If turkeys could talk, two Alabama turkeys might describe Friday morning as the luckiest day of their lives.

Instead of ending up on a festive turkey platter, the two broad-breasted birds stood on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion and received something every Alabama Thanksgiving turkey can only dream of — a full pardon.

Governor Kay Ivey presided over the state’s 77th annual Turkey Pardoning ceremony, continuing one of Alabama’s longest-running holiday traditions. Before she could extend clemency, however, the turkeys needed names. That task fell to students across the state, who submitted patriotic-themed suggestions as part of a classroom civic engagement activity.

A public poll wrapped up at 9 a.m. on Friday with one clear winner: Fil & Buster, a nod to the political term “filibust

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