Merrill to Testify Before Congressional Committee
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill heads to Washington to testify before Congress Wednesday about election security. Merrill is one of a handful of state and local election officials giving feedback on a bill meant to improve the nation’s voting laws. He says he has issues with some of the provisions in the proposed legislation.
“They indicate federal overreach and they indicate some level of unfunded or underfunded mandates for the states or local areas,” Merrill says of the proposed bill. Some of the provisions, including paper ballots and accountability audits, are things Alabama already does or plans to do, he says.
But practices such as same-day voter registration and early voting are not available to Alabama voters. Merrill says they’re not necessary. “We have less than 300,000 people in the state of Alabama that are not registered to vote,” he says. The state has registered voters in record numbers, he says. And he says early voting hasn’t been proven to significantly increase voter participation. Research shows its effect on turnout is unclear.
Merrill says Alabama is doing well in the area of election security, citing a two-factor authentication system introduced last year. That requires multiple levels of authentication before someone is added to the rolls. And removing names from the voter rolls using information from various state agencies, including the Department of Corrections, he says, further ensures election security. Voting rights advocates have argued those and other measures have made it harder for people to vote in Alabama. Updates to the state’s voter rolls in 2017 frustrated many residents.
A committee reporting to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has been looking into voter access in Alabama.
Merrill says he isn’t terribly concerned about potential hacking into the state election system. But he says he’d like to be able learn of a breach quickly.
A livestream of the hearing will be available here.
Review by Senate Democrats finds more unreported luxury trips by Clarence Thomas
A report by Democrats on the Judiciary Committee found additional travel taken in 2021 by Thomas but not reported on his annual financial disclosure, including trips on private jets and a yacht trip.
Where did Barry Jenkins feel safe as a kid? Atop a tree
Director Barry Jenkins is best known for films like "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." On Wild Card, he opens up about where he felt the safest as a kid.
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 20, including five children
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 20 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said.
I discovered one way to fight loneliness: The Germans call it a Stammtisch
Modern life can be lonely. Some are looking to an old German tradition – of drinking and conversation – to deepen connection through regular meetups.
This Christmas I’ll be grieving. Here’s how I’ll be finding joy.
Since her husband's death, newscaster Windsor Johnston has been looking for ways to recapture joy and continue her healing journey — one that's taken her to a place she'd never expected.
On tap for the holidays: A blend of multicultural drink traditions and fond memories
For this year's All Things Considered holiday cocktail interview, we visited Providencia in Washington, D.C., a bar that brings its owners' personal stories to life.
