By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Officials are still tallying provisional ballots, but they say it does not appear there were enough votes to change the outcome of the unofficial count on Amendment Two. With the amendment headed toward a narrow defeat, state officials say an automatic recount would likely be set for November 29. The attorney general's office issued an advisory opinion saying a recount should be held after the completion of the statewide election canvass on November 24. Unofficial returns showed Amendment Two trailed by almost 2,500 votes out of the 1.38 million cast last week. Secretary of State Nancy Worley says a new state law mandates a recount when an amendment is defeated by less than 1/2 of a percent, and Amendment Two was within that margin. The amdnement would take out segregation-era language from Alabama's Constitution. And even if a recount does not change the vote, lawmakers have already introduced legislation to place a reworked version of Amendment Two before voters.