Mallory Hagan, the Democratic candidate for Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District, held a press conference on the steps of the Tuskegee Courthouse to announce the creation of a Voter Protection Committee with co-chair Attorney Fred Grey Jr. The Committee will address voting rights in Alabama.
Hagan said that well over 55,000 voters have been disqualified or labeled ‘inactive’ since February of 2017 in the 3rd Congressional District alone. The projection for the number of purged voters from voting rolls statewide could be well into the hundreds of thousands.
Hagan is the Miss America 2013. She is challenging incumbent Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Saks.
“Eight months ago, I chose to run for this office because I saw the people around me, the people I know and love, struggling.” said Miss Hagan. “… not through a fault of their own, or through an act of god, but struggling because every day the people of East Alabama face unnecessary bureaucratic burdens. Our schools lack funding, our college students drown in debt, our veterans are denied the care they need, our leaders are wallowing in corruption and our hospitals are closing. My community and our state’s people deserve better.”
“Today, I tell our voters that we must be on high alert,” Hagan warned. “According to our most recent findings, more than 1 in 10 voters here in East Alabama have been removed from the active voter rolls. These voters are either entirely disqualified or have been marked ‘inactive’… We have reason to believe this number is much higher.”
Miss Hagan announced that she has plans for her campaign to ensure the integrity of every vote in the 3rd District and called upon every citizen in the State of Alabama to check their voter registration status.
“To the voters of East Alabama, I say this: we have your back,” Hagan continued. “If you fear your voice will be lost in the system, if you don’t trust that a government that has failed you could ever be fixed, know that change will not happen until we step up, even when the going gets hard. We cannot allow complications to derail the very elections which are the foundation of democracy. Check your registration status today, find your polling place, and get your ID ready.”
Hagan’s Voter Protection Committee to protect voters from what she claimed were voter suppression efforts between now and election day.
Today is the last day to register to vote, October 22, and be able to participate in the November 6 general election. If you have moved today is the last day to change your registration status and the polling place you are assigned to. You can register at your local Board of Registrar’s office or online at the Secretary of State’s office.
You must have a valid photo ID in order to participate in any Alabama election. Make sure that your ID has not expired. If you do not have a valid photo ID, you can get a free photo ID from the Secretary of State’s office or your local Board of Registrars. You will not be allowed to vote without a photo ID.
Hagan’s committee will be comprised of lawyers throughout the district working pro-bono to assist in monitoring and addressing voter suppression concerns.
Hagan said that statewide, on June 30, 2017, the number of inactive voters was 46,484. By July 30, 2017, that number was 385,878.
Mallory Hagan grew up in Opelika before moving to New York City to continue her studies at the Fashion Institute. She won Miss New York and then competed for Miss America. She is 29 years old.
