Alabama
Alabama House passes bill requiring random post-election audits
The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill requiring every county to audit the results of at least one race in at least one precinct after every general election.
Rep. Joe Lovvorn, R-Auburn, said the intent is to identify any potential problems, such as malfunction of the ballot-counting machines.
The audits could not result in changing the outcome of an election.
Republican lawmakers have proposed similar bills before and they have passed the House but not the Senate.
Democrats questioned the need for the legislation.
“I believe this is a frivolous bill,” Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham said.
Moore said the ballot counting machines are tested before elections.
“We don’t have any data to prove that anything irregular has happened,” Moore said.
Lovvorn said the audits would identify potential problems that need to be fixed before the next election.
Lovvorn noted that the audits would cost an estimated total of $35,000 per day statewide, according to the bill’s fiscal note.
The state would reimburse counties for their costs.
Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Birmingham, questioned the $35,000 figure, noting that would be an average of just $522 for Alabama’s 67 counties.
He said the state’s large counties would have to spend more than that to do the audits.
Lovvorn said the cost would vary by county but said it would be justified to help ensure people’s confidence in elections.
“This is a minimal cost for peace of mind for all of us and all the people we represent, that we’re doing everything we can to prove that this is working correctly,“ Lovvorn said.
Under his bill, the probate judge of every county would order an audit after every county or statewide general election.
The county canvassing board would randomly select one race for the audit and one precinct.
County canvassing boards are made up of the probate judge, the circuit clerk, and the sheriff.
The probate judge would select a date and time for the audit, which could happen no earlier than 31 days after the election or the expiration of the time period to file an election contest, whichever is less.
The probate judge would appoint an inspector and poll workers to do the audit.
Every ballot from the selected race in the selected precinct would be counted after being delivered in the sealed ballot containers.
The ballots could be counted either manually or by a ballot counter. At least 30 ballots would be manually examined to compare with the reading on the ballot counter for each ballot.
The probate judge would report the findings of each post-election audit to the secretary of state, including any problems found, the cause, and recommendations for fixing them.
The reports would be posted on the secretary of state website.
The bill passed by a vote of 72-25. It was the first bill passed by the House during this year’s annual session, which started Tuesday.
Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday issued an updated directive calling for the lowering of all flags to half-staff across the state of Alabama on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of three Alabama Airmen who lost their lives in service to their country on March 12, 2026.
Below is Gov. Ivey’s flag-lowering directive.
“I authorize the lowering of flags at the Capitol Complex in Montgomery and statewide on Monday, March 30, 2026, in honor of U.S. military service members stationed in Alabama, who lost their lives on March 12, 2026, during an accident involving their KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury. These fallen military personnel served in the 99th Air Refueling Squadron of the 117th Air Refueling Wing located at Sumpter Smith Joint Air National Guard Base in Birmingham.
“Major John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, a resident of Trussville, Alabama and graduate of Auburn University, served as chief of squadron standardization and evaluations. An eight-year Air Force veteran, Maj. Klinner’s awards include the Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air and Space Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster. He is survived by his wife, Libby, and their three young children.
“Major Ariana G. Savino, 31, served as chief of current operations. A native of Washington state, Maj. Savino was a graduate of Central Washington University and Air Force ROTC, with over 300 combat hours. Her awards include the Air Medal and Air Space Commendation Medal.
“Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, served as an assistant flight chief of operations. A native of Kentucky, Tech Sgt. Pruitt received two associate’s degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and had over 900 combat flight hours. She is survived by her husband, Gregory, a young daughter and stepson.
“To honor these brave Airmen who gave their lives in service to our country, I am directing all flags to be lowered from sunrise until sunset on Monday, March 30, 2026, the day of funeral services for Alabama native Major John A. Klinner.”
An Alabama state lawmaker — and outspoken gun rights advocate — is thanking “God” after one of his young sons accidentally shot his older brother in the back with the dad’s rifle.
Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, a Republican and father of four, told the Alabama Daily News that his 13-year-old son was making a speedy recovery after the harrowing incident at their Lawrence County home Saturday nearly took the teen’s life.
“Thanks be to God, all is well. A flesh wound only. He has been playing basketball with me tonight,” Yarbrough said.
A child, who was later identified as Yarbrough’s 6-year-old son, accidentally shot his older brother in the back of the shoulder at the residence, Lawrence County Chief Deputy Brian Covington told the TimesDaily.
It is unclear how the little boy was able to retrieve his dad’s .556-caliber AR-style rifle from a bedroom while Yarbrough and his wife were home, the outlet reported.
It’s also unclear if Yarbrough’s two other children witnessed the shooting.
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office notified the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which is a requirement whenever kids are involved in a shooting, AL.com reported.
The Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office has launched a probe into the shooting.
Yarbrough, a first-term lawmaker in the Alabama statehouse, is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, according to his campaign website.
In 2023, he sponsored a bill that prohibits the enforcement of any “red flag” laws, which are intended to prevent mentally and emotionally unstable people from gaining legal access to firearms.
The unsuccessful bill, dubbed the “Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure Act,” stipulated that any state or local law enforcement officer found abiding by a red flag law would be subject to a $50,000 civil penalty.
The act also laid out a judicial relief process for anyone who could prove they were “injured” when they were subject to a red flag law.
The same bill failed to pass the state legislature again last year.
Previously, Yarbrough touted an endorsement from the National Association of Gun Rights, AL.com reported.
The NAGR mirrors the National Rifle Association — save for its hardline on “absolutely NO COMPROMISE on gun rights issues,” according to its website.
The Post reached out to Yarbrough for comment.
A Vanderbilt football goal post that was escorted down Broadway by an enthusiastic band of Commodores fans before being heaved into the Cumberland River on the night of Oct. 5, 2024 helped make graduate transfer receiver Cole Adams a believer that Nashville might be the place for him.
Adams, you see, was on that No. 1-ranked Alabama team. He had a front-row seat to what some consider the beginning of the rebirth of a program that had long been the laughingstock of the SEC.
Adams made two catches for 17 yards during that 40-35 loss. He also made it a point to pay attention to what was going on around him and the Diego Pavia-led Commodores.
“There were more Alabama fans in the stands than there were Vanderbilt,” Adams said March 24 after a spring practice. “And they whooped our butt. They whooped our butt.
“Not only was I in awe, but I was like, ‘Look at these guys.’ It was pretty cool from the opposite side of the field to see the relatedness and the brotherhood. … That was the first time I really looked at Vanderbilt, and I was like, ‘These guys have something good going on.’ “
How Tim Beck, Clark Lea helped bring Cole Adams to Vanderbilt football
Adams, who had 13 catches for 176 yards and one touchdown in 24 games spanning three seasons with the Crimson Tide, is expected to play a bigger role with his new team.
It’s a team that will have a new quarterback − freshman Jared Curtis seems most likely − with 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up Pavia gone chasing his NFL dreams.
A team that will have a bigger target on its back.
A team Adams joined thanks in large part to offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who recruited Adams when he played for Owasso High School in Oklahoma and Beck was coaching at TCU.
“We created a really close relationship really quickly,” said the 5-foot-10, 183-pound Adams, who also was Alabama’s primary punt returner. “Even back then, I felt like we related to each other a lot. He talked to my parents a ton, and they loved him as well.”
Clark Lea also made quite the impression on Adams during his official visit.
“When he came on campus and met with us, I was blown away with his engagement, his personality and just had the feeling that he was a fit for us,” Lea said. “He’s brought confidence. He’s brought that snap experience.
“He’s also a misfit. He’s a chip-on-the-shoulder guy, which I appreciate. It fits with our environment.”
Vanderbilt football replacing leadership with Diego Pavia’s departure
Which is a void the Commodores must fill in the absence of Pavia, whose leadership skills were lauded by many to be as, if not more, impressive as his abilities on the field.
Pavia quickly became a vocal leader. Wore a C on his chest. Led both vocally and by example.
Adams still considers himself the new kid on the block, but his pedigree and his past, not to mention his new coach, suggest that also will be part of his role.
Even if doesn’t fully feel prepared for that just yet.
“First I have to show on the field that I’m capable, showing the guys I can do the right things at all times before you’re vocal,” Adams said. “There’s a time and place to be a leader. You need to gain trust and respect before you can … help them out.
“I still feel young, but I guess I’m kind of an old head now. I guess you could say I’ve been through it. I’ve had some peers I looked up to and learned from. So now I’m just implementing that in my game.”
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
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