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MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Secretary of State, John Merrill, spoke with reporters late Tuesday night addressing the US Senate special election results. Merrill said he wanted to explain the process from this point going forward.

The Secretary of State laid out the steps that need to be taken:

  • Each county will first process and secure the write-in votes by Friday, December 15;
  • On Tuesday, December 19 all the provisional ballots and all the military ballots in each county will be processed with the write-in votes;
  • All of the above information is due in the Secretary of State’s office by Friday, December 22;
  • All votes will go through a certification process that will take place no earlier than December 26 and no later than January 3.

Merrill said that this process will allow the state to make sure that all the standards as required by the code of Alabama have been met and that everything has been certified for the next US Senator from the State of Alabama.

He also pointed out that this was not the most write-in votes cast in an Alabama election but it is one of “the highest margins that has ever been achieved in a competitive race.”

The Secretary of State also addressed the question of a recount. He said that the automatic recount has not been triggered and would only occur after all of the certification takes place either by request or if it is required. Merrill also said that the Moore campaign has not requested a recount and could not until the procedure is finished.

You can watch the full news conference below.