— MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama's chief election official is expecting a small turnout for the special election Sept. 18 because of the lack of advertising and the unusual date.
Secretary of State Beth Chapman said the turnout for constitutional amendment elections usually is very low. The exceptions were the lottery vote in 1999 and the tax hike vote in 2003, which hit 50 percent or more. But she said those were backed by millions in advertising.
That hasn't been the case with the upcoming election. Chapman said she's expecting a turnout of 20 to 21 percent, but that may be optimistic.
Voters are deciding whether to approve a constitutional amendment to take about $435 million out of a state trust fund and use it to balance the state General Fund budget for three years.
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