Today is last day to apply for absentee ballot by mail for Primary Runoff Election

The absentee voting period for the June 21st Primary Runoff Election began on May 25, 2022. Ahead of the June 21st Primary Runoff Election, Secretary of State John Merrill issued a press release reminding Alabama voters that Tuesday is the last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail. Voters have an additional two days to apply for an absentee ballot by hand. Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded online or requested by visiting or calling the local Absentee Election Manager’s office.  Important absentee voting deadlines are listed below: June 14, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be received by mail. June 16, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be returned by hand. June 17, 2022: The last day to return absentee ballots by hand to the Absentee Election Manager. June 21, 2022: Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon. Voters who are eligible to vote pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) will have until June 21, 2022, to postmark an absentee ballot.

5 days left to apply for absentee ballot by mail for primary runoff election

Secretary of State John Merrill today announced that there are 5 days left to apply for an absentee ballot by mail. The absentee voting period for the June 21st Primary Runoff Election began on May 25, 2022. Voters have an additional two days to apply for an absentee ballot by hand. The Secretary of State’s official Twitter page stated, “Secretary Merrill would like to remind Alabama voters that there are 5 days left to apply for an absentee ballot by mail. Voters have an additional two days to apply for an absentee ballot by hand.” Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded online or requested by visiting or calling the local Absentee Election Manager’s office. Voters may also contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at (334) 242-7210 to request an absentee ballot application. Important absentee voting deadlines are listed below: June 14, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be received by mail. June 16, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be returned by hand. June 17, 2022: The last day to return absentee ballots by hand to the Absentee Election Manager. June 21, 2022: Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon. Voters who are eligible to vote pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) will have until June 21, 2022, to postmark an absentee ballot. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 334-242-7210.

Election returns show Sen. Tom Whatley losing by single vote

A state legislator appears to have lost to a primary challenger by a single vote after provisional ballots were counted Tuesday, setting up a possible recount in the race. Another state representative, who is trailing a challenger, says he will file an election contest in his GOP primary race after some voters in his district may have gotten the incorrect ballot. Republican state Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn trailed primary challenger Jay Hovey by a single vote after provisional ballots were counted Tuesday, Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl said. Hovey, a member of the Auburn City Council, had initially led by four votes, according to unofficial returns, but his lead shrank to a single vote after eligible provisional ballots were counted. Provisional ballots are votes where there was initially a question about the voter’s eligibility. The vote is counted once that question is resolved. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said Whatley has 24 hours to request a recount if he chooses. Alabama provides automatic recounts in general elections. In a primary election, a candidate must request and pay for the recount. Wahl said the candidate requesting a recount must put up a bond to pay for the process, but they will get the money back if the recount reverses the result. Whatley did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment. In another race, unofficial returns showed Republican Rep. Gill Isbell of Gadsden losing to Mack Butler, who previously served in the Legislature. But the race is caught in a mix-up where some voters got ballots with the wrong House district. Merrill said the local Board of Registrars failed to accurately sort some voters into the correct legislative district after lawmakers drew new district lines. Merrill said last week they did not know how many voters were affected. “The 2020 election has election integrity issues. There isn’t fraudulence, but mistakes that caused the results to be invalid,” Isbell told The Associated Press. He said a recount would not resolve the situation. He said the “results have been compromised and another election would be the best solution.” Wahl said the party, “really had no option” but to move forward with certification. “The certification of the election is to confirm that the vote took place and what the result of that vote was,” Wahl said. “After it’s certified, candidates will have the option of challenging it or asking for a recount.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.

Several Alabama legislators lose to primary challengers

At least six members of the Alabama Legislature lost to primary challengers on Tuesday, according to unofficial returns, and several races are yet to be decided. In one of the tightest races, Republican Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn is trailing challenger Jay Hovey by four votes, according to unofficial returns. Provisional ballots will be counted next week. Hovey is a member of the Auburn City Council. In the House of Representatives, Rep. Will Dismukes of Prattville lost to challenger Jerry Starnes. His defeat came after a series of political and legal troubles. Dismukes had faced calls for his resignation in 2020 after participating in a celebration marking the birthday of Nathan Bedford Forrest — the Confederate general who was also an early Ku Klux Klan leader. He also faced a theft charge related to a dispute with a former employer. Other incumbent defeats, according to unofficial returns, included: — Republican Rep. Joe Faust of Fairhope, a 20-year veteran of the House was defeated by Jennifer Fidler. — Republican Rep. Dickie Drake of Leeds was defeated by Susan DuBose. — Republican Rep. Tommy Hanes of Bryant was defeated by Mike Kirkland. — Republican Rep. Proncey Robertson of Mount Hope was defeated by Ernie Yarbrough. — Democratic Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro was defeated by Curtis Travis. Republican Rep. Gill Isbell of Gadsden is trailing challenger Mack Butler, who previously served in the Legislature. But the race is caught in a mix-up where some voters got ballots with the wrong House district. Secretary of State John Merrill said they did not know how many voters were affected. Democratic Rep. Rod Scott of Fairfield was forced into a runoff with a challenger. In another notable contest, House Rules Chair Mike Jones, one of the most influential members in the House of Representatives, appears to have lost to Coffee County Commissioner Josh Carnley in his bid to join the Alabama Senate. Unofficial returns showed Carnley avoiding a runoff with Jones by a margin of about 50 votes. The two are seeking the GOP nomination for the state Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jimmy Holley. Former longtime state Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma will go to a runoff with Robert L. Stewart for the Democratic nomination for District 23. Sanders represented the district from 1982 to 2018. His daughter, Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier, won the seat in 2018 but is leaving the state Senate to run for governor. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.

Jim Zeigler, Wes Allen in GOP runoff for secretary of state

Jim Zeigler

Outgoing State Auditor Jim Zeigler and state Rep. Wes Allen advanced to the Republican primary runoff to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer, secretary of state. Zeigler was barred from running again as auditor by term limits, and Allen served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County. Neither could get above the 50% vote threshold in a race that also included Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. None of the four candidates raised major complaints about election problems in Alabama, which is controlled by Republicans and voted heavily for President Donald Trump in 2020. But all talked about measures needed to tighten election security, an issue popularized among conservatives by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by President Joe Biden. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. Merrill couldn’t seek the office again after serving two terms. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.

Alabama GOP voters decide secretary of state, other nominees

Republican voters in Alabama will decide their party’s nominees in four statewide races Tuesday after campaigns in which many of the candidates touted their devotion to faith, former President Donald Trump, and guns. A statewide constitutional amendment to fund park improvements also is on the ballot. Here are the key races to watch: SECRETARY OF STATE Four Republicans and one Democrat are on the primary ballot to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer, secretary of state. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, is seeking the Republican nomination in a field that includes Jim Zeigler, who was barred from running again as state auditor by term limits; state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. None of the four candidates has raised major complaints about election problems in Alabama, which is controlled by Republicans and voted heavily for President Donald Trump in 2020. But all have talked about measures needed to tighten election security, an issue popularized among conservatives by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by President Joe Biden. Merrill couldn’t seek the office again after serving two terms. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. ATTORNEY GENERAL Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall faces a single primary challenger as he seeks a second four-year term as the state’s main law enforcement official. First appointed to the position in 2017, Marshall is opposed by Harry Bartlett Still III, an attorney from Daphne. Marshall, who previously served as district attorney in Marshall County, regularly opposes initiatives launched by Democratic President Joe Biden, including vaccination requirements for COVID-19 and federal policies along the border with Mexico, and he testified against the nomination of now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Still contends corruption is rampant in state government and that the agency that oversees police standards and training in the state needs to be reorganized to increase public trust in law enforcement. He also supports replacing Alabama’s heavily amended constitution, passed in 1901 to ensure white supremacy. The winner will face Democratic nominee Wendell Major, police chief in the Birmingham-area city of Tarrant, in November. STATE AUDITOR Candidates for Alabama state auditor typically emphasize the importance of keeping track of state property, but three Republicans seeking the office this year added another talking point in the era of false claims about a stolen presidential vote — election security. Stan Cooke, a pastor from Kimberly; Rusty Glover, a former history teacher from Semmes who served in the state Senate; and state Rep. Andrew Sorrell of Muscle Shoals all are emphasizing the auditor’s role of selecting county registrar boards as they seek the office. Almost directly echoing false claims by former President Donald Trump, Cooke’s campaign website says the state must get ahead of Democrats before they “try and steal our elections as they did in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and even our neighbor to the east, Georgia.” The incumbent, Jim Zeigler, couldn’t seek reelection after serving two terms and is running for secretary of state. Winning the Republican nomination is tantamount to election because no Democrat qualified to run for auditor. SUPREME COURT One Republican candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court is trying to woo voters with a mix that includes his devotion to God and former President Donald Trump. The other is emphasizing her experience in the courtroom — and her gun. Greg Cook, an attorney from metro Birmingham, and Debra Jones, a circuit judge who hears cases in Calhoun and Cleburne, are seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 5 Supreme Court seat held by Justice Mike Bolin, who is retiring. Cook is portraying himself as a “Trump-tough” Republican who was a Trump delegate and represented conservative interests in the 2000 presidential recount contest in Florida between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Aside from partisan and legal qualifications, Cook’s campaign resume features his longtime church membership and leadership. Jones released a commercial late in the campaign boasting of her support for Trump, her short stature — “She’s 5 feet of concrete” — and a case in which she sentenced a person convicted of child molestation to more than 1,000 years in prison. The spot shows her firing a handgun and saying the only reason she didn’t put the person “under the jail” was “the liberals” wouldn’t let her. All nine members of the court are Republicans, and the winner of the Place 5 race will be a heavy favorite over Democrat Anita L. Kelly, a judge in Montgomery, in the general election. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Voters will decide whether to let the state go into debt for $85 million in bonds to spruce up Alabama’s state parks and historical sites. A statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot would provide $80 million in funding for state park projects that include adding and improving camping sites, adding wireless service, upgrading electrical and water service, replacing playgrounds, constructing swimming pools, and repairing parts of Gulf State Park damaged by Hurricane Sally. The remaining $5 million would go to the Alabama Historical Commission for acquiring, renovating, and maintaining historical parks around the state. The agency wouldn’t be allowed to use the money at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury. The park is funded by a tax that was originally intended for needy Confederate veterans. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.

Monday is last day to return absentee ballot by hand for primary election

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The Secretary of State website announced today that today is the last day to return absentee ballots by hand for the primary election. The absentee voting period for the May 24th Primary Election began on March 30, 2022. Ahead of the May 24th Primary Election, Secretary of State John Merrill would like to remind Alabama voters that today is the last day that the Absentee Election Manager can receive an absentee ballot by hand for the Primary Election. Voters have until the close of business today. However, the Absentee Election Manager may still receive absentee ballots by mail until noon on Election Day. Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded online or requested by visiting the local Absentee Election Manager’s office.  Important absentee voting deadlines are listed below: May 17, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be returned by mail. May 19, 2022: The last day that absentee ballot applications can be returned by hand. May 23, 2022: The last day to return absentee ballots by hand to the Absentee Election Manager. May 24, 2022: Absentee ballots must be returned by mail to the Absentee Election Manager no later than noon. Voters who are eligible to vote pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) will have until May 24, 2022, to postmark an absentee ballot. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 334-242-7210.

Offices including secretary of state contested in Alabama

The campaigns for U.S. Senate and governor have gotten the most attention leading up to Tuesday’s primary in Alabama, but five other statewide races are on the ballot. With multiple candidates in some races, some nominations may not be decided until after runoff elections scheduled for June 21. Here are some of the key races to watch: SECRETARY OF STATE Four Republicans and one Democrat are on the primary ballot to succeed GOP incumbent John Merrill as Alabama’s top elections officer, secretary of state. Ed Packard, who worked in the secretary of state’s elections division for nearly 25 years, is seeking the Republican nomination in a field that includes Jim Zeigler, who was barred from running again as state auditor by term limits; state Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, who served nearly a decade as probate judge in Pike County; and Christian Horn, a GOP activist and business owner from Madison County. None of the four candidates has raised major complaints about election problems in Alabama, which is controlled by Republicans and voted heavily for President Donald Trump in 2020. But all have talked about measures needed to tighten election security, an issue popularized among conservatives by Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by President Joe Biden. Merrill couldn’t seek the office again after serving two terms. The eventual Republican nominee will face Democrat Pamela J. Laffitte of Mobile in November. ATTORNEY GENERAL Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall faces a single primary challenger as he seeks a second four-year term as the state’s main law enforcement official. First appointed to the position in 2017, Marshall is opposed by Harry Bartlett Still III, an attorney from Daphne. Marshall, who previously served as district attorney in Marshall County, regularly opposes initiatives launched by Democratic President Joe Biden, including vaccination requirements for COVID-19 and federal policies along the border with Mexico, and he testified against the nomination of now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Still contends corruption is rampant in state government, and that the agency that oversees police standards and training in the state needs to be reorganized to increase public trust in law enforcement. He also supports replacing Alabama’s heavily amended Constitution, passed in 1901 to ensure white supremacy. The winner will face Democratic nominee Wendell Major, police chief in the Birmingham-area city of Tarrant, in November. STATE AUDITOR Candidates for Alabama state auditor typically emphasize the importance of keeping track of state property, but three Republicans seeking the office this year added another talking point in the era of false claims about a stolen presidential vote — election security. Stan Cooke, a pastor from Kimberly; Rusty Glover, a former history teacher from Semmes who served in the state Senate; and state Rep. Andrew Sorrell of Muscle Shoals all are emphasizing the auditor’s role of selecting county registrar boards as they seek the office. Almost directly echoing false claims by former President Donald Trump, Cooke’s campaign website says the state must get ahead of Democrats before they “try and steal our elections as they did in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and even our neighbor to the east, Georgia.” The incumbent, Jim Zeigler, couldn’t seek re-election after serving two terms and is running for secretary of state. Winning the Republican nomination is tantamount to election since no Democrat qualified to run for auditor. SUPREME COURT One Republican candidate for the Alabama Supreme Court is trying to woo voters with a mix that includes his devotion to God and former President Donald Trump. The other is emphasizing her experience in the courtroom — and her gun. Greg Cook, an attorney from metro Birmingham, and Debra Jones, a circuit judge who hears cases in Calhoun and Cleburne, are seeking the Republican nomination for the Place 5 Supreme Court seat held by Justice Mike Bolin, who is retiring. Cook is portraying himself as a “Trump-tough” Republican who was a Trump delegate and represented conservative interests in the 2000 presidential recount contest in Florida between Al Gore and President George W. Bush. Aside from partisan and legal qualifications, Cook’s campaign resume features his longtime church membership and leadership. Jones released a commercial late in the campaign boasting of her support for Trump, her short stature — “She’s 5 feet of concrete” — and a case in which she sentenced a person convicted of child molestation to more than 1,000 years in prison. The spot shows her firing a handgun and saying the only reason she didn’t put the person “under the jail” was that “the liberals” wouldn’t let her. All nine members of the court are Republicans, and the winner of the Place 5 race will be a heavy favorite over Democrat Anita L. Kelly, a judge in Montgomery, in the general election. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Voters will decide whether to let the state go into debt for $85 million in bonds to spruce up Alabama’s state parks and historical sites. A statewide constitutional amendment on the ballot would provide $80 million in funding for state park projects that include adding and improving camping sites, adding wireless service, upgrading electrical and water service, replacing playgrounds, constructing swimming pools, and repairing parts of Gulf State Park damaged by Hurricane Sally. The remaining $5 million would go to the Alabama Historical Commission for acquiring, renovating, and maintaining historical parks around the state. The agency wouldn’t be allowed to use the money at Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury. The park is funded by a tax that was originally intended for needy Confederate veterans. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.

Katie Britt’s SGA presidential past brought into question

In recent months, Katie Britt’s past leadership role in the University of Alabama Student Government Association has come into question as the hard-fought Senate election draws to a close. A recent report from 1819 News brings about the question: Should a U.S. Senate candidate or any other candidate seeking higher office have to answer for their past student government record? The SGA has served as a starting point for many of Alabama’s leaders, including Jim Zeigler, John Merrill, and Don Siegelman. Britt served as Alabama’s SGA president during the 2003-2004 academic school year. In October 2003, during Britt’s tenure, the SGA Senate passed a resolution urging the University’s Russell Student Health Center to offer the so-called morning-after pill. It was passed unanimously. However, it was later met with pushback from some students. Then student Joshua Taylor commented in an article from the school newspaper, the Crimson White, “I do not believe the University of Alabama as an educational institution should be distributing the morning after pill. A public-funded institution does not have the ability to decide where life begins.” The controversy with Britt’s participation in this issue stems from the question of whether Britt had veto powers and could have attempted a veto of the SGA Senate’s resolution calling on the University’s health center to offer the morning-after pill but chose not to. According to the report, two weeks after the morning-after pill unanimous resolution, she used that power to veto an SGA Senate parking resolution calling for a one-ticket limit per 24-hour period. Opponents quickly questioned her ability to veto the resolution. In February 2004, while Britt was still SGA president, the Crimson White investigated the veto question, which stemmed from her earlier veto of the SGA Senate’s parking resolution. The question remained unanswered for years until the SGA Constitution finally stated that resolutions were not subject to presidential vetos. Britt responded to questions about her time in the SGA, dismissing the resolution as something “she had no control of.” “As a Christian, conservative wife and mother, I am proud to be 100% pro-life. Both my faith and the science tell me that life begins at conception, and I’ll fight tirelessly to protect life in the Senate,” Britt said in a statement to 1819 News. “Over 63 million innocent unborn babies have been murdered in America since the disastrous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, and my family and I are praying that the Supreme Court finally overturns Roe this year and allows states like Alabama to defend life. “As far as my time in college goes 20 years ago, I will admit to learning and singing every single word of the Auburn fight song. And, like Justice Kavanaugh, I might have even had the opportunity to enjoy a beer or two along the way — but only after I turned 21,” Britt continued. “I am sure there are also a laundry list of things that happened on campus while I was SGA president that I had no control of. At the end of the day, I’m proud to say I was an active leader in our College Republicans chapter back then. I was raised in a Christian, conservative household in Enterprise, Alabama, and that’s how my husband and I are raising our two children. If this is how low my opponents are stooping and how far they’re stretching, I must be doing something right.”

 Confirmed: Ed Packard personnel files show series of disciplinary actions

Ed Packard is currently running to be Alabama’s next Secretary of State and has worked for over 20 years in the SOS office. He is running on his record of voter integrity and security. However, documents uncovered recently show that Packard was demoted by Secretary of State John Merrill in 2017 because of a costly mistake with ballot reprints. Packard cost taxpayers almost $500,000 in 3,000,000 ballot reprints. In a recently released document called “Ed Packard’s Demotion”, the state personnel office upholds his demotion and notes that Packard had four written reprimands in his personnel file. One was for failing to perform his job properly when he failed to prepare the ballots for mailing. Another was for “disrupting the work environment”. Packard also received a reprimand for missing a statuary deadline to certify a local election and for failing to make the “required number of site visits in accordance with a settlement agreement.” Here is the document. We removed the cover pages that were provided.  Ed Packard’s Demotion In 2017, Chief of Staff David Brewer recommended Packard be demoted because of his “failure to manage his staff” and for his poor judgment concerning incorrect ballots that were sent for certification and for printing incorrect ballots. One was for “failing to perform his job properly when he did not prepare the ballots for mailing.” The email that was released to the press emphasizes the seriousness of these reprimands but also stated that these are merely the tip of the iceberg. According to the second document, titled “Ed Packard’s Dismissal,” Packard used his announcement of Secretary of State to help cover up credible allegations of sexual harassment that were going to scheduled for the same day. In December 2021, Packard was scheduled for a pre-dismissal hearing for allegations of sharing pornography on a cell phone, along with other allegations. Packard has stated publicly that he resigned from the SOS office on December 28th, 2021 at 5 pm in order to pursue running for Secretary of State. However, he was actually scheduled for a pre-dismissal hearing due to credible allegations of sexual harassment inside the Secretary of State’s office at 1 pm that same day. Secretary of State John Merrill, as well as other staff members, appear to confirm the allegations are real. Ed Packard’s Dismissal   The email with these documents were sent to Party Chairman John Wahl. Additionally, the email alluded to the “Montgomery Swamp” and how more people currently in and running for office have secrets that are yet to be exposed.

Today is last day to register to vote for Alabama Primary Election

John Merrill

Secretary of State John Merrill issued a press release to remind Alabamians that today is the last day to register to vote for the May 24th Primary Election. Alabamians can register to vote online at alabamavotes.gov or through the mobile app “Vote for Alabama.” All online registrations must be submitted today by 11:59 PM to be eligible for the May 24th Primary Election. Eligible Alabamians have until the close of business today to return their physical registration applications to their local Board of Registrars’ Office. To register to vote in Alabama, you must be a U.S. citizen and an Alabama resident who is 18 years or older on or by Election Day, and the prospective voter cannot be convicted of a disqualifying felony or declared mentally incompetent.  For questions or concerns, please contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at (334) 242-7210 or your county Board of Registrars’ Office.

Jim Zeigler releases first TV ad of Secretary of State campaign: “The Watchman”

The first TV ad of the quiet race for Secretary of State has been released by the Jim Zeigler campaign. Titled “The Watchman,” the 30-second spot began running on statewide TV May 3, exactly three weeks till the primary May 24. Here is the text of the Zeigler ad: Why are the Montgomery politicians fighting against Jim Zeigler?  Because Zeigler will be Secretary of State for the people, not for the Montgomery politicians. As State Auditor, Zeigler served as your Watchman against waste and corruption.  As Secretary of State, Zeigler can serve as your Watchman against voting fraud, drop-in ballot boxes, and ballot harvesting. Zeigler has been endorsed by the ‘MyPillow Guy” Mike Lindell, who heads a national group fighting for election integrity named “Cause for America.” Zeigler is term-limited and cannot run again for State Auditor.  Secretary of State is an open seat with incumbent Secretary John Merrill not running for any office this year. “Over the next eight years, the job of Secretary of State will be vital,” Zeigler stated. “The Secretary of State is our top elections administrator. We face national attempts to manipulate honest election procedures.  Alabama needs a proven fighter against government overreach to be our fighting Secretary of State.” The four Republican candidates for Secretary of State are Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, businessman Christian Horn of Huntsville, retired Secretary of State staffer Ed Packard of Prattville, and Zeigler.