The candidacy of a Republican candidate for Limestone County Commission was called into question because he didn’t vote in the previous two Republican primary elections, among other reasons.

“The Secretary of State’s Office shows LaDon Townsend has never voted in a primary election, or a runoff election,” said Eric Redd in a written statement to The News Courier. “How can someone who has never voted for a Republican candidate in a primary election expect to receive votes in a Republican primary election.”

Redd filed the ballot challenge against Townsend, who is running for the Limestone County Commission District 4 seat against incumbent Republican Ben Harrison. Townsend previously told The News Courier that Redd’s information was correct. He explained he was out of town or otherwise unavailable during the previous primaries.

Townsend had a hearing with the Alabama Republican Party on Dec. 16. He had seven minutes during a phone conference to plead his case with the party, but the party ultimately voted to keep him off the March 3 primary ballot.

The source of Redd’s information, however, has been called into question by Townsend and readers of The News Courier. Is it legal for someone to find out how you voted in a primary election or runoff? The answer is “yes,” if you go through the proper channels.

Voter files that show whether a person voted in the Republican or Democratic primary or runoff election can be purchased from the Secretary of State’s Office. Countywide lists can be purchased for 1 cent per name.

Clay Helms, director of elections for the the Secretary of State’s Office, confirmed to The News Courier that no one had requested Townsend’s voting record in the past two years. Redd, however, claimed he purchased a countywide voter list from the Secretary of State’s Office following the 2018 primary.

Redd was the Republican candidate for Limestone County Sheriff in 2018. He said the list he purchased contained the names of only those who voted in the Republican primary, which he estimated to be about 13,000 voters.

Despite having no opposition in the 2018 primary, Redd said the voter list was a useful tool in his campaign. Lists generated since 2017 — the year the law banning crossover voting went into effect — note whether a voter cast a ballot in a Republican or Democratic primary or runoff election.

“That’s how you know who to send your mailers out to; that’s your target audience,” Redd said.

The same voter information can also be found at a county Board of Registrars, though Secretary of State John Merrill said it is against the law for the board to share it with a member of the public unless a voter requests the information about themselves.

“We’ll know if that’s happened, and we’ll know if a person broke the law,” Merrill said. “If they did, they will be subject to criminal prosecution and they will be fired.”

Beth Harrison, a member of the county Board of Registrars, told The News Courier the information did not come from the local office. Harrison, one of three registrars in the office and the one who answered the phone Friday, said the Board refers members of the public to the Secretary of State’s Office if anyone calls seeking the information.

Incidentally, Harrison is the wife of incumbent District 4 Commissioner Ben Harrison, who would have been Townsend’s opponent in the March 3 primary.

Redd said he does not run in the same social circle as the Harrisons, and he heard from someone else that Harrison’s wife worked in the Board of Registrar’s Office. He added he did not get the information about Townsend from her.

The same voter list Redd said he purchased is also sent by the Secretary of State’s Office to the Limestone County Republican Party.

Helms said the chairs of county parties receive the lists three to four weeks after each primary.

Merrill said nothing prevents a county party from providing or selling information found on a voter list to a member of the public.

Visit https://bit.ly/39i2BhI for more information on how to purchase a voter list.

Campaign to continue

Despite the Alabama Republican Party ruling against him, Townsend recently said his campaign would continue. He has not publicly stated whether he will try to obtain the 194 signatures needed to get on the November ballot as an independent candidate or whether he will take legal action against the state party.

“Your support has been humbling over the past days, weeks and months,” he said in a recent statement. “I ask that you continue to spread the word and keep my name out there. … Let’s keep working hard for our community, district, and Limestone County.”

In addition to Townsend’s voting history, the challenge to his candidacy centered on support he had received from Limestone County Democrats, including former District 4 Commissioner Bill Daws and Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. Both men have signs in their yard supporting Townsend.

In Redd’s letter to the state party, he also said Townsend was overheard saying he was only running as a Republican because it would be easier to win than as a Democrat.

“I do not believe Mr. Townsend is a loyal Republican according to the standards set forth by the ALGOP, and I humbly ask that you do not approve his qualifying forms,” Redd said in his closing line.