SB525 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Cam Ward
Republican
Co-Sponsors: Bill Holtzclaw Paul Bussman Dick Brewbaker Scott Beason Arthur Orr Rusty Glover Trip Pittman Ben H. Brooks Del Marsh J.T. Waggoner Gerald H. Allen Mark Slade Blackwell
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: Elections, party registration required in primary elections, Secretary of State maintain voters affiliation on voter registration form
Summary: SB525 would require voters to be registered members of a political party to vote in that party's primary and would have the party designation recorded on the voter registration form.
What This Bill Does
If enacted, the bill would require a person to be a registered member of the party whose primary they wish to vote in, with at least 90 days of party registration before the primary. It would also allow unaffiliated voters to participate only in non-partisan races within a primary. Additionally, the Secretary of State would maintain and record each voter's party designation on the official voter registration application starting in 2012, with the primary voting rules taking effect in 2014.

Who It Affects
Voters who want to vote in a specific party's primary must be registered members of that party for at least 90 days before the primary.
Unaffiliated or independent voters would be limited to non-partisan races in a primary and could not vote for party-nominated candidates.
Secretary of State and election officials would be responsible for recording and maintaining each voter's party designation on the voter registration form.

Key Provisions
Section 1 (effective 2014): To vote in a primary or primary runoff, a person must be a registered member of the party whose primary they seek to vote in and must have been registered as that party for 90 days prior to the primary; voters may not vote for candidates from a different party, but all voters may participate in non-partisan races.
Section 2 (effective November 2012): The Secretary of State must require on the official voter registration application the designation of the voter's political party for primary voting.
Section 3 (effective date): The act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage and approval (or when it becomes law by other means).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Elections