Alabama Primary Election Runoff & Secret State Constitutional Amendment Tuesday July 15

We have a primary runoff in Alabama!

Forecast participation is around 5% of registered voters. Many counties have no Democratic Party runoff, like my county, Montgomery (where the State Capital is located).

Alabama party crossover rules are interesting in light of the recent Mississippi primary runoff issues. If you voted in the Democratic Primary, you can vote in either party runoff, so even if you don't have a Democratic runoff, you can still influence the results of the Republican runoff. If you voted in the Republican Primary, you are not allowed to crossover, you can only vote in the Republican runoff.

Why would a Democrat vote in the Republican primary or runoff? This may be your only chance to participate in electing your representation. Or, this may be your chance to influence who runs against your Democratic candidate in the November general election. As most Alabamians know, every statewide elected office is now held by a Republican. The State House and Senate is held by super-majority Republican. Our 2 US Senators are Republican. 6 out of 7 US House representatives are Republican.

At the Federal level, Terri Sewell is our only Alabama Democratic representative -- and she is an outstanding voice. She represents the "Black Belt," a Federal Congressional district created to ensure a black (Democratic) representative from Alabama in Washington DC. Which also guarantees Republican (white) representative districts all around.

Alabama is a Red State. What are Democrats to do? Well, ride it out (Republicans will eventually screw it all up) and pick the 'lesser of two evils' in the Republican runoff where there is no Democrat in the general. Or, even more fun, where there is a Democrat in the general, pick the more evil Republican our Democrat has the best chance of beating.

On my Republican ballot for the runoff (I have no Democratic runoff), for Secretary of State, I get to vote against Reese McKinney again, a local Republican small time career politician we voted out last cycle (and voted in a Democratic probate judge Steven Reed who has done an excellent job, by the way). For State Auditor, I get to vote for Dale Peterson, an absolute crazy candidate-for-whatever Republican (he is on YouTube!). Does it really matter if these 2 offices have Democratic opposition in November? Not really. Not this cycle. This is the vote that counts.

In your area of the State, you get to make an informed choice, too.

But most important, vote! Vote for Democrats, vote for bad Republicans, vote for secret Constitutional Amendment snuck in runoff, vote because you are a voter, but vote! This is where big D Democracy hits the road.

And remember -- vote early, and vote often!