By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – Alabama has completed the last step in the presidential election process. The state has cast nine Electoral College votes for President Bush. Elector Martha Stokes of Carrollton says she's a fan of the electoral college. Stokes and other supporters say if presidential races were decided by the popular vote, candidates would concentrate on states like New York and California and could ignore less populated states like Alabama. Governor Riley agrees, saying the Electoral College has served the country well for more than 200 years. In the November 2 election in Alabama, President Bush did receive more than 1,176,000 votes. John Kerry received about 694,000.