# Alabama election results

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [December 13, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356 "2017-12-13T02:57:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/21 "2017-12-13T04:34:45Z")

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This is the perfect time for the sentiment, “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Moore”

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/22 "2017-12-13T04:44:55Z")

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> [@Aspenglow](#):
>
> The automatic recount, yes. I suppose Moore may ask for a recount, but not likely unless the provisional voting totals change things significantly.

As it stands, Moore is about 3,000 votes shy of an automatic recount. So, as added votes (such as military votes) are counted, he’d have to make up at least that deficit, and, of course, more than that. Indeed, by my calculations, even if no added votes for his opponent (or write ins) showed up, he’d have to collect about 8,000 added votes to reach the threshold for an automatic recount.

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/23 "2017-12-13T04:49:53Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> As it stands, Moore is about 3,000 votes shy of an automatic recount. So, as added votes (such as military votes) are counted, he’d have to make up at least that deficit, and, of course, more than that. Indeed, by my calculations, even if no added votes for his opponent (or write ins) showed up, he’d have to collect about 8,000 added votes to reach the threshold for an automatic recount.

Moore will want votes from “certain” districts to be counted as 3/5 of a regular vote. That’s the way it was when America Was Great.

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**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/24 "2017-12-13T04:51:27Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> As it stands, Moore is about 3,000 votes shy of an automatic recount. So, as added votes (such as military votes) are counted, he’d have to make up at least that deficit, and, of course, more than that. Indeed, by my calculations, even if no added votes for his opponent (or write ins) showed up, he’d have to collect about 8,000 added votes to reach the threshold for an automatic recount.

My concern is how many provisional votes they’ll try to invalidate due to their new voter suppression laws. But with a nearly 21,000 vote advantage, even with military votes uncounted, I think it’s a pretty heavy lift for the Moore supporters to overcome these results.

Thank fuck.

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/25 "2017-12-13T04:52:31Z")

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> [@Aspenglow](#):
>
> My concern is how many provisional votes they’ll try to invalidate due to their new voter suppression laws. But with a nearly 21,000 vote advantage, even with military votes uncounted, I think it’s a pretty heavy lift for the Moore supporters to overcome these results.
> 
> Thank fuck.

Provisional votes won’t have been counted, yet. So they aren’t in the totals. They only get counted after they are verified as being legitimately cast.

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/26 "2017-12-13T04:56:47Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> This is the perfect time for the sentiment, “Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Moore”

Geez, what have you got against Sassy?

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**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/27 "2017-12-13T04:57:37Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> Provisional votes won’t have been counted, yet. So they aren’t in the totals. They only get counted after they are verified as being legitimately cast.

Oh!! My goodness, then that changes things, doesn’t it? Most of those voter suppression victims can be presumed to be Jones voters, wouldn’t they? Oh, my. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/28 "2017-12-13T04:57:47Z")

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If Moore demands a recount he will have to pay for it. I can see Trump writing that check.

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**Author:** ![Olfatbut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a183cd/32.png) [@Olfatbut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olfatbut)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/29 "2017-12-13T05:05:13Z")

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This is a victory for sensible people, one less rubber stamp for Dr. Destructo and Jones will likely serve Amalaba (sp?) well.

The interesting bit will be to see how many R’s switched parties, versus stayed home. My hope is that this is the beginning of the end of the toxic party loyalty that prevails in Alabama but typing that out loud sounds awfully naîve. It’s probably more about turnout.

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**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/30 "2017-12-13T05:07:32Z")

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> [@Olfatbut](#):
>
> This is a victory for sensible people, one less rubber stamp for Dr. Destructo and Jones will likely serve Amalaba (sp?) well.
> 
> The interesting bit will be to see how many R’s switched parties, versus stayed home. My hope is that this is the beginning of the end of the toxic party loyalty that prevails in Alabama but typing that out loud sounds awfully naîve. It’s probably more about turnout.

Turnout and a large number of write-in votes.

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**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/31 "2017-12-13T05:16:58Z")

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Jones has a lead of close to 21,000 votes.

From what Moore said he is hanging his hopes on absentee ballots and military ballots.

Steve Kornacki on MSNBC mentioned that an Alabama election official told him all the absentee votes were among the first to be counted. Kornacki also said the military ballots will run around 1,000 votes. So it appears Moore is SOL on those two counts.

Also, the automatic recount happens when the margin is .5%. Jones lead is 1.5%. Moore can pay for a recount but I don’t see it doing him any good.

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/32 "2017-12-13T05:43:33Z")

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> [@El\_Kabong](#):
>
> Geez, what have you got against Sassy?

Sorry Sassy, you seemed like a good horse, you shoulda thrown that skeevy rider.

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/33 "2017-12-13T06:19:01Z")

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Aside: Which reminds me, where the hell has **Spavined Gelding** been?

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/34 "2017-12-13T06:58:14Z")

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> [@Olfatbut](#):
>
> This is a victory for sensible people …

For simple decency.

I don’t know what result would have been better for my artisan interests. Some made good arguments that Moore winning and being the ugly face of the GOP would have served my partisan interests better than having Jones placehold for 18 months. But assuming so I am still very happy that simple decency prevailed.

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**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/35 "2017-12-13T08:16:13Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Some made good arguments that Moore winning and being the ugly face of the GOP would have served my partisan interests better than having Jones placehold for 18 months.

When is Jones’ term up? I thought he served until 2021 (with a November 2020 election).

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**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/36 "2017-12-13T08:20:28Z")

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Way to go people of Alabama. I am honestly proud of you.

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**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/37 "2017-12-13T08:48:09Z")

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The scary part is that 48% of Alabamians still voted for a notorious unrepentant sexual harasser. Of course, the same is also true nationwide for our current president.

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**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/38 "2017-12-13T09:15:21Z")

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Wow, what great news to wake up to! When I went to bed (I go to bed ridiculously early these days), the NYT needle thingy still basically had it a tossup.

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**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/39 "2017-12-13T09:38:54Z")

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> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> Wow, what great news to wake up to! When I went to bed (I go to bed ridiculously early these days), the NYT needle thingy still basically had it a tossup.

The fact it was a toss-up going in had me worried because I figured that combined with a variation on [the Bradley effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_effect) would mean Moore would win by up to ten points. Fortunately, that didn’t happen and I’m relieved.

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**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2017, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alabama-election-results/804356/40 "2017-12-13T11:15:32Z")

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As a Chicago suburbanite I never would have thought a Senate race in Alabama could bring me such satisfaction and relief, but here I am. 🙂

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