AL Secretary of State Expects 25 to 30 Percent Voter Turnout

An Alabama election official is projecting that turnout for Tuesday’s primary voting in the state will likely be about one-quarter or more of the state’s registered voters.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill predicts that between 25 and 30 percent of the state’s 3 million registered voters will vote on Tuesday.

Alabama’s primary ballot features multiple offices and something voters in the Republican-controlled state haven’t seen in years: Democratic races for statewide and congressional positions.

In the gubernatorial primaries, Gov. Kay Ivey is seeking to win the office outright after becoming governor last year, when then-Gov. Robert Bentley resigned. Ivey faces GOP primary challengers hoping to force her into a July runoff.

In the Democratic primary, a field of hopefuls seeks to build on the December victory of U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.