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As Polls Open, Alabamians Face Voting Hurdles

HeadlineDec 12, 2017

A Fox News poll on Monday showed Democrat Doug Jones leading Moore by 10 points, but civil rights activists are warning of serious obstacles to voting. Alabama has one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the U.S., which activists say disproportionately affects African Americans, students and others who are far more likely to vote against Republicans. After it implemented the law in 2014, Alabama ordered the closure of 31 DMV offices in mostly black parts of the state—including in every county where African Americans make up at least three-quarters of the population. The closures were partly reversed after a civil rights probe by the Department of Transportation. Alabama also closed 7 percent of its polling places in recent years, even as its population rose.

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