How Alabama’s Primary Election System Works

Alabama uses a closed primary system, meaning voters do not register with a political party in advance, but they may only participate in one party’s primary election during each election cycle. At the polling place, voters choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot and can only vote in that party’s races for that primary election.

Alabama also has a “party loyalty” rule that prevents voters from participating in one party’s primary runoff election if they voted in another party’s primary earlier in the same election cycle. Primary elections determine each party’s nominees for offices such as governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, statewide offices, and state and local positions.