Today is Election Day, and in a strange twist of fate, even though five names appear on the GOP primary ballot in the race for Governor of Alabama – Tommy Battle, Scott Dawson, Kay Ivey, Bill Hightower and Michael McCallister – one of those candidates is deceased.

Michael McCallister, who was a former corrections officer who qualified for the Republican gubernatorial nomination but didn’t campaign, was found dead at his home in Troy, back in April.  He was 69.

Secretary of State John Merrill stated that votes for McCallister will be tallied but will not be certified, meaning it’s impossible for McCallister to win a posthumous nomination.

Surprisingly McCallister’s inclusion isn’t the first time that a deceased candidate’s name has been included on a ballot in Alabama.  In 2012, Alabama Republican Charles Beasley passed away while running for his old seat on the Bibb County Commission. 

Beasley’s name appeared on that ballot and he went on to defeat his Democratic challenger, incumbent Commissioner Walter Sansing, with 52% of the vote.

Secretary of State Merrill said that he expects between 25 and 30% of Alabama’s registered voters to cast a ballot today.

(al.com/www.al.com)