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John Merrill

News / Elections / State

Annual campaign finance reports due Thursday

Annual campaign finance reports are due Thursday. Elected officials, candidates, former candidates and political action committees must file the annual report by 11:59 p.m, Secretary of State John Merrill said Wednesday. Any committee that was required to file campaign finance reports during the 2018 election cycle is also required to file an annual report with the … Continued
January 31, 2019

Constitutional officers sworn in on inauguration day

Monday, Alabama’s constitutional officers were sworn in for four year terms at a ceremony in front of the state capitol in Montgomery. A jubilant Kay Ivey was sworn in by Alabama Associate Justice Will Sellers. “Over the course of these past 20 months, I have felt your prayers and your love. Both have truly made … Continued
January 15, 2019

A new quadrennium: Alabama potpourri and trivia

As we begin this New Year of 2019, Alabama begins a new quadrennium in state government. All of our Constitutional state officeholders begin their new four-year terms this month. Governor Kay Ivey will be sworn in for a four-year term on January 14. Also, being sworn in on Inauguration Day will be Will Ainsworth as … Continued
January 2, 2019

Nine stories to keep an eye on in 2019

9. Who will challenge Sen. Doug Jones in 2020? It may have been only a year ago that Doug Jones won in a historic victory that sent a Democrat from Alabama to the U.S. Senate for the first time in a quarter century, but he’s up for re-election in 2020. With that election just around the corner, … Continued
December 31, 2018

Alabama secretary of state releases updates on crossover voting

The Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday that it has discovered 398 violations of Alabama’s new crossover voting rules in the 2018 election cycle. At the conclusion of the 2017 United States Senate Special Election Run-off, the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office reviewed a formal, routine election report indicating that 140 individuals had been given … Continued
December 7, 2018

Secretary of State initiates legal action to recover unpaid campaign finance fines

The Secretary of State’s Office has begun legal action to recover unpaid campaign finance fines incurred by political action committees and candidate committees during the 2018 election cycle, Secretary of State John Merrill said Tuesday. The Secretary’s office has issued 1,180 penalties over the course of the election cycle for a total amount of $201,893.28. … Continued
December 5, 2018

Inside the Statehouse: Further analysis of general election – winners and losers

Now that the dust has settled on this year’s elections, let’s look back at who are the big winners and losers of the year. The obvious winner in the Heart of Dixie is the Republican Party. The GOP retained the reins of the state’s highest office and every other statewide Constitutional position. Kay Ivey was … Continued
December 5, 2018

Secretary Merrill orders election workers not to count write-in votes

The Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday that no county needs to count the write-in ballots for the general election. In a statement the Secretary of State’s office wrote: “State law requires the Secretary of State’s Office to review county vote totals and compare those totals to the number of write-in votes cast in each … Continued
November 16, 2018

A dozen things to know, expect during election day today

Polls are open across the state, and voters are headed out to cast their ballots. Here are a few questions, answers and things you can expect to happen today. 1. What time do polls close? Polls close at 7 p.m. in Alabama. If you’re in line by 7 p.m., you can still vote. Stay in … Continued
November 6, 2018