By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster recorded a slightly higher voter turnout during its Oct. 9 mayoral runoff than it did for its Aug. 28 general election.

Of the about 18,375 registered voters in Alabaster on the day of the election, 4,604 came to the polls to cast their ballots in the runoff, said Alabaster City Clerk Marsha Massey.

The runoff turnout was up from the 23 percent voter turnout the city saw during the Aug. 28 general election, and was up from the 18 percent voter turnout Alabaster saw during its 2008 general election.

Massey previously said the city must purchase ballots and other election supplies based on the number of registered voters in the city.

During the Oct. 9 runoff, mayoral candidate Marty Handlon gathered 55.5 percent of the vote, beating incumbent Mayor David Frings, who collected 45.5 percent.

The two candidates entered the runoff after neither was able to gather a majority of votes in the three-candidate race during the August general election.

Handlon and incoming Alabaster City Council members Sophie Martin, Tommy Ryals, Russell Bedsole, Rick Walters, Scott Brakefield, Stacy Rakestraw and Bob Hicks are scheduled to be sworn in during a Nov. 5 council meeting.

The current City Council will canvass the election results and officially declare Handlon the runoff winner following its Oct. 15 meeting.