Secretary Of State
Report Reveals Voter Access Difficult In Alabama
Super Tuesday is nearly a week away and hundreds-of-thousands of Alabama voters are expected to turn out. But according to a new report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Alabama remains one of the most difficult states for an eligible voter to register and cast a ballot.
Merrill Announces Run for Alabama U.S. Senate Seat
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is adding his name to the long list of Republicans who hope to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones. Merrill says Alabama needs a “proven conservative” in the Senate who will support President Donald Trump on issues like immigration and judicial appointments.
State Elections Chief Faces Criticism Over Partisanship
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has gotten into some intense partisan Twitter battles recently. Merrill is a Republican and he is running for re-election this Tuesday. Partisanship is to be expected among political candidates. But is it a problem when you are also the state’s top elections official?
Election Commission to States: Hold Voter Info Pending Legal Ruling
President Trump’s election commission sent a letter today asking Secretaries of State to hold off on submitting the voter data it requested pending a federal judge’s ruling on a legal challenge. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order on the commission’s request, saying it was an unprecedented invasion of […]
Little Publicized Law Disqualifies more than 100 Candidates
Voters in a number of Alabama cities went to the polls Tuesday for municipal runoff elections. As residents looked at their ballots this cycle, there were fewer names than might have been there otherwise thanks to a new law. In fact, it disqualified at least 118 candidates statewide. Particularly noteworthy is what happened in the Jefferson County town of Adamsville. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about that and reacts to the suspension of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore on ethics charges.
Kyle Whitimire: Could gambling become legal in Alabama?
Gov. Bentley wants to take authority to enforce Alabama’s gambling laws away from Attorney General Luther Strange and vest that power in local sheriffs and district attorneys. And, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill goes on a voter registration drive. Kyle Whitmire is state political columnist for The Birmingham News and AL.com and he spoke […]
Black Belt Residents not Happy as State Closes Satellite Driver’s License Offices
Rural Alabama residents are not happy state law enforcement closed 31 satellite driver's license offices Wednesday. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says the closures were due to an eleven million dollar cut in the new budget that went into effect Thursday. While drivers can still renew their license in most counties, they’ll have to travel further to get a new one. Particularly hard hit is the Black Belt, which is one of the poorest regions in the state.
