BAY MINETTE, Ala. — A controversial amendment on the Nov. 2 general election ballot has prompted a flurry of absentee ballot requests from Baldwin County voters that rivals a presidential election year cycle, according to Jody Campbell, Baldwin County Absentee Elections Manager.

Campbell said Thursday she has received about 1,400 absentee ballot requests and is averaging 60 a day in the mail and about 40 walk-ins.

“There is a lot of interest in the election and people are talking about Amendment 1,” Campbell said. “It’s like a presidential election.

“There is a lot of interest in Amendment 1, and most of it is negative. One voter said he saw ‘yes’ and ‘no’ on the absentee ballot, but asked, ‘where is hell no.’”

The amendment, often called the “Rain Tax,” aims to address storm water runoff, assess fees to property owners based on the percentage of impervious land and set up a management panel.

The last day to apply for an absentee ballot for the general election is Oct. 28, the last business day before ballots are cast.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than Nov. 1, and received no later than noon on Nov. 2.

For more information about absentee voting, call Campbell at (251) 937-0280, or go to 28jc.alacourt.gov/clerk.htm.