HB79 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mike Ball

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Primary runoff elections, abolished, Secs. 17-13-19, 17-13-20, 17-13-21 repealed; Secs. 17-5-2, 17-5-7, 17-5-8, 17-6-21, 17-6-22, 17-9-3, 17-11-12, 17-13-3, 17-13-18, 17-13-50, 17-16-45, 17-16-46, 21-4-21 am'd.

Summary

HB79 would end primary runoff elections in Alabama by making the primary winner the party's nominee in the general election.

What This Bill Does

Eliminates the second primary runoff; the candidate with the greatest number of votes in a party's primary would automatically become that party's nominee in the general election. Requires broad changes to election and campaign finance rules, including ballot printing, candidate certification, and reporting, to reflect a no-runoff system. Repeals the runoff-related sections (17-13-19, 17-13-20, 17-13-21) and amends multiple code sections to implement the new process.

Who It Affects

• Voters in Alabama's party primaries—since there would be no runoff, the party's nominee would be the top vote-getter in the primary.
• Candidates and political parties—campaigns, filings, ballot access, and certification would align with a winner-take-all primary rather than a runoff system.

Key Provisions

• Repeals Sections 17-13-19, 17-13-20, and 17-13-21 related to runoff primaries.
• Amends Sections 17-5-2, 17-5-7, 17-5-8, 17-6-21, 17-6-22, 17-9-3, 17-11-12, 17-13-3, 17-13-18, 17-16-45, 17-16-46, and 21-4-21 to implement the no-runoff system.
• Declares that the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes in a primary becomes the party nominee for the general election.
• Effective date: the act takes effect on the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Primary Elections