For decades, allegations of absentee ballot fraud have plagued some of Alabama's elections, particularly in the state's rural communities.
Most recently, in 2018, both Perry and Wilcox Counties saw irregular absentee voter participation that included threats of arrests aimed at election workers affiliated with the Alabama Secretary of State's office.
The threat of voter fraud, especially in the arena of absentee voting, still exists, Greg Cook, a Republican candidate for Alabama Supreme Court justice, said.
During an interview with Mobile radio FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show" on Wednesday, Cook explained how he, as a Supreme Court justice candidate, was the best pick concerning election integrity issues.
He also discussed how to combat potential future instances of abuse of absentee voting.
"[I]t's very difficult to catch it, and I understand what Secretary Merrill is saying," Cook said. "That's why you hear in the national press the Democrats say, 'There's no evidence of election fraud.' Well, that's because it's very hard to prove. From my experience, the best thing to do is prevent it on the front end. And the more prophylactic measure you have in place ahead of time, the more likely your election is going to be free and fair.
"I'm telling you, it is impossible to have a perfect election. I went to Florida in the Bush-Gore hanging chad. We hand-counted hundreds of thousands of data cards, punchcards, old-timey punchcards. It is impossible to do that perfectly. It is impossible to run an election perfectly. What we should be striving for is getting the best, most fair election. And so, I'm concerned about those things happening in Wilcox County, Greene County and Perry County. And I'm particularly concerned when I see those kinds of absentee numbers are more than the in-person vote."
Cook said the state needs to send resources to areas of concern to make sure the law is being followed because ballot harvesting is illegal in Alabama. Cook said our laws need to be enforced and that's why we need people in the courts that will adjudge cases according to the laws as they're written and not legislate from the bench.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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