Without providing evidence, Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth claimed “Democrats” paid a “$6 bounty” for every vote cast for Sen. Doug Jones.
Ainwsorth made the claim in a Facebook post congratulating former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville for defeating Jones, a Democrat, in Tuesday’s election.The lieutenant governor also alluded to allegations of voter fraud nationwide on behalf of Democrats without providing evidence. There have been no confirmed reports of widespread fraud.
“Excited you won despite Democrat efforts to buy the election and pay a $6 bounty for each Jones vote,” Ainsworth wrote. “President Donald J. Trump is fighting ballot harvesting and crooked vote counters who delay totals to help Dems. Let’s pray that he wins, too!”
Ainsworth appeared to be referencing the “New South Souls to the Polls Initiative" organized by former Alabama state Rep. Hank Sanders, a Democrat. The initiative donated $6 to churches “for each documented early vote” to offset the costs of transportation and outreach to help Alabamians vote early.
Sanders said the compensation was not connected to how a voter cast their ballot.
“It says specifically no person can be paid to vote. This is not about paying anybody to vote. It’s about trying to encourage people,” Sanders said of a letter bearing his name that was sent out to Alabama pastors informing them of the initiative.
Three weeks ago, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said the initiative is “not illegal,” although the effort is “certainly not a best practice.”
“It does not say you are going to give it to someone to vote a particular way or vote for a particular party or to vote for, or against, a particular initiative, and so there is nothing there that is illegal," he said.
Efforts to reach Ainsworth were unsuccessful.
Tuberville, a political neophyte who defeated former and ex-Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the Republican Senate runoff in July, went on to prevail against Jones on Tuesday, 60 percent to 40 percent, according to preliminary results.
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