Nearly one in five adult Alabama residents is effectively “missing” from the state’s elections due to systemic barriers that disproportionately affect Black voters and adults with disabilities, according to a new report.
The 44‑page analysis, “Missing Voters: The Real Threat to Alabama’s Democracy,” concludes that Alabama continues to maintain Jim Crow–era structures that have left roughly 815,000 residents – 21% of the state’s 3.8 million voting-age citizens — either unregistered or listed as inactive voters. The report also criticizes the state’s heavily gerrymandered districts, noting that nearly three‑quarters of general‑election races go uncontested. Only four states saw lower voter turnout than Alabama in 2024.
The report outlines several policy solutions—many long supported by Democratic lawmakers but repeatedly blocked in the Republican-controlled legislature—including early voting, no‑excuse absentee voting, and same‑day and automatic voter registration…