Special to the
Opelika Observer
Alabama Sec. of State John H. Merrill announced that Alabama continues to shatter state voter registration records with more than 3.5 million registered voters in Alabama.
“Since Jan. 19, 2015, we’ve registered 1,301,012 new voters! We now have a state record 3,500,894 registered voters in Alabama! Those numbers are unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of the state and per capita no state in the Union has done as much as we’ve done in that same period, and I’m very, very proud of that,” Merrill said.
“It should be noted that the 201 Registrars in our state have removed more than 790,000 people from the voter rolls because those people have moved away, they’ve passed away, or they’ve been put away for disqualifying felonies, and whenever that happens, they need to come off the voter rolls,” Merrill added.
In the State of Alabama, 96% of all eligible African Americans are registered to vote, 91% of all eligible Caucasian Alabamians are registered to vote and 94% of all eligible Alabamians are registered to vote.
“For four years, six months, and six days, we have made a concerted effort to ensure that each and every eligible U.S. citizen that is a resident of Alabama is registered to vote and has a valid photo ID,” said Secretary Merrill.
It should also be noted that Alabama has broken every record in the history of our state for voter participation in the last four major elections.
On March 1, 2016, more than 1.25 million Alabamians voted, breaking every record in the history of the state for participation in a presidential primary.
On Nov. 8, 2016, more than 2.1 million Alabamians voted, breaking every record in the history of the state for participation in a Presidential General Election.
On Dec. 12, 2017, more than 1.3 million Alabamians voted and participated in the special U.S. Senate election, and on Nov. 6, 2018, more than 1.7 million Alabamians voted, again breaking every record in the history of the state for a midterm general election.
Alabama is also the only state in the Union in which upon adjudication of the lawsuit regarding the Photo Voter ID Law, the law remained intact as it was written.
No instance has ever been recorded in which someone has been denied the right to vote for not having the proper credentials.
“Voter registration is important, but voter participation is better. Fortunately for our state, there’s both. I am proud to ensure that in Alabama, we make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” Merrill said.