Group offers churches $6-a-ballot to help people vote early

Alabama officials say implementation is going smoothly with a new law requiring voters to show a photo ID to vote.

 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s election’s chief says a group’s offer to pay churches $6 for every person they help to vote early this year does not violate any law. 

The “New South Souls to the Polls Initiative” is offering to pay churches a $6 contribution for each documented early vote.

Former state Sen. Hank Sanders is an organizer of the effort. He says the $6 is to compensate groups for transportation, and time to help people vote early. He says it is not tied to voting a particular way.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said there is nothing nefarious as long as the $6 is not tied to voting a particular way.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.