U.S. Senate Republican Runoff Voter Guide
Despite national attention, a presidential visit and millions spent on political ads and recorded phone calls – or maybe because of an electorate weary of political finger-pointing and name-calling – a low voter turnout is predicted for today’s U.S. Senate Republican runoff. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said he expects 12 percent to 15 percent of voters will go to the polls, down from the 17.62 percent of state voters who cast ballots in the Aug. 15 primary. The series of special called elections – set to select a replacement for the U.S. Senate seat vacated in February when Jeff Sessions became U.S. attorney – pose a special challenge for predicting voter turnout. “You can’t really know what to expect based on what’s happened in the past” with a one-race special election, Merrill said. “There’s no modern precedent to draw from,” he said. Merrill noted the rarity of special elections called in off-election years with one race on the ballot. He also pointed to a new state law that bars voters who cast ballots in the Democratic primary last month from voting in the Republican runoff. Normally, voter turnout “is more impacted by whether Alabamians feel compelled to vote for specific candidates or in support of specific issues,” said John Bennett, deputy chief of staff and communications director for the Secretary of State’s Office. But, this has not been a normal race. Read more.
