SB164 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Bobby D. SingletonSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Open Primary elections, system created, qualifications to participate in general election, revised, Sec. 17-13-8.2 added; Secs. 17-13-7.1, 17-13-19, 17-13-20, 17-13-21, 17-13-23, 17-13-41, 17-13-101 repealed; Secs. 17-5-2, 17-5-7, 17-5-8, 17-6-21, 17-6-22, 17-9-3, 17-11-12, 17-13-1, 17-13-2, 17-13-3, 17-13-5, 17-13-6, 17-13-7, 17-13-8, 17-13-16, 17-13-18, 17-13-22, 17-13-50, 17-16-45, 17-16-46, 21-4-21am'd.

Summary

SB 164 creates an open, single primary system for all offices except President, where all qualified candidates appear on one ballot and a majority winner can avoid a general election, or otherwise the top two advance to the general election.

What This Bill Does

It replaces separate party primaries with one combined primary ballot for most offices, including candidates from all parties and independents. If a candidate receives a majority of votes in the primary, they are declared the winner for that office and no further general election is held for that office; if no candidate has a majority, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party. The Secretary of State would adopt rules to implement these changes, and the presidential race would continue to use separate party ballots. The bill repeals and rewrites several existing election laws to accommodate the new system, and it takes effect for primaries after January 1, 2019.

Who It Affects

• Voters: All qualified electors would vote on the same open primary ballot for most offices, regardless of party affiliation, potentially increasing cross-party participation.
• Candidates and political parties: All qualified candidates (including independents) for non-President offices would compete in a single primary ballot; top-two would go to the general election, with the President still using party-specific ballots.

Key Provisions

• Creates an open primary system for all offices other than the Presidency, with all qualified candidates on one primary ballot and all voters using the same ballot.
• If a candidate wins a majority in the primary, that candidate is declared the winner for that office and no general election is held for that office.
• If no candidate wins a majority, the two candidates with the highest votes in the primary advance to the general election, regardless of party.
• The Secretary of State is authorized to adopt rules to implement the primary system changes.
• Presidential elections retain separate party ballots; a new section (17-13-8.2) governs the President’s primary ballot with party-specific designations.
• Sections of existing Alabama election law are repealed or amended to implement the new system (e.g., 17-13-7.1, 17-13-19, 17-13-20, 17-13-21, 17-13-23, 17-13-41, 17-13-101).
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and applies to primaries held after January 1, 2019.

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