2018 Election

As Alabama Goes to the Polls, Worries Emerge That Some Are Denied Voting Rights

Since last year, Lorenzo French said, he’s helped about 50 people in rural Greene County regain their ability to vote. Many of them were improperly removed from voter rolls because they had a felony conviction, though not the type that should have banned them from voting, French said. Others didn’t have photo identification, a requirement to vote in Alabama since 2014. “That’s my job,” French, chair of the Greene County Democrats, said. “To find the people who can’t vote, find out why they can’t and reestablish them.” More Alabamians are registered to vote than ever before and more ballots were cast in this year’s gubernatorial primaries than in 2010 contests, but some pockets of the state have seen decreases, including Greene County and 10 others where there are now fewer black registered voters. That is because of changes in population, not policy, the state’s top election official said. Lecia Brooks, outreach director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said she also is concerned about technicalities keeping Alabamians from voting. Maybe their polling place changed or they’ve been placed on an inactive voter list. “They’re registered, they’re ready to vote and they show up on election day and they’re sent away,” she said. Changes — including the ID law, a decrease in polling places and purging of voter rolls — have been allowed without federal review since 2013, when in Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a portion of the federal voting rights law that required changes in voting procedures in some states and local governments to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. “All of these things would have had to be approved or given greater scrutiny,” Brooks said. Read more. Read more election-related coverage:

Are You Ready to Vote?

The Year of Firsts: Freshman Candidates Find the Campaign Trail Grueling, Expensive and Rewarding

Just before the deadline closed, Cara McClure and Kari Powell submitted the paperwork to run for the Public Service Commission. They didn't know one another beforehand, but they ended up on a phone call just after the midnight deadline talking about their similar platforms and how, despite having never run for political office, they would each need to hit the ground running. Then the idea came to them: why not run as if they were on the same ticket? Doing so would let them pool resources and cover more ground as they canvassed throughout the state. The women decided that using an innovative approach to campaigning was the best way for them to go up against their seasoned opponents. McClure and Powell are just two of many people who entered the political fray for the first time this year and had to grapple with the question of how to campaign with little or no name recognition. The surge in first-time candidates is a national trend reflected in Alabama. Women, particularly black women, across the country qualified to run in record numbers this year. In Alabama, the Democratic Party had more people qualify to run for office in races up and down the ticket, with half again as many candidates signing on to run for seats in the Legislature than did in 2014, possibly inspired by Doug Jones’ victory in his race for the U.S. Senate in December. The Republican Party also had a bump in people wanting to run for office this year, perhaps in a desire to stave off the threat of a Democratic resurgence. Several first-time candidates interviewed by BirminghamWatch said the experience has shown them that campaigning is grueling, time-consuming work. Often lacking active party support, many of the first-timers turned to grassroots efforts to get out their messages. Universal among these first-timers was a confidence that they can make an impact using innovative approaches to reach voters despite financial challenges. Read more.

Ivey’s Campaign Still Leads Maddox in Contributions With Three Weeks to Go in the Campaign

Gov. Kay Ivey continued to build her campaign warchest in early October, raising almost twice as much as Democratic challenger Walt Maddox, according to reports filed Monday with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Ivey, the Republican who is seeking her first full term as governor, reported itemized cash contributions of $194,133 from Oct. 1 to Oct. 12. Maddox raised $102,024 for the same period. That gave Ivey a total of $4.15 million in contributions since the campaign began last year, compared to $1.93 million for Maddox, who is mayor of Tuscaloosa. Read more. Read more stories about campaign financing in this year's election.

Vance Outpaces Parker in Attempt to Put a Democrat in the Chief Justice Seat

Ainsworth Stretches out Campaign Funding Lead in Lt Gov Race

Siegelman Tops Marshall in October Fundraising, but Marshall’s Ahead in Campaign Spending for the AG Race

Are You Ready to Vote?

After nearly a year of campaigns, the general election is right around the corner. Polls will be open Nov. 6 for voters to choose people to represent them from the statehouse to the courthouse. Up for grabs is the governor’s office, legislative seats, judicial positions and county offices, to name a few. If you want to vote in these races, important deadlines are looming: Oct. 22 is the deadline to register to vote. Nov. 1 is the last day to apply to vote by absentee ballot. Nov. 5 is the last day to deliver or postmark an absentee ballot. Nov. 6 is election day. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across the state. If you need to register to vote, you can apply online through the Secretary of State’s Office or print an application to be mailed to your county Board of Registrars. You also may call 800-274-8683 to have an application mailed to you or apply in person through your Board of Registrars. If you’re in doubt about whether you’re registered to vote, you can check your status through another SOS web page or call your county’s Board of Registrars. In Jefferson County, the board’s office is in the courthouse downtown and can be reached at 325-5550.

Incumbent AG Has Raised More Than Six Times as Much as the Challenger

Attorney General Steve Marshall takes an overwhelming financial advantage into the final month of the campaign as he seeks his first full term in the office. The Republican incumbent raised $224,700 last month, bringing his total in itemized cash contributions since the campaign began last year to $2.92 million, according to reports filed this week with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Democrat Joseph Siegelman collected $92,673 in cash during September to raise his overall total to $445,276. Read more.

Ivey Still Doubles Maddox’s Fundraising One Month Before the Election

With the election one month away, Gov. Kay Ivey has raised more than twice as much as Democratic challenger Walt Maddox in the campaign for governor. The Republican incumbent collected $510,457 in cash contributions during September, bringing her total to $3.88 million since the campaign started last year, according to reports filed this week with the Secretary of State’s Office. She heads into the final four weeks of the campaign with an account balance of $510,888. Maddox brought in $373,016 last month, raising his total for the campaign to $1.83 million. That leaves him with a balance of $500,339, his report showed. Ivey continued to raise large amounts from political action committees, law firms and businesses. Her biggest contributors during September were the Alabama Forestry PAC, $25,000; the Balch & Bingham law firm’s PAC, $15,000; and SHR PAC, chaired by lobbyist and Republican activist Dax Swatek, $12,000. Overall, the governor’s top contributor is James W. “Jimmy” Rane of Abbeville, founder of Great Southern Wood Preserving and identified by Forbes Magazine as Alabama’s richest person. He has given Ivey a total of $300,000 during the campaign. Franklin PAC, a business-oriented committee in Montgomery, has given $125,000 and the Beasley, Allen law firm of Montgomery has contributed $105,000. Maddox’s report for activity in September showed a continued flow of money from six PACs operated by Mike Echols of Tuscaloosa. Cash, CMG, ET, Leadership, Pride II and T-Town II PACs contributed $25,000 each to the Democratic nominee; that brings their total for the campaign to $611,400. Among the other top donors for the Tuscaloosa mayor was Greenetrack, at $70,000. Read the story and lists of contributors. Read more stories about campaign financing in this year's election.

Ainsworth Leads in Fundraising by a Wide Margin Over Boyd in Lt Gov Race

Democrat Vance Tops GOP Candidate Parker in Race for Chief Justice.

Incumbent AG Has Raised More Than Six Times as Much as the Challenger

Vance’s Campaign Coffers Swell in Chief Justice Race

Democrat Robert S. “Bob” Vance Jr.’s campaign coffers swelled in August in the race to be the next chief justice, continuing his lead in fundraising for the high court seat he nearly won in 2012. During the month, Vance raised $208,969 in cash and $733 in in-kind contributions. The campaign spent $27,972 in August Republican challenger Thomas “Tom” Parker of Montgomery, an associate justice on the state’s high court, raised $3,910 in cash during the month and ended the month with $17,509 in the bank. Read more.

Merrill’s SOS Campaign Leads Milam’s Almost 3-to-1 in Contributions in August

Incumbent Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican, out-raised his Democratic challenger, Heather Milam, by about a 3-1 ratio in August, according to monthly campaign finance reports filed Wednesday. For the month, Merrill raised $28,110 in cash contributions and $4,010 in in-kind contributions, and Milam raised $11,310 in cash. Read more.

Marshall Maintains Big Fundraising Lead Over Siegelman in AG’s Race

Attorney General Steve Marshall maintained his fundraising lead over Democratic opponent Joe Siegelman in August. Marshall, a Republican, raised $133,566, according to his campaign’s monthly disclosure report filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. Siegelman, a Birmingham lawyer and son of former Gov. Don Siegelman, reported raising $94,449. Read more.

Ivey Continues to Outraise Maddox in Governor’s Race; Maddox Reports 892 Smaller Donations in August

Gov. Kay Ivey nudged out Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox for the top spot in campaign contributions in August, which leaves her in the position of having raised more than three times as much as her Democratic challenger for the governor’s office. In reports filed this week with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, Republican candidate Ivey reported having raised $402,000 in cash donations in August and, after spending more than $435,000, ending the month with $337,964. She has raised close to $5.4 million since her campaign started last year. Maddox reported raising $337,742 in donations last month, and after spending $180,549, ending the month with $476,459. That brings the total raised for his campaign to $1.7 million. Read more. More contribution reports in state races:

Ainsworth Leads Boyd by Wide Margin in Lt Governor Fundraising

Vance’s Campaign Coffers Swell in Chief Justice Race.

Marshall Maintains Big Fundraising Lead Over Siegelman in AG’s Race

Merrill’s SOS Campaign Leads Milam’s Almost 3-to-1 in Contributions in August