By Mike Cason
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Voter turnout in Alabama for Tuesday‘s general election was the lowest percentage in the state during any presidential election year since 1988
Turnout was 58.52%, according to Secretary of State Wes Allen’s office.
Unofficial results from all 67 counties on the secretary of state website show 2,263,627 votes cast out of 3,868,043 registered voters.
President-elect Donald Trump overwhelmingly carried the state, as he did in 2016 and 2020.
The last time turnout for a presidential election in Alabama was below 60% was for the race between President George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis 36 years ago, when it was 56%. That‘s according to the secretary of state’s office.
Alabama’s highest percentage turnout since then was in 1992, when 76% of registered voters cast ballots. That year, Bill Clinton defeated Bush. Independent Ross Perot got more than 187,000 votes in Alabama that year, 11%.
Turnout exceeded 70% in Alabama for three other presidential elections – 73.8% for Barack Obama vs. John McCain in 2008, 73.2% for Obama vs. Mitt Romney in 2012, and 72.5% for George W. Bush vs. John Kerry in 2004.
Although Tuesday’s percentage turnout was lower than in the last eight presidential races, the total number of votes cast was the second highest ever, behind only the 2,329,114 cast in 2020.
The percentage of registered voters in Alabama has increased by 75% since 1992, when it was roughly 2.2 million.
Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen, asked about the low percentage of turnout on Tuesday, issued a statement.
“Yesterday, Alabamians cast 2,263,627 ballots in a fair, secure, and transparent election,” Allen said. “Yesterday’s election was administered with election security and integrity as the primary goal. I am proud to say that, because of our dedicated local election officials, that goal was achieved.
“Alabama’s probate judges, sheriffs, circuit clerks, Boards of Registrars, and poll workers are the backbone of election administration. They work extremely hard. As Alabama’s Secretary of State, I will always work with and for our local election officials, not against them. As a former probate judge, I know firsthand the preparation and hard work that goes into administering fair, secure, and transparent elections.”