Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill (R-AL) on Friday commented at length on the current state of the 2020 general election nationwide, as the results of the presidential race hang in the balance.
With results still unclear in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona, legal challenges have been filed and allegations of impropriety made; to make matters worse, certain jurisdictions have limited or even blocked legal election observers and challengers, creating the appearance of wrongdoing — whether fraud is actually being committed or not.
The respective campaigns of both President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden both continue to project public confidence that their ticket will ultimately prevail following the legal process.
Merrill, Alabama’s chief elections official and Southern Region vice president for the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), began his statement by noting, “Days after one of the most significant elections in our nation’s history, America is still waiting anxiously and earnestly on several states to conclude the processing of ballots.”
“While claims of ‘fraudulent voting’ are running rampant in the media and by campaigns, the public’s confidence in American elections is quickly diminishing,” he continued. “America deserves election results in a timely, secure, and efficient manner. During this time of unrest and uncertainty, it has never been clearer that each respective state should have uniform election laws statewide.”
“We are privileged to live in the greatest country in the world. In this Union, we are afforded many rights – including the right to freely and fairly participate in the electoral process,” Merrill stated. “Among these freedoms comes the responsibility for each state to freely administer elections, without federal overreach.”
The Republican secretary of state then explained what could be at least partially leading to the current electoral uncertainty in specific states.
“However, many of the states we are currently waiting on to report results have inconsistent election laws that vary county by county or parish by parish. Many of the changes we witnessed in election administration during this time came without legislative approval or the guidance of other state officers, which have in-turn resulted in lengthy wait times and the inconsistent reporting of results,” Merrill advised.
“America must do better, because the American people deserve better. Legally cast ballots must be counted in a transparent and credible manner,” he stressed.
Merrill concluded, “The integrity of the electoral process is the backbone of our democracy. I am proud that in Alabama, we continue to set a standard for election excellence through the hard work and dedication of our election officials at every level.”
U.S. Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth (R-AL), PSC President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh (R-AL) and Congressmen Bradley Byrne (AL-01), Mike Rogers (AL-03), Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Mo Brooks (AL-05) and Gary Palmer (AL-06) have also weighed in as the results hang in the balance.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
