By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster election officials are preparing to open the polls for the city’s Oct. 9 mayoral runoff election from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

The election will be held at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center at 601 First St. S., which is near the intersection of U.S. 31 and Alabama 119.

During the election, Alabaster voters will have a chance to cast their votes for the city’s two mayoral candidates: Incumbent Mayor David Frings and challenger Marty Handlon.

The two candidates entered the runoff after neither was able to gain a majority of the votes during the city’s Aug. 28 general election. Frings, who gathered 44.45 percent of the vote, and Handlon, who secured 47.29 percent of the vote, beat out fellow candidate Kevin Brand, who collected 8.26 percent of the vote.

During the Aug. 28 election, 4,098 of the nearly 18,000 registered Alabaster voters turned out.

Although the Oct. 9 runoff election is for a citywide position, voters still must know which city ward they live in, said Alabaster City Clerk Marsha Massey. Alabaster ward maps are available on the city’s website at cityofalabaster.com/2012-municipal-elections-information/sp/526, and election officials will have ward maps available at the polling location, Massey said.

Frings and Handlon recently shared their thoughts on several issues facing the city. Their comments can be read at Alabasterreporter.com/2012/09/12/mayoral-candidates-make-their-cases.