The July 17 primary runoff is only 12 days away, and while candidates plead with voters over the airways, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill says to expect a high turnout for the election.
He expects anywhere from 15 to 18 percent of voters to show up to the polls. “I think it will be that high, even though that’s a low number, I think it’ll be that high in the runoff because we have the Lieutenant Governor’s race, we have the Attorney General’s race, and so we’ve got some interest,” Merrill told Yellowhammer News.
Merrill predicted a voter turnout of 25 to 30 percent in the June 5 primary election, showing his prediction prowess as 26 percent of the Yellowhammer State’s registered voters made their voices heard at the polls according to the tabulations.
In December, Merrill had also estimated 25 percent of voters would turnout for the highly contested special election between Doug Jones and Roy Moore; but more than 1.3 million voters participated, 40 percent.
The 2010 primary runoff drew almost 23 percent of Alabama voters, and in 2014 it was turnout was only 11 percent.
There are nearly 3.4 million registered voters in Alabama.
