IT failure stalls Bessemer election results
City officials released no vote totals Tuesday night and said results would be posted Wednesday after an IT problem is resolved
An unexplained technology failure kept Bessemer voters in the dark Tuesday night, as city officials were unable to report any results from the Aug. 25 municipal election.
A Bessemer city clerk told reporters that no election-night results would be released because of an IT issue, according to ABC 33/40.
The city plans to publish the results online and post them outside Bessemer City Hall on Wednesday once the problem is fixed.
As of late Tuesday, city officials had not said what caused the failure. They also had not made clear whether the problem affected the counting of ballots or only the city’s ability to publish the totals.
The lack of detail left candidates and voters without even partial results after polls closed at 7 p.m.
The disruption came during a high-stakes election for Bessemer. Voters went to the polls on Tuesday to choose a Mayor, all seven members of the City Council and all seven members of the Bessemer Board of Education.
Incumbent Mayor Kenneth Gulley sought another term against Louise Alexander, Darral Lerone Bethel and Brenita Lewis. Six of the city’s seven sitting council members also faced opposition.
The outcome could shape the city’s handling of Project Marvel, a proposed $14.5 billion data center that has drawn concern over its size, demand for power and water, effect on nearby homes and the level of secrecy surrounding the project. The current council voted 5-2 in November 2025 to rezone about 700 acres for the development.
The School Board contests also carried a high degree of significance. Bessemer City Schools have been under State intervention since 2024 over concerns tied to academics, finances, facilities, staff and board oversight. Three open board seats guaranteed that the panel would gain new members.
If any race requires a runoff, the City of Bessemer’s election schedule calls for that vote to be held Sept. 22.
City officials said the delayed results would be released Wednesday, but they did not announce a set time for the release.
