Alabama House Passes Party-Tied Primary Bill

0:00From the streets of Birmingham to the world, this is Birmingham News today. The Alabama House of Representatives just passed a bill to close the state's primary elections. House Bill 541 requires voters to register with a political party at least 60 days before a primary or runoff to cast a ballot in that party's race. It passed 63 to 35, mostly along party lines, with just two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Right now, Alabama runs open primaries, where anyone can vote in one party's main election, but you're locked into that party's runoff if needed. The new measure aims to change that by tying voters more closely to a party's identity before they can participate. Republicans behind the bill say it helps parties own their brand and lets voters choose clearly. Sponsor Ernie Yarbrough stressed leaning into what each party stands for to make real choices at the ballot box. Democrats push back hard, calling it a dark day for voting access. House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels argued it boxes people in, while his party welcomes independence, recovering Republicans, and everyone else too.

1:08Join their primaries without restrictions. The bill heads to the Senate next, carried by Senator Sam Guyvon, but its fate looks shaky with only six full legislative days left this session. Stay tuned to see if it makes it across the finish line. D&N is brought to you by our sponsor link in the description. What is cooler than cool, a pillow that plays your sound, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.