Alabama's chief election official is reminding residents that the deadline to register to vote in the general election is October 20th. Secretary of State Jim Bennet says resident can download a registration form from a state website www.alabamavotes.gov and mail it to their county board of registrars or they can go by their county board of registrar's office to register. The general election November 4th is the first one where the registration deadline is 14 days before the election.
Voter ID Laws
A congressional study says states that toughened their voter ID laws saw steeper drops in election turnout than those that did not. And it says there's a disproportionate falloff among black and younger voters. The study says as of June, 33 state have enacted laws obligating voters to show a photo ID at the polls. The report was done by the Government Accountability Office.
Burglary Suspects
Authorities in Elmore County have apprehended three burglary suspects and are still looking for a fourth male. Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin said the manhunt started after a grocery store, about five miles north of Wetumpka was burglarized early Wednesday morning. The sheriff said three males from Montgomery were charged with burglary and theft. A search continues for a fourth male suspect, also from Montgomery.
Sentencing Phase
The sentencing phase of a high-profile capital murder trial enters its second day in Opelika. On Wednesday, relatives of Desmonte Leonard pleaded with jurors to spare him from execution. Leonard was convicted Tuesday of killing three people at a pool party in Auburn in June 2012, three others were wounded in the shooting spree. Jurors must make one of two sentencing recommendations: life in prison without parole or execution. However, the final decision is up to the judge.