Montgomery, AL — In a move aimed at enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of the electoral process in Alabama, Secretary of State Wes Allen has officially announced the provision of Geographical Information System (GIS) services for all 67 counties in the state. This development is expected to play a crucial role in voter districting and election administration.
Secretary Allen highlighted the superiority of GIS technology over traditional paper mapping and manual district drawing, stating, “Utilizing GIS for voter district assignment and precinct assignment is highly accurate when compared to paper mapping and drawing.” He further emphasized the importance of these services in supporting local election officials responsible for the security and accuracy of Alabama’s elections.
The funding for this initiative has been allocated from federal sources to the Secretary of State’s office. As part of this program, the Secretary’s office will cover the costs of GIS services for 16 counties in Alabama, effective from October 1, 2023, through July 31, 2025. These services became available to the remaining 51 counties, which were not previously utilizing GIS, on August 9, 2023.
Secretary Allen lauded this move as a significant step forward for Alabama, stating, “It’s a win for Alabama that we can extend GIS services for voter districting and election management to new counties in Alabama and ease the financial burden for counties that already have them.”
Wes Allen, serving as Alabama’s 54th Secretary of State, holds the critical role of the state’s Chief Election Official. In addition to overseeing elections, Alabama law assigns the Secretary of State more than 1,000 different responsibilities. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the Secretary of State’s role and duties, visit www.sos.alabama.gov.
