become a candidate.

July 25 -- Last day to display sample ballot.

July 27 -- Last day to establish residency to vote in the municipal general election.

Aug. 11 -- Last day to register to vote for the municipal general election.

Aug. 19 -- Last day to receive an application for a regular absentee ballot by mail.

Aug. 21 -- Last day for a voter to hand deliver an application for a regular absentee ballot. Last day to publish the list of qualified voters.

Aug. 25 -- Last day for a voter to apply for an emergency absentee ballot. Last day, up to the close of business, for a voter to deliver an absentee ballot (non-emergency).

Aug. 26 -- Election day.

Sept. 23 -- Runoff(s), if necessary.

Election Information