Dear Editor,

It’s a shame and an embarrassment what is being allowed to happen as Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has recently requested that secretaries of states in the other 49 state turn over its citizens’ voter information that would reveal their voting habits and patterns… all for the sake of “election integrity.”

The fact that Alabama Secretary State John Merrill hasn’t just refused like so many other states is troubling.

It’s a no brainer that Merrill should be more concerned with protecting the voting rights and overall privacy of the citizens of Alabama and not being an active patsy for the national GOP’s voter suppression tactics.

Other voter suppression tactics such as crosscheck and the national gerrymandering that happened after the 2010 census has done much damage in not only denying people of their vote but also thinning out their vote so it doesn’t have a greater impact.

Alabama voter laws are already reclusive as is, with it’s only one voting day, not allowing vote by mail or same day registration, keeps a certain percentage of potential voters from casting a ballot.

If Gov. Kay Ivey gave a damn about the voters of her state she should put democracy over party loyalty.

Kairon Arnold

Selma