Alabama taxpayers will spend $3 million on a runoff election Tuesday that most citizens will skip. Alabama’s chief election official, Secretary of State Jim Bennett, said he expects about 5 percent of Alabama’ 2.85 million active voters to participate because of a lack of races that draw voters. “You have no extremely high profile elections,” Bennett said. His forecast is less than one-fourth of the 22 percent who turned out in the primary June 3. No party has a runoff for governor or U.S. Senate. The Republican Party has runoffs for secretary of state, state auditor and Public Service Commission Place 2, the 6th Congressional District, and six legislative seats. The Democratic runoff has no statewide races, no congressional contests, and only one legislative runoff. Only 20 of Alabama’s 67 counties have a Democratic runoff Tuesday.
There is one constitutional amendment on the ballot statewide, but it has not generated much interest. If approved by a majority of Alabama voters, it would allow cotton farmers to vote to make a fee mandatory that they have been paying voluntarily on each bale of cotton. The fee is used for cotton promotion and research, said Hassey Brooks, program director for the state agriculture department.
Bennett acknowledges that his forecast of 5 percent turnout may be optimistic. The turnout didn’t reach that during the runoff elections in 2004, 2008 or 2012.
Full Article: Alabama spends $3 million on runoff | GadsdenTimes.com.