Absentee voting in Alabama is going pretty well.
Despite all the haranguing over voting systems and voter suppression, there is no evidence that anyone’s vote has been suppressed, but some media outlets need to keep the scare tactics going.
Buzzfeed News released a story with questionable sourcing and a notable absence by the man who actually oversees Alabama’s elections, Secretary of State John Merrill.
The crux of the Buzzfeed story is that Alabama voters in Jefferson County were going to potentially miss out on their right to vote. The story says people cast their votes after Judge Abdul K. Kallon attempted to change the rules of absentee voting to no longer require witness signatures or notarization, and waive the voter ID requirement for those 65 years or older who have pre-existing conditions.
As a judge giveth, another judge taketh away. The story goes on to outline that since Kallon’s ruling has been stayed by higher federal courts, voters who followed Kallon’s order could see their ballots invalidated.
Now, many are worried that their votes won’t count if they show up without their witness signatures and copies of their photo IDs.
They are right. Judge Kallon disenfranchised these people. He suppressed their vote and robbed them of their franchise.
Unlike Buzzfeed, I spoke to Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill about these decisions, and all is not lost.
According to Merrill, the ballots that were collected from the moment of the errant ruling to the moment it was overturned will be counted. The rules the judge created out of thin air will stand for those ballots, but those received after will be held to Alabama’s actual absentee balloting laws, not Kallon’s ruling.
In my opinion, this is arguably the correct decision.
But Judge Kallon should have never changed the rules mid-election, while votes are being counted, because now we have a fiasco on our hands.
Again, this judge actually disenfranchised people — some cast votes that will not be counted, and he is solely responsible.
Alabama law was clear and simple. Judge Kallon made it more complicated.
Because of this, there will be votes not counted. He made things worse.
This right here is the problem with how litigious we have become in dealing with our electoral system. Instead of following and changing the law through the appropriate legislative process, there are those who — like in this case — opt to seek out judges that will unilaterally give the plaintiffs what they want.
Be prepared for more of this as we move forward with courts and the Supreme Court dealing with these issues during the 2020 election and the days that follow. This is an area rife for misinformation and manipulation.
Maybe judges and other officials shouldn’t be screwing around with how votes are counted right before an election?
Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 AM weekdays on WVNN.
