An Alabama House committee Tuesday approved a bill that would close state primaries and require voters to register with one or the other to cast a ballot.
HB 541, sponsored by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, would require existing registered voters to declare a party affiliation at the polls for primaries held after Jan. 1, 2027. Voters who wanted to vote in a different party primary would have to change their affiliation within 60 days of the election.
“I firmly believe that parties should choose their nominees based on their party members, including sometimes in the primary city where you have to vote for local or state executive committee members,” Yarbrough said…