When lawmakers gather Jan. 12 in sight of the Alabama Capitol's white dome, nearly everyone in Alabama will have someone in the House of Representatives speaking on their behalf.

Everyone, that is, except for the people in House District 40, a swath of territory taking in communities from Ohatchee to Jacksonville, Piedmont to White Plains.

That seat was left empty when Rep. Lea Fite died in October.

State and local officials and a slew of candidates are now hurrying toward a series of elections to determine who will represent District 40's small towns and rural byways. But quick as they come, the votes won't settle the matter soon enough to have the winner's voice in the chamber by the time the gavel raps the House to order.

Voters would be lucky, actually, to have their representative's chair warm by the time the session wraps up in late April.

The first ballots won't be cast until Jan. 5. The earliest a victor could be declared is Feb. 16. That could be March 30, if Republicans need an extra round to pick a nominee from among their five candidates.

Experts and local officials say it will fall to Calhoun County's other legislators, particularly its senator, to handle some of the most important work a representative does for his constituents: keeping an eye on applications for grants funneled through state agencies, and directing small discretionary appropriations to schools and other agencies in the district.

"Obviously that's not an ideal situation," said David Lanoue, chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama. "On the other hand, there are two houses (in the Legislature). There is someone there protecting the area."

Sen. Del Marsh, the county's representative in the Legislature's other chamber, will take on much of the responsibility of shepherding District 40's interests, he and other local leaders said. Marsh said he already has met with the mayors of Jacksonville and Piedmont, and has a list of initiatives the cities want an eye kept on.

"I've assured them I'll stay on top of those things," he said.

Jacksonville Mayor Johnny Smith said he's concerned about the House vacancy, though he's confident in Marsh's ability to help. He noted a pending federal Community Development Block Grant, which his city hopes to use to repair aging sewer lines, is something Fite would likely have monitored for Jacksonville.

That grant program and others like it are set up to keep politics out of the equation, Smith said.

"But it always helps to make sure the representatives and senators know that's an important project," he said.

Lori Owens, a political science professor at Jacksonville State University, said local governments in Alabama often rely heavily on their legislators in such cases.

"There's always a need in county governments and local governments for that kind of help," she said.

Marsh said House members representing neighboring districts likely will wind up helping out as well.

Lanoue, at the University of Alabama, said that's normal for most regions of the state.

"It depends on how pressing an issue is or how controversial it is," he said. "I think most of these things can be dealt with by the remaining members of the delegation. In terms of local interests they tend to be on the same team anyway."

J.D. Hess is chairman of the Calhoun County Commission, and his district overlaps with the house district that is up for grabs. He said the members of the county's legislative delegation work well together, and will know what plans Fite had on the table.

They will likely "pick up the slack for that part of the county," Hess said.

"I'm sure Alexandria schools, Jacksonville Schools, Piedmont … they all had commitments from Rep. Fite," he said. "Whoever's elected to that seat will have the ability to distribute that money and put that into effect … We need that to happen."

Republicans K.L. Brown, Jay Dill, Debra Foster, Bill Lester and Tom Shelton face off Jan. 5 in the Republican primary for the District 40 seat. The winner faces Democrat Ricky Whaley and any independents in the special general election.