HB372 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Elections, primary runoff elections, voter prohibited from switching parties between primary elections

Summary

HB372 would require a voter to have voted in the preceding primary of the same party before they can vote in that party's primary runoff.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill blocks participation in a party’s runoff for anyone who did not vote in the party’s previous primary. The Secretary of State would issue rules to implement the change, including how lists of past voters by party are shared with precinct officials. Precinct election officials and appointing board members would not be held liable if they follow the new rules in good faith. The law would take effect on the first day of the third month after it becomes law.

Who It Affects

• Voters who want to participate in a party's primary runoff: they would be required to have voted in that party's preceding primary in order to vote in the runoff.
• Election officials (precinct officials and appointing boards) and the Secretary of State: responsible for enforcing the rule, applying the rules, and maintaining and using voter lists in runoffs; they receive liability protections when acting in good faith.

Key Provisions

• An elector may vote in a primary runoff only if they voted in the preceding primary election of the same political party for which the runoff is being held.
• The Secretary of State must promulgate rules to implement this section, including procedures to provide precinct officials with a list of who voted in each party primary for runoff elections.
• A precinct election official or member of the appointing board is not responsible for allowing or refusing a ballot in a runoff if they act in good faith under this section or the rules.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and governor approval, or upon becoming law otherwise.

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

Subjects

Elections