The curious case of the Alabama Ballot Security Manual, A practical guide for Poll Watchers

This is a follow up to my June 5, 2014 cross-post via Warm Southern Breezes 

Alabama Secretary of State Errs in Poll Watcher Guide: Photo Voter ID Law Disenfranchises Elderly Voters in June Primaries

 

The Alabama Secretary of State’s office produced this “Practical guide for Poll Watchers” for the 2014 statewide Primaries (held June 3, 2014), which mistakenly cites the OLD law, which allows numerous types of non-photographic voter identification, instead of the NEW law which MANDATES ALL VOTERS produce “valid” photographic identification. “Alabama Ballot Security Manual: A Practical guide for Poll Watchers, Alabama Primary Election, June 3, 2014“

There's just one problem, via his Deputy Chief of Staff, the Alabama Secretary of State said his office does not produce the manual.

Adam Thompson said

Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at 4:40 PM To Whom It May Concern,
The Alabama Secretary of State’s Office does NOT produce any document titled “Alabama Ballot Security Manual: A practical guide for Poll Watchers, Alabama Primary Election, June 3, 2014.” The only documents we produce are the 2014 Alabama Voter Guide and the Alabama Photo Voter ID Guide. Please update your article.
Sincerely,
Adam Thompson
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Secretary of State Jim Bennett

Hmmm... was it used during the June 3rd primary?

In a document entitled “Alabama Photo Voter ID Guide” available on the Alabama Secretary of State’s website - http://www.alabamavoterid.com/downloads/AlabamaPhotoVoterIDGuide.pdf – it states in a letter from the Secretary of State Jim Bennett (a Republican), that “Beginning with the 2014 primary election, the State Legislature has mandated that a voter present photo ID prior to voting.”

As well, on page 6 in that document it further states that: “Beginning with the June 3, 2014 primary election, Act 2011-673 requires an Alabama voter to have a specific type of photo identification at the polls in order to vote. If a voter does not have one of the approved forms of photo ID as stated in the law, then he or she may receive a free Alabama photo voter ID card from various locations.”
That information is contradicted, however, in a separate document also prepared by the Alabama Secretary of State’s office (as seen herein) which is entitled “Alabama Ballot Security Manual: A practical guide for Poll Watchers, Alabama Primary Election, June 3, 2014“
On page 19 (as seen herein above) it asserts to cite Code of Alabama 17-9-30 which, up to this year (2014) has allowed voters to produce various forms of non-photographic identification. However, it cites the OLD LAW, instead of the NEW LAW.  Why and how the Secretary of State could screw up in such grand fashion is unimaginable.

If the Alabama SOS didn't produce this guide who did?