The Alabama Problem

Guest Opinion by Lisa Ward

Before you start: not knocking the change ticket, using it as a warning moving forward. Don’t go down a rabbit hole. I want to help people understand how to make it better.

People keep asking me what is wrong with Alabama politics and why voter turnout remains so low.

I asked 10 people to name the candidates running for statewide offices. Only one could name them all.

That gave me pause.

They asked why so many people have become disengaged and why they no longer believe their participation matters.

The answer is trust.

People do not invest their time, money, energy, or vote in something they do not trust.

They do not volunteer for organizations they no longer believe represent them.

They do not donate to campaigns where they feel invisible.

They do not vote when they think the outcome has already been decided or that their voice does not matter.

That is not voter apathy. That is voter disillusionment.

For the record, this is not just a Democratic problem.

The Republican Party in Alabama is experiencing many of the same issues.

The difference is that some Republicans have openly challenged their own establishment because they recognize that something has gone wrong.

They understand that opportunists and power brokers have tried to take control of their party and use it for their own interests instead of the interests of the people.

I believe both parties are at a crossroads and in need of a reset.

This is bigger than Democrats versus Republicans. It is about recognizing that people have lost faith in institutions that they once trusted.

It is about understanding that outsiders and political insiders alike have benefited from keeping people divided, distrustful, and fighting one another instead of demanding accountability from those in power.

The easiest way to maintain control is to keep people down and distracted.

Keep them fighting over poverty.
Keep them fighting over race.
Keep them blaming each other instead of asking why their communities are struggling and who benefits from that struggle.

The truth is that poverty and racism are still very much alive in Alabama.

They continue to affect education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and political participation. Pretending these issues do not exist only deepens the frustration and distrust that people already feel.

One of the biggest mistakes made in Alabama politics is turning an entire statewide campaign into a single personality.

When every candidate is grouped under one label or one headline name, the other candidates lose their identity.

Voters remember the person at the top of the ticket, but they cannot tell you who is running for Secretary of State, State Auditor, Agriculture Commissioner, or other critical offices.

They cannot explain what those offices do or why they matter.

That is dangerous.

The Secretary of State’s office is one of the most important positions in Alabama because it directly affects election administration and public confidence in our elections.

Yet many voters cannot name the candidate running for that office because all of the attention has been directed elsewhere.

A statewide ticket should never make one person appear to be the entire movement.

When that happens, the volunteers, donations, media attention, and political energy naturally flow toward that one campaign while down ballot candidates struggle to be seen and heard.

We have seen this before.

The result is that qualified candidates become invisible.

Their ideas never reach the public.

Their races become afterthoughts, even when those offices may have more direct impact on the daily lives of Alabamians than the race at the top of the ticket.

Then people ask why voter turnout is low.

The answer is simple. Voters are not inspired by candidates they do not know.

They do not become engaged in races they do not understand. They do not feel empowered when they believe only one race matters and every other office is secondary.

Politics is ultimately about relationships and trust.

Every candidate who runs for office builds supporters because people know them, believe in them, and trust them.

When those relationships are ignored and candidates are reduced to supporting characters in someone else’s campaign, people become frustrated and disengaged.

People are not asking for perfection. They are asking to be seen, heard, informed, and respected.

Until we understand why trust has been broken, why so many voters no longer feel connected to the process, and why people have lost faith in both political parties and political institutions, we will continue asking why turnout is low while refusing to address the very reasons people stopped participating in the first place.

This is not simply a Democratic problem. This is not simply a Republican problem.

This is an Alabama problem.

I call on the Alabama Democratic Party to stop only emailing democrats for money (that’s why we have all opted out).

I call on them to write a piece every day on at least one candidate from now until November.

I call on them to mention and tag every democratic nominee in the press releases or commentary on social media every time they mention a Republican candidate running for office.

I call on them to invest in a database that county parties have access year round to work and update their county information so candidates and county leaders have tools and resources they can work with when campaigning begins (stop charging them for a tool that is needed like we need air).

I call on the Democratic Party to start rebuilding trust with real evidence you are working for the people.

I call on the state party to make a phone call to all the candidates who put themselves out there and check on them. See how they are and thank them for their service so they don’t disappear and never come back.

While you’re at it, call the down ballot nominees currently on the ballot and see how you can help them.

The Facebook bubble of democrats that regurgitate information is not how we teach the 4 million voters that exist.

This is a start in rebuilding trust. It must begin here.

PS… the Chief Elections Officer needs to be on an island garnering its own identity if we want to win elections. Make sure we educate how important it is. There hasn’t been a Democratic Secretary of State since 2007.

PSS… the state house and state senate victories are critical. A governor or any other change ticket victory is useless without a democratic majority in legislation.

Otherwise, we just have the same lame ducks fighting over lost causes.

Make the state party name names, every single day and start holding THEM accountable. The candidates (plural) are the real assets here.

Make the party help you know them by name. Every one of them up and down the ballot. Give equal time to them and allow voters to help share their messages.

Use your Press Release advantages and start submitting candidate info to the media so we can know them.

Elections for Alabama State Party Officers is in August. Use this time wisely to create accountability and rebuild trust.

That’s all!

Lisa Ward is a former Democratic nominee for the Alabama State Senate, a political leader and advocate with more than three decades of experience advancing justice, equity, and community empowerment. She is known for grassroots organizing and coalition-building across the State, and is committed to policy solutions that uplift marginalized communities and strengthen democracy. She previously served as a senior advisor to the Will Boyd for Alabama campaign.

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