Secretary of State Wes Allen removes Houston County registrar Dorothy Robbins
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Wes Allen announced that he has removed Dorothy Robbins from the Houston County Board of Registrars as a result of multiple violations. “We simply will not allow someone who has operated in this manner to continue to serve as a member of the Board of Registrars,” Allen said in a statement. “We took the appropriate action in light of the circumstances.” Allen has accused Robbins of having processed voter registration forms without signatures from the voters, made registrants active who had been convicted of disqualifying felony convictions, of having issued photo identification to non-registered voters, including individuals who had committed disqualifying felonies, of having registered a voter at her own home address who does not reside there, and of having processed voter registration forms without the required sign-off of a second registrar. Additionally, the Secretary of State’s office announced that Ms. Robbins no longer has access to any office, equipment, systems, or resources of the Board of Registrars. Except for Jefferson County, which is governed by its own unique system of rules, every county has three registrars. They are appointed by the Governor, the State Auditor, and the Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. There was an attempt in the Legislature by the County Commissioners to usurp the state officers’ appointing authority for the commissioners. That effort was defeated in the recent regular session. Robbins was appointed by then State Auditor Jim Zeigler last year. Allen assumed office in January. He previously represented Pike County in the Alabama House of Representatives and was the Pike County Probate Judge before that. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Steve Flowers: Andrew Sorrell good start as State Auditor
Young Andrew Sorrell was sworn into office as the 41st State Auditor of Alabama in January. In the early years of Alabama statehood, the State Auditor and State Treasurer were important positions in our 1819 political era. In those wilderness times of Jacksonian Democracy, it was not unusual for the treasurer and auditor to abscond with some of the fruits of the state coffers. There were no ethics laws at that time, and the old political maxim of “to the victor goes the spoils” prevailed. There was a need for an honest man to carefully guard the nest. The posts of State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State were your only full-time public servants, who were actually full-time officials who came to the Capitol. The legislature only met every other year for three months, and the governor was usually a Black Belt planter who was more interested in running his plantation and considered his governor’s job part-time. Less some of you are offended by the pronoun “he,” there were only male politicians. It would be 100 years later before women would even have the right to vote in America. Blacks were still slaves and would be given their freedom 45 years later in 1865 and the right to vote in Alabama 100 years after that in 1965. Therefore, in the early years, the Auditor was an important post. In recent decades, the legislature evolved and became the important entity that the new 1901 Constitution intended. The legislature created the position of Examiner of Public Accounts. The legislature rightfully created the office because they appropriated the state funds. They wanted to have their accountant oversee their proper appropriations and accounting of state dollars. Beginning three or four decades ago, there became a rallying to do away with the State Auditor’s position. Some would say it was unnecessary and a waste of money. That balloon would never really get off the ground. The State Auditor’s office costs less than one percent of the State General Fund budget, and it is difficult to do away with a state constitutional office. Besides, someone or some office has to be in charge of keeping up with the state’s cars, desks, chairs, and computers. Andrew Sorrell seems to be the perfect fit for this statewide office. While some have used the post in recent years to demagogue and take positions on state matters that the State Auditor is not involved with to try to build name identification, Sorrell is honest, upright and appears to want to make the State Auditors job an important post as opposed to a demagogic stunt show. Andrew Sorrell is only 37 years old. He has an attractive young family. Hannah, his wife, is a successful realtor in their home area of Muscle Shoals. Their daughter, Liberty, who is only two, became a TV star in Andrew’s campaign commercials last year. Andrew and Hannah currently bring her to political events around the state. She steals the show, as she did during the campaign. Liberty has been joined this month by a baby sister, Glory, born June 1. Andrew Sorrell was 36 years old when he was elected Auditor last year. He served one four-year term in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 through 2022. He ran an excellent campaign for Auditor in 2021-2022. He was able to raise $324,000 and loaned his campaign $393,000, which shows he has been successful in the private sector. This amount of money, over $700,000, is unparalleled in this state Auditor’s race. He was able to smother and dwarf the campaigns of former State Senator Rusty Glover of Mobile and Reverend Stan Cooke of Jefferson County in the Republican Primary. Both Cooke and Glover had previously run and started with more name identification than Sorrell. Sorrell ran a perfectly scripted modern campaign using both television and social media. He spent his money wisely and designed his own ads. He also worked the state tirelessly, campaigning one-on-one for two years. Andrew Sorrell is a very capable, bright star on the political scene in the Heart of Dixie. He is part of an interesting trend of a trio of superstars on the political horizon in Alabama – State Auditor Sorrell, Secretary of State Wes Allen, and Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, who all served one four-year term in the Alabama House of Representatives before being elected statewide. The State House of Representatives seems to be the new launching pad for state political office. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Special session to be held next month
The U.S. Supreme Court surprised many court observers earlier this month when it ruled that Alabama’s congressional redistricting passed in 2021 violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The special session to address the redistricting will be next month. 2024 is a presidential election, and the Alabama major party primaries will be early in that cycle on March 5. This means that campaign qualifying with the major parties will begin in November. The three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta has ordered the state to present a redistricting plan acceptable to the court, or the court will appoint a special master to do it. State Representative Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City) told Alabama Today that he heard the special session would be on July 17. Butler said the special session would narrowly focus on passing a new congressional redistricting plan. Rep. Ron Bolton (R-Northport) addressed BamaCarry of Tuscaloosa County on Monday night. “The special session will be on July 17,” Bolton said. “It will be an agreed-upon bill.” Bolton said that the three-judge panel in Atlanta had set the deadline for the state to submit a compliant redistricting plan as July 21. Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville) told Alabama Today that the special session should include legislation on the ballot harvesting ban bill that failed in the last session. “That’s the Secretary of State’s bill,” Oliver said. “With two contested congressional races, we need that to ensure that the election is secure.” The federal court ruled that since Alabama is nearly 28% Black, the state should have two congressional districts that are either majority Black or are close to it. Currently, the Seventh Congressional District, comprised of a 55% Black voting population, is Alabama’s only majority-minority district. The other six congressional districts are all less than 30% Black and are all represented by White Republican men. The Seventh Congressional District is represented by Rep. Terri Sewell – the only Black person in the congressional delegation and the only Democrat. Since all seven congressional districts have to be roughly equivalent in size, changing the districts so that two have roughly 48% or more minority voters will mean that all seven districts will change in redistricting. Whereas the Legislature before sought to keep all seven of the incumbents in their districts, that won’t be a consideration in the next redistricting plan, so it is likely that some incumbents could be redistricted into the same districts. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl has said the Alabama GOP will contest all seven congressional districts in 2024 – including Rep. Sewell’s. Rep. Oliver said that in that hyper-competitive environment, it is important to have as secure an election as possible, and that is why the call should include the ban on ballot harvesting. House Bill 209 (HB209) passed the House of Representatives in the recent regular session, but the Alabama Senate failed to address it. Ballot harvesting involves paying political operatives to collect absentee ballots. “Over the last decade, there have been multiple convictions for absentee ballot fraud across the state of Alabama,” wrote Secretary of State Wes Allen. “As a Probate Judge, a legislator, and now as Secretary of State, I am committed to eliminating election fraud in our state. HB209, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, makes incredible strides in protecting the rights of Alabama voters to cast their own votes without undue influence. Currently, it is legal for groups operating as non-profits to offer payments in exchange for absentee ballot applications to Alabama registered voters. HB209 would end that. Today, it is legal for out-of-state organizations to mail pre-filled absentee ballot applications to unsuspecting voters across the state, some of whom have moved or have no intention of voting absentee. HB209 would prohibit this practice.” “HB209 would make it illegal to pay or to be paid by a third party to collect absentee ballot applications or absentee ballots from Alabama voters,” Allen continued. “Furthermore, it would eliminate the ability of organizations to sow the seeds of chaos and confusion by sending pre-filled absentee applications into our state. Our elections are the foundation of our constitutional republic, and nobody should be paid for their absentee application or their ballot. Ballot harvesting should not be a job description.” Democrats, who opposed the bill, called it “voter suppression” and said that it would make it illegal for neighbors to help neighbors fill out their absentee ballot. HB209, as amended in the House, would allow family members to help family members prepare their absentee ballot. “House Bill 209 states that the Secretary of State, probate judges, absentee ballot election managers or their designee,” Rep. Adline Clarke (D-Mobile) said. “Now, it is absolutely unrealistic to believe that these individuals can take up the slack for the hundreds of volunteers that assist voters in every election. It is not humanly possible and will cause a huge decrease in the number of voters who vote absentee. That is a sad thought.” Whether or not the ballot harvesting bill is included in the call for the special session is solely the purview of Gov. Kay Ivey. “I have a wish list, I am sure you have a wish list, but that is up to the Governor,” Sen. Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook) told Alabama Today. Roberts warned that including Allen’s legislation in the special session would be “divisive.” Roberts was also skeptical of rumors that a proposed constitutional amendment addressing gambling could be in the call. “I had not heard that,” Rep. Butler said when asked about the gambling bill rumor. “I think it is going to be a simple one-issue special session.” “In all of the communications that I have had with Speaker (Nathaniel) Ledbetter, he has not given me any indication to think that is being considered,” Oliver said of the gambling rumor. Butler said that with two highly contested congressional races on the ballot in 2024, “We are going to need every Republican to turn out.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Wes Allen: HB209 prevents absentee ballot harvesting and protects each individual’s right to cast their own ballot
Over the last decade, there have been multiple convictions for absentee ballot fraud across the state of Alabama. As a Probate Judge, a legislator, and now as Secretary of State, I am committed to eliminating election fraud in our state. HB209, sponsored by Rep. Jamie Kiel, makes incredible strides in protecting the rights of Alabama voters to cast their own votes without undue influence. Currently, it is legal for groups operating as non-profits to offer payments in exchange for absentee ballot applications to Alabama registered voters. HB209 would end that. Today, it is legal for out-of-state organizations to mail pre-filled absentee ballot applications to unsuspecting voters across the state, some of whom have moved or who have no intention of voting absentee. HB209 would prohibit this practice. HB209 would make it illegal to pay or to be paid by a third party to collect absentee ballot applications or absentee ballots from Alabama voters. Furthermore, it would eliminate the ability of organizations to sow the seeds of chaos and confusion by sending pre-filled absentee applications into our state. Our elections are the foundation of our constitutional republic, and nobody should be paid for their absentee application or their ballot. Ballot harvesting should not be a job description. Rep. Kiel shepherded HB209 through the Alabama House of Representatives and through the Senate committee. Senator Garlan Gudger will present HB209 for a vote to the entire State Senate and on to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for her signature. I applaud these two legislators for their efforts to further secure Alabama’s elections and to help protect each individual Alabama voter’s right to cast their own ballot without interference. That is, after all, the foundation of this great nation. Wes Allen is Alabama’s 54th Secretary of State. Allen is a former Pike County judge and served one term in the Alabama House of Representatives representing Pike and Dale Counties.
Democrats oppose GOP absentee ballot bill
On May 4, the Alabama House Republicans passed legislation that would severely limit outside groups’ abilities to influence elections. The legislation makes it a felony to pass out absentee ballot applications or assist someone with filling out an absentee ballot application unless they are a family member. On Wednesday, House Democrats held a press conference to express their concerns about that legislation and promote their bills that would make it easier to participate in Alabama elections. House Bill 209 is sponsored by State Representative Jamie Kiel. The House Republicans passed HB209 Thursday on a party-line vote after voting to cloture debate. Rep. Patrick Sellers said, “Sadly, last week, the Alabama House was on the wrong side of history when it passed House Bill 209, strictly along partisan lines, which will criminalize many of those who would help the elderly and disabled with their absentee ballots. Not only is this wrong, it will have a chilling effect of causing some people not to vote at all out of fear. It reminds me of days not too long ago in our nation’s history when we had poll tests and poll taxes, which were clearly designed to keep Black people from voting. How is this different? It appears to me that this bad piece of legislation targets the elderly, the disabled, and nonpartisan civic groups that are doing everything they can to increase voter participation and voter turnout. Voting is our fundamental right to vote as a citizen. Our elections are secure and accurate. HB209 doesn’t prevent election fraud. It is a bill that suppresses the vote and makes people afraid. We need to make voting more accessible and easier, especially for those who genuinely need assistance or accommodation due to age or disability.” Rep. Thomas Jackson said, “The right to vote was initially for White men who owned property. It wasn’t until the passage of the nineteenth amendment in 1920 when women – and let me relate – white women, was able to vote, and that was half the country. My colleague spoke of poll tax and whether or not they were abolished because what we are going through now is a form of poll tax. In 1964 as a nation, we struggled and bled over this most basic right. Today we are still struggling, but we will not quit this fight because our nation is too strong, and the people are too determined, and we are founded on the bedrock and principle of government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. For our democracy to prosper and flourish, it is vital that we increase our voting turnout, and for everything, we must have increase in participation and not suppression. Our colleagues across the aisle should be making it more accessible for people to vote rather than taking away that right that we already gained some 57 years prior. We must enact legislation for automatic registration at the age of 18, curbside voting, early voting, and guaranteed absentee voting.” Rep. Kenyatte Hassell said, “I agree that freedom is the continuous action we must all must continue to take, especially in protecting our right to vote.” “The right to vote is sacred because without this right, we cannot be free, and we cannot prosper,” Hassell said. “I and my colleagues strongly opposed House Bill 209 and voted against this,” Rep. Adline Clarke said. “We did so because it makes it a crime to assist those who need help the most, and it suppresses the vote using fear, as one of my colleagues already stated, as a tactic. It is morally wrong, and it doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t do one thing to make our elections more secure or more accurate.” HB209 does allow family members to help an elderly or disabled person to assist with absentee voting. “Not all people have families that they can rely on for help,” Clarke said. HB209 targets outside groups paying persons to canvas communities bringing absentee ballot applications to persons who likely would not vote, and then teams of canvassers assisting people in filling out those absentee ballots when they arrive. This has become part of the election process. Generally, those outside groups target communities where they know that voters will be overwhelmingly sympathetic to their party or cause. 501C3 organizations canvassing neighborhoods where they know that demographics and past voting histories are aligned with their political goals was widespread during the 2020 election, particularly in swing states like Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin. “Had we not been clotured last week, Democrats were prepared to offer an amendment that would at least make House Bill 209 a little bit better,” Clarke said. “One of those amendments would allow nonprofit organizations like the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, churches, and other nonprofit 501C3 organizations to continue assisting individuals with the absentee voting process.” “House Bill 209 states that the Secretary of State, probate judges, absentee ballot election managers or their designee,” Clarke said. “Now, it is absolutely unrealistic to believe that these individuals can take up the slack for the hundreds of volunteers that assist voters in every election. It is not humanly possible and will cause a huge decrease in the number of voters who vote absentee. That is a sad thought.” Clarke warned that many people could inadvertently violate SB209 if it became law. “We envision that neighbors and many other well-intentioned people will be caught off guard if this bill passes,” Clarke said. “They will continue to be neighborly. Many will continue assisting elderly neighbors with absentee voting until they are personally notified in writing on a potential violation.” Kiel said that he drafted the legislation with the help of Secretary of State Wes Allen. Under HB209, groups would still be able to conduct voter registration drives and hand out voter registration forms. They would not be allowed to hand out absentee ballot request forms, and canvassers helping persons fill out absentee ballots would be banned. A voter who needs help could call the Secretary
State Senate Committee advances election integrity bills
On Wednesday, the Alabama Senate State Governmental Affairs Committee advanced two bills designed to protect the integrity of Alabama elections. Both bills are sponsored by State Sen. Clyde Chambliss. Senate Bill 9 (SB9) would require that the state’s electronic voting counting system must require the use of a paper ballot that is marked and inspected by the voter prior to being cast and counted. The second bill, SB 10, prohibits the use of electronic vote counting systems that are capable of connecting to the Internet or cell phone networks or that possess modem technology. The State Government Affairs Committee is chaired by State Sen. Tom Butler. “We had both of these two bills last session,” Butler said. “They simply put into law things that we already do,” Chambliss said. “Paper ballots for voting. We do that, but it is not currently in the law.” State Sen. Dan Roberts motioned to give SB9 a favorable report. The Committee voted unanimously to give SB9 a favorable report. “This deals with internet modems on voting machines,” Chambliss said of SB10. “Obviously, if they have those connections, people can hack into the system and possibly influence the vote count.” “This puts our current practice into law,” Chambliss said. “Do we have problems with electronic voting in Alabama?” asked Sen. Merika Coleman. “I don’t know,” answered Chambliss. “This is trying to be proactive.” “We want to make it illegal for anybody to connect the electronic vote counting machines to the internet,” Chambliss explained. “If we had problems with voting, it is with the absentee ballot process,” Coleman said. “I was on the Electronic Voting Machines Task Force, and I started asking questions,” Chambliss said. “It is not policy to have modems on the counting machines. Policy is not strong enough for me. I want to put this into law. This is a bill that is looking forward. I don’t want to be reactionary.” “We have electronic vote counting machines. We do not have electronic voting,” Chambliss explained. “You have a point,” said Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison. “This is a trust issue. I have some trust issues myself. This is a good bill.” Sen. Robert Stewart asked if this legislation would prevent the state from adopting new technology. “It does not prevent changing to new technology, but it would prohibit a modem being in that machine,” Chambliss said. SB10 was given a favorable report on an 11 to 0 vote. Both bills are supported by Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, who was present to show his support and answer any questions the committee members might have. The legislation can be considered by the full Senate as soon as Tuesday, April 4, when the 2023 Alabama Regular Legislative Session resumes. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Ron Desantis speaks to Alabama Republicans
Florida Governor Ron Desantis was in Hoover on Thursday to address the Alabama Republican Party. Over 1,400 attended the GOP’s winter dinner fundraiser to hear the likely presidential candidate denounce the “woke” movement. Desantis was welcomed by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who introduced DeSantis, as well as other top state elected leaders. Attorney General Steve Marshall, Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Secretary of State Wes Allen, State Auditor Andrew Sorrell, Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate, Chief Justice Tom Parker, Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reed, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter, and many more were on hand at the Finley Center to welcome DeSantis to Alabama. “Tonight, I was proud to welcome @GovRonDeSantis to our Sweet Home Alabama!” Gov. Ivey said on Twitter. “I was honored to welcome “America’s Governor” @GovRonDeSantis to Alabama and lead the ALGOP dinner in the Pledge of Allegiance,” Lieutenant Gov. Ainsworth said on Twitter. Gov. DeSantis’s speech was heavy on social conservatism. DeSantis spoke about his feud with Disney, his opposition to books that preach alternate sexual lifestyles to children even in elementary school being in school libraries, his opposition to the COVID-19 economic shutdowns mask mandates, his anti-riot measures in Florida following the George Floyd riots, his shipping illegal aliens to Martha’s Vineyard, his opposition to the transgender agenda, and the migration of people from blue states like New York, Michigan, and California to red states like Florida. DeSantis said that Hispanics in Florida support his efforts to reduce illegal immigration to Florida. He also compared and contrasted his state of Florida with the state of New York. They have similar populations, but New York has twice the state budget. “What do they get for all that money?” DeSantis said. “We have no state income tax. Alabama should try that,” DeSantis said. While Florida has no income tax, their property taxes are far higher than Alabama’s, and as anyone who has driven around Florida knows, there are toll roads and toll collections all over the state outside of the federal interstate system, which are very rare in Alabama. Florida residents, on average, have a 9.1% state and local tax burden (#11 in the country), while Alabama residents pay 9.8% (#20 in the country.) Tennessee has the lowest tax burden in the southeast at 7.6% (#3 in the country). DeSantis spoke about his hurricane response and how fast his team built back a bridge to connect the residents of an island to the mainland. Desantis said that if he was President, his team could get the border wall built quickly and at reduced cost. DeSantis has not yet announced his presidential campaign. At this point, the only announced presidential candidates are former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley. DeSantis and President Joe Biden are, at this point, presumed to be presidential candidates. DeSantis’s speech was the speech of a governor, touting his accomplishments as a governor. The most pressing issues facing the next President are Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, balancing the federal budget without crashing the economy, the possibility of war with China, the high likelihood of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, the prospect of that triggering a war in the Middle East, as well as energy policy and its perceived connection to climate change. Desantis will have to discuss these larger issues in a presidential campaign. The Alabama Republican presidential primary is scheduled for March 5, 2024. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Three more states follow Alabama out of ERIC system
On Monday, Florida, Missouri, and West Virginia all followed Alabama’s lead and withdrew from the controversial ERIC system. The Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, is a multi-state partnership that is used between the states to keep their voter rolls up to date. As more states stop sharing their data with ERIC the system will become less value to the remaining states as many Americans move in and out of ERIC member states. New Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen began the process of withdrawing from ERIC as soon as he was inaugurated in January. The three states on Monday announced that they made the decision following weeks of negotiations over potential changes to ERIC failed to reach an agreement. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd notified the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc. (ERIC), that Florida is terminating its ERIC Membership. Today’s announcement follows efforts led by Florida and Missouri over the past year to reform ERIC through attempts to secure data and eliminate ERIC’s partisan tendencies, all of which were rejected the Florida Secretary claimed. “As Secretary of State, I have an obligation to protect the personal information of Florida’s citizens, which the ERIC agreement requires us to share,” said Sec. Byrd in a statement. “Florida has tried to back reforms to increase protections, but these protections were refused. Therefore, we have lost confidence in ERIC.” “There is no defensible justification to allow any opportunity for partisanship in voter registration and list maintenance, much less in the administration of our nation’s elections,” said West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner. “It truly is a shame that an organization founded on the principle of nonpartisanship would allow the opportunity for partisanship to stray the organization from the equally important principle of upholding the public’s confidence.” In 2022, a working group of ERIC member states was formed and proposed necessary changes to the ERIC Membership agreement. These reforms would have eliminated concerns about ERIC’s potential partisan leanings, and made the information shared with ERIC more secure. Those changes were rejected in a Board of Governors meeting on Sunday, prompting the three GOP states to leave the system. “We have worked hard over the last several years to implement procedures that will make Missouri elections better, voter rolls more accurate, and bring greater trust to the election process,” Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said. “Voter confidence is compromised when individuals vote in more than one state and nothing is done. It appears that ERIC will not make the necessary changes to address these concerns, therefore, it is time to move on.” In a recent visit to ERIC’s stated address, Allen found an empty meeting place with no offices. “Before I took office, Alabama transmitted the personal information of millions of our citizens to this private organization for the past several years,” Allen said. “That information is stored on a server somewhere, but we do not know where. There is no ERIC operation at the location they claim is their office. A lot of personal data and taxpayer money has been transferred to ERIC. Where is that data? Where are the employees? Where are the offices? Where are the computers?” Before he was elected, Allen had promised that Alabama would leave the ERIC system. “I made a promise to the people of Alabama that ending our state’s relationship with the ERIC organization would be my first official act as Secretary of State,” Allen said in a statement. The letter said that Alabama would immediately cease transmitting data. Allen cited privacy concerns for his decision. “Providing the private information of Alabama citizens, including underage minors, to an out-of-state organization is troubling to me and to people that I heard from as I traveled the state for the last 20 months,” Allen said. The database was created as a tool to maintain accurate voter rolls and combat fraud by allowing states to know when someone moves, dies or registers elsewhere. The ERIC system has been criticized by many election critics on the right, who have expressed their concerns about voter integrity. ERIC had grown to include more than 30 states and governments across the political spectrum, including Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, and Texas. Now with four states leaving in rapid succession the future viability of ERIC may be in question. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Wes Allen says that ERIC offices are empty
On Thursday, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen said that on a recent visit to the ERIC headquarters, he found no one there. On February 15, 2023, Allen made an unannounced visit to the published address of the headquarters of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) at 1201 Connecticut Ave NW Ste 600 in Washington, DC. Allen discovered that the location was actually the home of a virtual shared workspace and that no ERIC headquarters existed at the location. “I was in DC for a meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of States and since I was in town, I went to see the ERIC Headquarters,” Allen explained in a press release. “What I found was that there was no ERIC headquarters at that address. There were no employees. There were no servers. There was no ERIC presence of any kind. Instead, I found a virtual office that is rentable by the day. What it was missing was people, servers and any sign of the ERIC team.” ERIC has published the Connecticut Avenue address as its official address on its website. That information is either dated or factually inaccurate as the location is actually operated by Expansive, a company that offers virtual workspaces across the country and rents space by the day. “Before I took office, Alabama transmitted the personal information of millions of our citizens to this private organization for the past several years,” Allen continued. “That information is stored on a server somewhere, but we do not know where. There is no ERIC operation at the location they claim is their office. A lot of personal data and taxpayer money has been transferred to ERIC. Where is that data? Where are the employees? Where are the offices? Where are the computers?” Shortly after his inauguration last month, Allen informed ERIC that the state was withdrawing from participation. Allen made a promise to remove the state from the ERIC system during his campaign last year. Then-Secretary of State John H. Merrill defended ERIC. “In Alabama, ERIC is used to preserve a clean and accurate voter list and to contact eligible residents who are not registered voters,” Merrill stated. “Each month, we provide ERIC with a voters list and driver’s license data, and we receive information from ERIC for voter list maintenance in return. Monthly, our office receives a list of voter records that potentially need to be removed or inactivated based on deceased records from the Social Security Administration, potential duplicate voter records in Alabama, or voters that have potentially moved out of the state.” “Since joining the program in 2016, ERIC has identified more than 19,000 voter records of potentially deceased Alabama voters that died in this state or another ERIC member state,” Merrill continued. “98% of those voter records are no longer on the Alabama voter rolls. ERIC identified more than 222,000 voter records of potential cross-state movers from voter lists and driver’s license information obtained from other ERIC member states. 90% of those identified voter records are either no longer on the Alabama voter rolls or have been placed on a path to be removed in accordance with federal law. ERIC identified more than 24,000 voter records of potential duplicate registered voters in which an Alabama voter had duplicate records with potential inaccurate data. ERIC helped us match these voter records, and 95% of those duplicate records are no longer on the Alabama voter rolls.” Allen served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. He served as the Probate Judge of Pike County before his time in the legislature. Allen said that election security has always been a priority to him, both as the senior elections official in Pike County and as a legislator. Since taking office, he has been meeting with state agencies to establish methods for ensuring that Alabama’s voter lists are clean and accurate. Allen was elected as Alabama’s 54th Secretary of State in November and was inaugurated in January. Withdrawing Alabama from ERIC was Allen’s first act as Secretary of State. The official withdrawal process takes 90 days, meaning Alabama will be officially withdrawn by mid-April. Allen has announced that he has ceased transmitting any data from Alabama to ERIC. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Chris Brown elected as new Jefferson County GOP Chairman
The Jefferson County Republican Party Executive Committee elected GOP strategist Chris Brown as the Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party at Thursday’s night meeting. Brown succeeds former State Rep. Paul DeMarco as Chairman. “I would like to thank the Jefferson County Republican Party for putting its faith in me and electing me Chairman for the next two years,” Brown said. “Thank you, Paul John DeMarco, for your service to our Party. I have big shoes to follow. I want to congratulate Deanna K. Frankowski and Keith Mitchell in being elected Secretary and Treasurer respectfully, as well as the new steering committee and bonus members. But the biggest thanks goes to my campaign manager, Parker Brown! I could not have been elected without him. I’m proud to be his Daddy.” Chris Brown has already announced plans for the Jeffco GOP: · Have a 2-year plan developed and adopted by April 2023 (at the latest) · Communicate with Republican voters year-round through paid and unpaid methods · Build enthusiasm again among traditional Republican voters to vote all the way down the ballot · Encourage infrequent Republican voters to vote on a more regular basis · Register and grow more Republican voters in the County · Work to expand minority outreach in the County · Recruit excellent candidates for winnable races · Build on our already successful ballot security program · Re-activate and motivate the Council of Clubs so that our Jefferson County Republican Clubs can serve as a gateway to the County Executive Committee · Help develop future Republican party leaders Fifteen members were elected to the Jefferson County steering committee. In addition to the 15 elected members, under By-laws Article VII, Section 1 (a), the Chairman can appoint four members to the Steering Committee. These are: · Johnny Amari · Joel Blankenship · Philip Brown · Kim Bullock · W.A. Casey · Joe Domnanovich · Cindy Douglas · Gilbert F. Douglas III · Vicki Fuller · Joel Kimbrough · Mike Kozlik · Lisa Pate · Teresa Petelos · Terri Richmond · Senator Dan Roberts · Vince Coker (appointed) · Donna Cude (appointed) · Paul DeMarco (appointed) · Waymon Newton (appointed) Under Article VI, Section 2, the Chairman is entitled to some officer appointments. These will need to be confirmed by the steering committee. Chairman Brown has appointed Phillip Brown as Vice-Chairman, Ben Foster as Chaplain, and Ron Armstrong as Sergeant at Arms. Gilbert and Cindy Douglas received the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2023. New Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen and ALGOP Chairman John Wahl spoke to the group. Before the meeting, outgoing Chairman DeMarco wrote, “As we prepare for our first meeting of 2023 and elections tonight, I am grateful and want to thank each of you for the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. I am proud of the hard work that members of the executive committee and county GOP clubs have performed. Considering how difficult the past three years have been, we have been so successful in increasing the number the activities and membership in the Jefferson County GOP.” “We have made a priority to increase the funds in the party with our fundraising,” DeMarco continued. “The Jefferson County Republican Party is in the best financial shape in the history of the party and has the monies to “plow the fields” as we gear up for the next election cycle. There is still much work to be done. However, I am optimistic about our community and the Jefferson County Republican Party. It was an honor to serve.” While the Alabama Republican Party has thoroughly dominated Alabama politics since 2010, the GOP has increasingly underperformed in Jefferson County. In 2022, incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey easily bested Democratic challenger Yolanda Flowers statewide 66.9% to 29.2%; Jefferson County was one of just 11 of Alabama’s 67 counties that favored Flowers. In the 2020 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump carried 62.2% of the vote in Alabama to Democrat Joe Biden’s 36.6%; however, in Jefferson County, Biden received 55.8% of the vote to Trump’s 42.6%. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Election skeptics slow to get sweeping changes in GOP states
Republicans in some heavily conservative states won their campaigns for secretary of state last year after claiming they would make sweeping changes aimed at keeping fraud out of elections. So far, their efforts to make good on their promises are mixed, in some cases because their rhetoric has bumped up against skepticism from members of their own party. Voters in politically pivotal swing states such as Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada rejected candidates seeking to oversee elections who had echoed former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election. But newly elected secretaries of state in Alabama, Indiana, and Wyoming who had questioned the legitimacy of that election won easily in those Republican-dominated states. They are now facing the task of backing up their campaign pledges in states where Republicans have already set strict election laws. In Indiana, Secretary of State Diego Morales has been relatively quiet. He has not been making the rounds at the Statehouse trying to persuade lawmakers to embrace the wide-ranging tightening of voting rules he promoted as a candidate. After defeating the incumbent secretary of state for the Republican nomination last summer, Morales dialed back his description of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election as a “scam” and his calls for tighter voting laws. That push included cutting Indiana’s 28-day early voting period in half and requiring new voters to prove their U.S. citizenship when registering. No bills for such steps were introduced for this year’s legislative session. Morales, who was an aide to Mike Pence when the former vice president was governor, also did not seek any money in his budget request to lawmakers for creating an “election task force,” which he had discussed as a candidate, that would investigate voting “shenanigans” around the state. A concept backed by Morales for requiring voters to include a copy of their driver’s license with a mail-in ballot application is being sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, but he said he wasn’t working with Morales on the proposal. Morales’ office has declined interview requests from The Associated Press since he took office on January 1. Kegan Prentice, the office’s legislative director, said Morales was “currently focused on the ongoing transition.” During remarks at an early January inaugural ceremony, Morales continued his campaign theme of promoting “election integrity” without giving specifics. “My priority is to make Indiana a national model for election confidence and integrity,” he said. Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, also a Republican, said recently he had talked with Morales and told him he was “comfortable” with the state’s election laws. “I think our election laws are as good as any in the country,” Huston said. Morales was among the otherwise unsuccessful candidates associated with the America First Secretary of State Coalition, which called for large-scale changes to elections with candidates aligned with Trump’s views. The group supported losing candidates in several battleground states. They claimed widespread fraud and manipulation of voting machines, but there has been no evidence of either as exhaustive reviews in states lost by Trump have not revealed wrongdoing. That hasn’t stopped Republican candidates, particularly in contested primaries, from parroting the false claims that have taken hold among the party’s supporters. A large segment of Republicans, 58%, still believe Biden’s 2020 victory was not legitimate, according to an October poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While Alabama’s Wes Allen and Wyoming’s Chuck Gray were not on the America First coalition’s candidate list, they also raised doubts about the 2020 vote. Allen repeated a debunked claim calling the 31-state Electronic Registration Information Center organization a “Soros-funded, leftist group,” a reference to liberal billionaire George Soros. The voter registration data-sharing partnership is designed to maintain accurate voter rolls by identifying people who have moved or died. It’s funded by states after receiving initial startup support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. Allen’s first official act was to withdraw Alabama from the group, citing privacy concerns. Indiana and Wyoming weren’t part of the organization. Even though Wyoming gave Trump his widest victory margins in 2016 and 2020, Gray’s election denials worried some of his fellow Republicans. The former state legislator and right-wing radio host often showed “2000 Mules,” a film that made unsubstantiated claims about ballot fraud, during his campaign events last year. He solidly beat a fellow Republican lawmaker who said the 2020 presidential outcome wasn’t in doubt. A few Republicans questioned whether Gray should be stripped of his election oversight role given his views, but that idea has received little support. Instead, he has received a warm welcome from Wyoming lawmakers considering several election bills that are moving ahead. One would prohibit “ballot harvesting,” or gathering others’ completed ballots for delivery, while another would implement new requirements for voting machines that would, in part, ensure they could not be connected to the internet. But so far, there is no legislation to follow through on Gray’s campaign proposals to ban ballot drop boxes or electronic voting machines, which despite mainly paper balloting in Wyoming, are available in every county to help voters with disabilities. That reflects the reality of trying to implement the most far-reaching election campaign promises in a heavily Republican state. In January, Gov. Mark Gordon made a point in his state of the state speech of saying that Wyoming counts on election integrity because of its “professional and dedicated” county clerks. But going off-script, Gordon hinted at Gray’s challenges ahead: “And I’m thrilled that our secretary of state takes that charge very seriously.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Inauguration day
The Inauguration of our Alabama Constitutional officials was Monday. Our state constitution calls for the Inauguration to be held on the third Monday in January. As you would expect, and as Almanac suggests, it is usually a cold day. Over the years, I have had countless folks harken back to their high school band experiences of marching in the Inaugural Parade, especially ladies who had been majorettes. They had to march and twirl a baton in 20-degree weather with skimpy, legless, bathing suit style attire. It left them with a lasting indelible memory of an Alabama Gubernatorial Inauguration. Mind you, I was not there, but every old-timer who has talked politics with me over the years and who have seen a good many inaugurations, will remark that the January 1963 George Wallace’s initial inauguration as governor was the coldest. There was a lot of frostbite that day. However, the inaugural address from George C. Wallace was hot and heavy. That was the day that Wallace threw down the gauntlet and declared, “Segregation today, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.” That was exactly 60 years ago. A lot has changed since that day. It was during the Wallace era that the Civil Rights movement changed the political landscape of the nation and especially in the south. Wallace was an integral part of that historical era. He watched it all unfold from his Goat Hill office overlooking Dexter Avenue, and he was the reason for a lot of the bloodshed. Every time I see an inauguration on the Capitol steps, I reminisce about the history that has been made in that block of Dexter Avenue in Montgomery. The men who wrote Alabama’s overtly racist 1901 Constitution and the crowd that howled in defiance as Wallace made his 1963 declaration would marvel at the change and diversity of today’s Alabama. It is poetic and ironic that this year’s Inauguration Day, January 16, 2023, was on the same day as Martin Luther King Day, a state and national holiday. Kay Ivey grew up in the heart of the Wallace Era in Wilcox County. She cut her political teeth campaigning for the Wallaces. She was especially involved with Lurleen Wallace’s 1966 governor’s race when she was a student at Auburn University. After Auburn, she worked for a while in Banking and teaching in Mobile. She began her Montgomery career as the reading clerk in the Alabama House of Representatives under the tutelage of Speaker Joe McCorquodale. Black Belters, like McCorquodale, controlled the House and the Senate. Kay Ivey’s melodious, pronounced Black Belt accent drew folks’ attention to her reading even the most mundane legalese for hours on end. She later became associated with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. As their Public Relations and Governmental Affairs Director, she learned the legislative process. She entered the political arena in 2002 when she was elected State Treasurer. She served eight years in that post. She was then elected Lt. Governor in 2010 and reelected in 2014. In the middle of her second term, she became Governor after Dr. Robert Bentley vacated the governor’s office. She served out the last 18 months of his term and was elected in her own right as Governor of Alabama in 2018. She was reelected, overwhelmingly, last year. If Kay Ivey finishes out this four-year term, she will have been Governor of Alabama longer than anyone else besides George C. Wallace. She is the first woman to be elected as a Republican. She is the second female governor, the first being her idol, Lurleen Wallace, 56 years ago. Also inaugurated with Governor Kay Ivey were Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, Attorney General Steve Marshall, State Treasurer Young Boozer, Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate, Secretary of State Wes Allen, and State Auditor Andrew Sorrell. Jeremy Oden and Chip Beeker were sworn in for four-year terms on the Public Service Commission. Two Supreme Court Justices, Kelli Wise and Greg Cook, were sworn in for six-year terms in a special investiture last Friday. Justice Kelli Wise was sworn in for her third term. She has served 12 years on the Supreme Court and was on the State Court of Criminal Appeals for a decade prior to being elected to the high court. Justice Greg Cook was sworn in for his initial term on the high tribunal. He is a well-qualified and conservative jurist who will fit in well on the Supreme Court. It was a big day in Alabama politics. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
