Alabama House Committee Passes Party Registration Bil

March 17, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama House of Representatives Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee gave a favorable report to HB541, the SAVE Act.

HB541 is sponsored by state Representative Ernie Yarbrough (R‑Trinity).

Right now Alabama voters do not have to declare a party preference meaning that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can all vote in the Republican or Democratic primary without supporting the ticket in the fall general election and they can change the primary they vote in the next time they vote. The Alabama Republican Party State Executive Committee has advocated for party registration for years.

"A party has the right to not only nominate its nominees, but a party exists in connection to what the people understand the platform is," said Rep. Yarbrough in comments he made to the Yellowhammer News.

Yarbrough said that this will further elevate election security in Alabama.

"I think it's really important as we talk about election integrity," said Yarbough.

The newly elected Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party is state Representative Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle).

"Republicans across Alabama have been asking for this for more than a decade," said Chairman Scott Stadthagen. "The message from the grassroots of our Party has been clear - Republican voters should choose Republican nominees."

The State Executive Committee has adopted resolutions calling for party registration three times - in January 2014, August 2022, and again just weeks ago at its 2026 Winter Meeting

Former state Representative Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a longtime member of the ALGOP State Executive Committee.

"The Alabama House Committee on Ethics and Campaign Finance has taken an important step forward by giving the Party Registration Bill a favorable report, and they deserve the thanks of Republicans across this state," said Hooper. "I want to especially thank Chairman Matt Simpson and the members of the committee for their leadership and willingness to move this legislation forward. For years, grassroots Republicans have called for a system that ensures the Republican Party chooses its own nominees without interference from those who do not share the party's principles. The committee's action shows that those concerns are finally being heard."

Stadthagen thanked Yarbrough for stepping up and bringing the bill.

"I want to especially thank Rep. Ernie Yarbrough for sponsoring this legislation and doing the work to move it through the Alabama House," Stadthagen said. "Ernie stepped up to lead on an issue that Republicans across our state care deeply about, and his leadership made today's vote possible."

"The Alabama Republican Executive Committee has already spoken clearly on this issue by passing a resolution urging the Legislature to enact Party Registration legislation," said Hooper. "That resolution reflected what many Republican voters believe: our party's primary elections should be decided by Republicans. This legislation is about protecting the integrity of the nomination process and strengthening confidence in our elections."

Stadthagen claimed that there have been documented cases of Democrats intentionally voting in Republican primaries to influence the outcome.

"For years we've seen Democrats openly talk about voting in Republican primaries to influence the outcome - some even bragging about it in national media outlets like the New York Times," Stadthagen said. "That's not healthy for either party, and it's certainly not fair to Republican voters."

House leadership is supporting the legislation.

"We're grateful for the strong support this bill received in the House, including from Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and many Republican co-sponsors who helped carry it forward," Stadthagen said. "We're already working closely with the Senate, and we look forward to getting this done."

HB541 passed out of committee 5 to 3 on a party line vote with Democrats opposed.

"Now the next step is for the House Rules Committee to place the bill on the Special Order Calendar, and hopefully at the very top, so the full House can consider it without delay," said Hooper. "I am confident that when the bill reaches the House floor, Republican legislators will stand together and vote in favor of protecting the integrity of their own party's primary elections."

"Republican voters should decide Republican nominees," Stadthagen added. "That's exactly what this bill protects."

"This is a commonsense reform whose time has come," Hooper concluded. "Alabama Republicans asked for it, the Party has formally endorsed it, and the Legislature now has the opportunity to finish the job."

Senator Sam Givhan is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate.

Time is running out on the 2026 Alabama regular legislative session. Tuesday was day 23 of the legislative session. The maximum the session can last is 30 legislative days.

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