Welcome back, everybody. If you’re into travel, you’ll want to check out the podcast today. We talk with travel blogger and author Sarah Gilliland.

Today’s report follows below.

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Ike

Soft turnout

Turnout in Alabama, as a percentage of registered voters, fell below 60% for the first time in 36 years, reports AL.com’s Mike Cason.

Only 58.5% of Alabama’s 3.9 million registered voters made it out to vote. The last time turnout was lower than that, George Bush was on his way to a win over Michael Dukakis in ’88.

Turnout four years ago was just over 63%

You’re hearing and reading about how Donald Trump did better in Alabama this time, winning by bigger margins in most of the state.

Looking at the gross numbers, he added nearly 16,000 voters this time around. But that’s dwarfed by the more than 80,000 fewer votes the Democratic candidate received Tuesday in comparison to 2020.

In other words, Trump‘s turnout held while Kamala’s Harris’ plunged in comparison to Joe Biden’s.

Try, try again … again

The Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union hopes the third time’s a charm at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer.

Twice, employees at the center have voted down joining the union. But twice, questions about Amazon’s behavior around those campaigns have opened the door to re-do elections.

AL.com’s William Thornton reports that an administrative-law judge has ordered the third election. The judge ruled that the union proved six unfair labor practices that happened during the last election at the center. Those issues included what the judge called the unlawful confiscation of union materials from breakrooms and restrooms.

Amazon has indicated it will appeal the ruling. No date was set for a third election.

We interrupt this flight …

A flight leaving Birmingham Tuesday for Chicago had to be diverted to Nashville International Airport, reports AL.com’s Heather Gann.

Southwest Airways said pilots received an alert that maintenance was necessary. They shut down one engine — just to be careful — and made the unexpected landing.

Southwest told Nashville’s WSMV-4 that passengers deplaned, were put on another flight and, after a short delay, were back on their way to Chicago.

Quoting

“This is why some of y’all states be getting hurricanes.”

Rapper Cardi B, in a now-deleted video, committing perhaps political as well as grammatical indiscretions while expressing frustration at southern states and Tuesday’s presidential election.

More Alabama News

Born on This Date

In 1940, former Atlanta Braves hitting instructor Clarence Jones of Birmingham.

On the podcast

Sarah Gilliland joins us to talk travel and tell us about her new book “Perfect Day Alabama.”

You can find “Down in Alabama” wherever you get your podcasts, including these places: