Alabama’s closed primary bill cleared a key House committee Tuesday and is headed for a full House floor vote Thursday, Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said.
HB541, sponsored by State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity), passed the House Ethics and Campaign Finance Committee and immediately drew a commitment from Ledbetter to schedule it as a speaker’s pick for Thursday’s floor session.
“We’ll have it on the floor Thursday,” Ledbetter said, speaking in an interview with “The Rightside” on Tuesday alongside Alabama Republican Party Chairman and State Rep. Scott Stadthagen (R-Hartselle).
“That’s a Speaker’s pick. I’m gonna pick it for Thursday, so we’ll get to see it on the floor.”
Ledbetter said he expects the bill to pass the House but acknowledged it may draw debate.
“I think we get it through the House. I know that we’ll probably have a little debate on the bill,” Ledbetter said. “After a period of time, we’ll move forward. If we have to cloture, we will.”
Under HB541, Alabama voters would be required to register a party affiliation before voting in a primary or primary runoff election beginning January 1, 2027. Voters who decline to affiliate with a party could register as unaffiliated but could not vote in primaries. A 60-day blackout window before each election would prevent last-minute party changes. The bill would not affect the May 19, 2026 primary.
Yarbrough said the Alabama closed primary bill is designed to ensure that party nominees reflect their party’s platform and to stop crossover voting, in which members of one party vote in the other party’s primary to influence the outcome.
“A party has the right to not only nominate its nominees, but a party exists in connection to what the people understand the platform is,” Yarbrough said. “I think it’s really important as we talk about election integrity.”
Yarbrough also said the bill provides an easy path for voters who want to switch parties.
“I want them to come to our party and stand with us, because our future depends on it,” he said.
New ALGOP Chairman Scott Stadthagen, who has made closing the primaries a top party priority, said the bill simply brings structure to the state’s electoral system.
“I think it’s time for us to pick our party lines, pick your teams, and support your teams,” Stadthagen said. “They don’t want us meddling in theirs, and we don’t want them meddling in ours.”
Tuesday was day 23 of the legislative session. There are eight legislative days remaining.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
