Has been difficult finding a black person in Alabama who does not know that there’s an election today. One Birmingham native told me: “One thing I know for sure about black people in AL is that they always know what’s going on — there’s not much else but politics and football.”
Also worth noting that there seems to be a bit of a stigma against being a black person who is able to vote yet chooses not to. This is a state populated with people who still remember people like Rep. John Lewis being beat in Selma for fighting for the right for blacks to vote.
Was also told by a black state rep that when you hear a black man boldly saying that he won’t vote, it’s worth asking if he is even ALLOWED to vote. The answer is usually ‘No.’
Another factor voters say could likely effect turn out: White evangelicals are confident that Roy Moore will vote their interests. Black voters are not certain that Doug Jones will.
Turnout at the precinct near UAB, a community largely populated by left-leaning, white, millennials, was reportedly three times higher at 8 AM than it was during the recent mayoral race, which led to the election of the city’s youngest mayor, a Sanders-backed Morehouse grad.
WaPo polls have Jones winning more than 90 percent of the black vote, but I have talked to a handful of black voters whose own faith-based social conservativism has led them to consider backing Moore.
Lots of praise going around for how Randall Woodfin won because of his ground game, something Jones reportedly has not matched
Most black voters I‘ve spoken with can not name any of the policy issues Jones supports. They just know that he prosecuted white supremacists years ago.
So many beautiful historic buildings in this city. 
Genuine concerns about the DNC not having the infrastructure on the ground before this race to mobilize voters. Local Dem politicos said you can’t wait until an election to rally people.
Reports of broken polling machines in some voting places in Huntsville expected to vote Dem.
Many black voters grateful for and have an emotional attachment to Obama but aren’t certain that things got better for black people here under his presidency.
Talking to voters from a predominantly black neighborhood outside of Birmingham with a sizable LGBT population who got in line to vote at 8:30. They didn’t get to vote until 10:15.
Seeing old Birmingham buildings near historic black neighborhoods turned into condos, breweries, ramen places & coffee shops is a reminder that gentrification is not limited to NYC, LA, SF and DC
