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Group offering Black Belt pastors money ‘per person’ they get to vote early

Yellowhammer News has obtained a flier being distributed in Choctaw County offering pastors money in exchange for getting people to vote early via absentee ballot.

The flier was created by the much-maligned Alabama New South Coalition, which has previously come under fire for distributing racially charged and incendiary political rhetoric. The group is predominantly African-American and supports Democratic candidates for office; former State Sen. Hank Sanders (D-Selma) is the group’s president emeritus.

Entitled “March To The Polls,” the coalition’s flyer is also being run in a local newspaper and is addressed to local pastors. Choctaw County is in the Black Belt and Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.

“Anybody that vote early before October 29th your church will get $6.00 per person,” the flyer begins. “We will verify if they have registered and checks will be dispersed after October 29th.”

“Please help us spread to word to the local churches in your area. We are asking you to exercise special leadership in the New South March To The Polls Initiative,” it continues. “This is a special early vote effort.”

“We are asking and urging you to organize Marches To The Polls between now and October 29th, 2020 to ensure that our people vote,” the flyer adds.

The flyer was signed by the local coordinator for the coalition and the group’s state director.

(Click for high quality image)

In a statement to Yellowhammer News, Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill said, “This is not against the law. It is considered a charitable donation.”

“The Sheriff in Choctaw County is aware of this message going around,” he continued. “Our attorney has looked into this solicitation as well and has found no instance of intentionally attempting to influence a voter. It is certainly not advised that this practice be promoted or encouraged.”

Alabama New South Alliance, which is Alabama New South Coalition’s political arm, has endorsed U.S. Senator Doug Jones’ (D-AL) reelection bid and the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden in this cycle.

Yellowhammer News examined federal campaign finance records and found that the respective campaigns of Jones and Biden have given the Alliance and Coalition at least $296,200 combined, starting with Jones’ 2017 special election victory.

Each campaign reported giving the Alliance $25,000 this year for “printing & distributing sample ballots.”

In 2017, Jones paid the Alliance $49,000 for serving as a “consultant.” His campaign that cycle also paid the Alliance $192,000 for “canvassing.”

On the state level, the group has received funds from the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee and the Alabama AFL-CIO. Democratic gubernatorial Walt Maddox’s campaign paid the Alliance a total of $102,400 in the 2018 cycle. While $50,000 of that total was purportedly for “GOTV” (get out the vote), $35,000 was labeled for “consultants/polling” and $15,000 was designated as being for “advertising.”

During the 2017 and 2018 cycles, Alabama New South Alliance was registered as a federal “Super PAC,” technically known as an independent expenditure-only committee. The group terminated its FEC registration in summer 2019.

Choctaw County is not the only jurisdiction the Coalition and Alliance are currently working in to get locals to the polls ahead of November 3.

Recent reporting by The Greene County Democrat revealed that the “March to the Polls Project” is underway in Greene County, which is also located in the Black Belt and Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.

The Coalition’s website says the organization has local chapters in 40 Alabama counties.

Editor’s note: This article originally noted that State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures (D-Mobile) is listed as being on the Coalition’s board on the group’s website. Figures has informed Yellowhammer News that she is no longer on the board.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

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