Polls are closed and votes are being counted in Tuesday's special election primary to represent the region in the Alabama House of Representatives.

The open District 16 was made vacant earlier this year when Republican Kyle South resigned to become President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama.

The District includes parts of Fayette County, north Tuscaloosa County and west Jefferson County.

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Five Republicans qualified to run in Tuesday's special election primary seeking the party's nomination ahead of a general election in January. If none receive more than 50 percent of the vote Tuesday, a runoff between the two leading candidates will be held on October 24th.

A sixth, Greg Lowery, was removed from the GOP ballot because he ran as a Democrat in a different race in 2018.

A single Democrat, longtime Fayette County Commissioner John Underwood, qualified for the primary. Underwood will have an uphill battle to win in the predominantly conservative district.

Early reports indicate a low turnout on Tuesday, so every vote will be impactful. For live results as they are made available, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread and keep checking this page.

Alabama House District 16 Primary Election Results

Republican Party:

Bryan Brinyark: 1,201 votes

Brad Cox: 1,216 votes

Greg Fanin: 218 votes

Greg Lowery: 52 votes

Floyd "Jr" Rodgers, Jr.: - 320 Votes

Mike Simpson: - 682 votes

UPDATE, 9:15 P.M. With all boxes counted in all three participating counties, Northport's Bryan Brinyark and Fayette County Commissioner Brad Cox are headed to an October 24th runoff for the Republican nomination.

Worries of low turnout appear well-founded. More than 16 percent of registered voters went to the polls in Fayette County, where 2,107 ballots were cast the primary Tuesday, but only 845 voters showed up in Tuscaloosa County, a turnout of just over 7 percent. 738 voters cast ballots in Jefferson County.