The Alabama House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would create state party registration and make it a requirement to vote in primaries following an hours-long debate that revealed divisions in the GOP caucus over the measure.
House Bill 541, sponsored by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, would require existing voters to register with a party to participate in primary elections after Jan. 1, 2027. Voters who wish to switch parties would have to change their affiliation within 60 days of the election.
“This is not about stopping people from voting in their primary. The bill doesn’t do that,” Yarbrough said after the bill passed. “But what it does seek to do is align the position of the party and the nominees of the party with the voters who expect when they cast a ballot for someone from that party that vote gives them what they think they’re getting.”
Currently, Alabama does not have party registration, and voters can cast a ballot in any primary. However, a voter can only participate in the runoff election for the primary in which they cast a ballot. The open primaries reflect a state political system that has been dominated by one party or the other for most of the state’s history, with primaries often mattering more than general elections.
The Alabama Republican Party earlier this month called for state primaries to be closed, passing a resolution that said the “integrity, credibility and legitimacy” of the Republican nominating process depended on candidates selected “solely by voters who have affirmatively affiliated with and support the principles and platform of the Republican Party.”