Alabama Secretary of State candidate Ed Packard is calling on Alabama’s voters to serve as poll watchers for his campaign in the May 24, 2022, Republican Primary Election.
“Poll watchers are a valuable part of elections,” Packard said in a statement. “They are ‘boots on the ground’ supporting and promoting election integrity by observing the activities in the polling places where they serve. If they see anything questionable or problematic, they can immediately report it so that it can be addressed in real-time by election officials, including the chief inspector of the polling place, the county probate judge, or the Secretary of State. Naturally, they will also keep the candidate they represent informed as well so that the candidate is aware of activities that may impact her or his candidacy.”
The Secretary of State’s Alabama Polling Official Guide 2022 provides that each candidate in a primary election may appoint one poll watcher for each polling place. To serve as a poll watcher, a person must be a resident of the state of Alabama and must be registered to vote in Alabama.
State Auditor Jim Zeigler, also a candidate for Secretary of State, has announced a plan to recruit and train poll watchers should he be elected Secretary of State
“I support what I know of Mr. Zeigler’s plan to increase the number of poll watchers around the state,” Packard said. “However, Alabamians who wish to help ensure the integrity of elections in Alabama need not wait for a future Secretary of State to recruit and train them. They can join now with a candidate of their choice – whether it is me, Mr. Zeigler, or any one of the hundreds of other candidates for federal, state, and county offices – and be appointed as that candidate’s poll watcher.”
Packard recently retired from the Alabama Secretary of State’s office where he was a senior official over the elections division of the office.
Wes Allen, Christian Horn, Ed Packard and Jim Zeigler are all running in the Republican primary for Alabama Secretary of State in the 2022 Alabama Republican Primary on May 24.
Incumbent Secretary of State John H. Merrill (R) is term-limited from running for re-election.
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