HB258 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 22, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim CarnsRepresentative
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Primary elections, revise date in off-presidential years
Summary: HB258 shifts Alabama’s off-presidential-year primary from the fourth Tuesday in May to the second Tuesday in May, with immediate effect.
What This Bill Does
If passed, the off-presidential-year primary would be held on the second Tuesday in May before Memorial Day instead of the fourth Tuesday. The presidential primary date remains the first Tuesday in March in years with a presidential primary. In years when March is used for the presidential primary, references to May or June in existing laws will be treated as March. The act becomes effective immediately.

Who It Affects
Voters in Alabama (off-presidential-year) whose primary date would move from the fourth Tuesday in May to the second Tuesday in May.
Election officials at the state and county levels who would need to adjust calendars, polling places, staffing, and logistics to the new date.
Campaigns and candidates who organize activities and deadlines around the primary timeline and may need to reschedule events.

Key Provisions
Off-presidential-year primary elections shall be held on the second Tuesday in May preceding Memorial Day (replacing the prior fourth Tuesday in May).
Presidential-priority primary years continue to use the first Tuesday in March.
If a year has a March presidential primary and a presidential preference primary, references to May or June shall be construed to refer to March.
Special primary election rules remain, with provisions for second or runoff primaries as applicable.
The act takes effect immediately.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Elections, Voting, & Campaigns