MONTGOMERY – Alabama Senate leaders say suspicious voting patterns in a local Alabama election is a clear reminder of the need to fight potential voter fraud and protect the sanctity of elections.

According to a report Thursday in the Tuscaloosa News, 125 percent of the voting age population cast ballots in a Perry County municipal election held Tuesday. This includes an unusually high 45 percent of the total votes cast being absentee ballots, compared to a 3 to 5 percent statewide average, according to the report. One hundred thirty percent of the town’s population was registered to vote in the election.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said the election results underscore the necessity of fighting potential voter fraud.

“These numbers are a suspicious reminder of why we have to stay on guard to protect the sanctity of our election process and fight potential voter fraud,” Marsh said. “We have an obligation to protect the democratic process we hold so dear and will continue working to identify ways to fight against abuse.”

This case proves that voter fraud isn’t a stretch of the imagination, said Senate Majority Leader Jabo Waggoner.

“I seriously doubt that this is an isolated mistake, but rather serves as a glowing example to any naysayers that voter fraud is real,” Waggoner said. “For months Democrats and various members of the media have crowed about voter ID laws being cruel and unnecessary because voter fraud is a figment of the imagination. This Uniontown case should end that debate, once and for all.”