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John Merrill

John Merrill

John H. Merrill served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014 and as Alabama’s 53rd Secretary of State from 2015 to 2023.

Alabama Secretary of State: Why only citizens should vote

"To increase voter participation, you don’t irrationally expand the electorate; instead, you make it easier to vote and harder to cheat."
August 10, 2021

Secretary of state responds to Joey Kennedy column

The following statement from Secretary of State John H. Merrill is in direct response to an opinion piece published Thursday by Joey Kennedy of Alabama Political Reporter: This morning, Joey Kennedy alleged that his vote had been suppressed merely because he did not feel as if the Democratic race for Jefferson County Treasurer was important … Continued
July 17, 2020

Secretary of State responds to “false” APR op-ed

The following statement from Secretary of State John H. Merrill is in response to a recent opinion piece published by Joey Kennedy of the Alabama Political Reporter. Once again, Joey Kennedy has wrongly inserted himself into a conversation he knows very little about. This week, Kennedy claimed, “There is no valid reason we [in Alabama] … Continued
June 12, 2020

Secretary of State responds to Alabama Political Reporter op-ed

The following statement from Secretary of State John H. Merrill is in response to the inaccurate op-ed published yesterday morning by Josh Moon of Alabama Political Reporter: This morning, Josh Moon of Alabama Political Reporter alleged that “voting by mail does not lead to fraud.” Moon went on to undermine the six voter fraud convictions … Continued
May 30, 2020

Alabama Secretary of State issues response to Coronavirus preparation

Last week, Alabama witnessed what may yet be another record voter turnout during a Presidential Preference Primary Election, as our state has seen over the last four major elections. With the severe weather and looming threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), more than 33 percent of all eligible Alabamians still participated in the Super Tuesday election. … Continued
March 12, 2020

We do not have a gun control problem

We don’t have a gun control problem; we have a spiritual deficit problem. The Democrats and the liberal media love to point fingers and assign blame. They attacked me when I pointed out the trash they put on television that our young children are watching. From wife swapping shows to the sexualization of the primetime … Continued
August 14, 2019

Secretary of State John Merrill responds to Joey Kennedy column

Editor’s note: The following column is a response to a column by Joey Kennedy published Thursday in the Alabama Political Reporter. I am confident that Joey Kennedy’s recent editorial which stated that I was not very collegial is a statement directly contradicted by the facts presented by Mr. Kennedy. I do not have a hard time … Continued
November 2, 2018

Alabamians need an Ethics Commission that will enforce the laws

I am disappointed to find myself, once again, in a position to ask what purpose the Alabama Ethics Commission serves to the people of this state. To whom are the elected officials or those seeking public office to look to for ethical political leadership? The people of Alabama need an Ethics Commission that will enforce … Continued
September 11, 2018

Letter to the Editor on FCPA and the Ethics Commission

In the 2015 Alabama Legislative Session, the Legislature passed legislation that required all county candidates and political action committees running for public office to file campaign finance reports with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. The 2015 legislation did not change the requirement for all state candidates to file with the Alabama Secretary of State’s … Continued
June 13, 2018