By Chip Brownlee
Alabama Political Reporter
MONTGOMERY—Secretary of State John Merrill, Gov. Robert Bentley and Attorney General Luther Strange on Tuesday certified election results for the State marking a year of record voter turnout in the Yellowhammer State.
On Nov. 8, more than 63 percent of registered voters, 2,137,482 voters, turned out to cast their votes for the races on the ballot. While the percentage is down from 2012’s 74 percent, more people voted than in 2012. That year, only 2,074,338 people voted.
The 2016 general election, Merrill’s first General Election during his administration, also saw record voter registration. The Secretary of State’s office said Tuesday that was thanks in large part to Merrill’s comprehensive voter registration and participation campaigns.
“It is clear that our team’s efforts during the past twenty-two months have worked to empower and engage our people. We saw you at the polls in record numbers on November 8, now let’s work together to make Alabama the very best that it can be,” said Secretary Merrill.
The certification on Tuesday provides legal backing of the electoral process after the State’s Canvassing Board reviewed and legally certified those results.
Republican President-Elect Donald Trump received 1,318,255 votes securing Alabama’s nine electoral votes and beating Democrat Secretary Hillary Clinton who received only 729,547 votes. Trump took more votes than any other candidate in Alabama history, Merrill’s office said.
