Senate committee advances a bill to establish closed primaries in the state of Alabama

April 7, 2026 – MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Senate Government Affairs committee gave a favorable report to legislation that would create party registration for the first time in the state of Alabama.

Under current law, Alabama voters do not have to declare a party affiliation to vote in either major party primary. That will change if House Bill 541 passes the Legislature and is signed into law by the governor.

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

The coming 2026 and 2028 primaries would remain open, but voting in a party primary in the 2028 presidential election would register the voter as a member of that major party (Republican or Democrat).

Voters would formally have to change their party affiliation prior to the next election if they wanted to vote in the other primary. The bill calls for a black out period of 60 days prior to an election where voters cannot change their affiliation.

Moderate Republicans objected to the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives suggesting that the party could pay a price for this in the future; but conservatives and Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle) say that it is long past time that the state ended the practice of open primaries.

"Republican voters should choose Republican nominees," the Alabama Republican Party said in a statement.

Notably dozens of Auburn area Democrats voted in the 2022 Republican Primary to help defeat conservative incumbent Senator Tom Whatley (R-Auburn). Whatley lost by two votes to Auburn city councilman Jay Hovey in the GOP primary. That as well as Democrats voting in Republican primary to help Katie Britt beat Mo Brooks and Kay Ivey to beat Lindy Blanchard and Tim James were noted by grassroots conservatives who strongly support Yarbrough's legislation.

HB541 passed on a 7 to 2 vote after being amended by Senator Dan Roberts (R-Mountain Brook).

Senate Pro Tem Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) told reporters that he supports the bill and hopes it will pass during the remaining two days of the 2026 legislative session.

Wednesday is day 29 of the session. The most the legislature is allowed to use is 30 days.

HB541 still needs to pass the Senate. It would have to go back to the House to address the Senate amendment.

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