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Secretary of State

October 22 registration deadline nears

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) reminded Alabamians of the upcoming deadline to register to vote in advance of the Nov. 6, 2018 General Election. The last day you can register to vote is Monday, Oct. 22. The general election will be on Nov. 6, 2018. Voters will elect the officials who will represent … Continued
October 17, 2018

Kay Ivey outraises Maddox 2.5 to 1 in early October

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) reported having raised over $270,000 in cash and in-kind contributions in the first 12 days of October for her bid to win her own term as Governor. During the month before an election, the Secretary of State’s office requires that candidates submit weekly campaign finance reports. Gov. Ivey’s campaign reported … Continued
October 16, 2018

Ethics Commission gives itself more power to reduce penalties for campaign law violators

The Alabama Ethics Commission is again making it less burdensome to violate campaign reporting laws. In a 3-0 vote on Wednesday (with two abstentions), the Commission voted to give itself the authority to reduce the number of offenses levied against candidates and political action committees (PACs) that violate campaign finance reporting rules. Typical violations occur … Continued
October 4, 2018

Republican State Senate candidates outraised Democrats last month

Alabama candidates have filed their mandatory campaign finance reports over the month of September with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Alabama Republicans have continued to outraise Democrats as the general election approaches. This is particularly true in the hard fought battles for the Alabama State Senate. To this point in the 2018 election cycle … Continued
October 4, 2018

Kay Ivey takes commanding fundraising lead over Maddox in September

Tuesday, both campaigns reported their end of month campaign finance filings to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office as required by law. Governor Kay Ivey (R) raised a total of $735,457 in the month of September, bringing her total cash contributions in this election to $6,183,622. Ivey had expenditures of $563,819.50 plus line of credit … Continued
October 3, 2018

Secretary of State website now offers sample ballots

Midterm elections are set for Tuesday, November 6, 2018, just 49 days away. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) says that he wants voters to be fully informed before going to the polls. The Secretary of State website, alabamavotes.gov, now contains new information linked in the banner at the top of the page in … Continued
September 18, 2018

September 25 is National Voter Registration Day

Tuesday, September 25, 2018 is National Voter Registration Day. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) will join hundreds of different partners around the nation to observe National Voter Registration Day. This is a special event set to emphasize voter registration. In Alabama, Merrill is also specifically encouraging a “voter refresh” effort to update state … Continued
September 14, 2018

Judge Rhea finds he has no jurisdiction to rule on Lipscomb’s eligibility

Monday, Etowah County Circuit Judge William Rhea (D) ruled that the court did not have jurisdiction to rule on House District 30 candidate, Brandon Craig Lipscomb’s (R) qualifications to be on the November 6 general election ballot. The suit was brought by his opponent, Jared Vaughn (D). Vaughn claimed that Lipscomb’s missing of an April … Continued
September 11, 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