‘Crossover voting’

May 31

Opelika-Auburn (Ala.) News

One piece of good legislation successfully passed during the 2017 session was Alabama’s move to ban crossover voting between primaries and runoffs.

Simply put, Alabama has a new law that prohibits voters from switching parties between a primary and until after the runoff.

“If you vote in one party’s primary, you can’t switch to the other’s runoff,” Sen. Tom Whatley of Auburn explained about a bill that he sponsored.

It was a piece of common-sense legislation that is yet another move into law something that Alabama lawmakers should have done long ago.

Still, credit them for getting the measure approved this year, especially since it comes at a timely juncture in Alabama politics.

A crowded field of candidates is in the running for the Aug. 15 primaries to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by now Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Republicans and Democrats both will have candidates to choose, but this new law prohibits voters jumping ship mid-stream to try and influence the other party’s outcome before a runoff.

The law was backed by the GOP, which in recent years strongly has dominated Alabama’s political landscape.

Democrats already had a party rule prohibiting Republicans from cross-over voting, but it meant little without state law to back it.

The new law will be in effect before Sept. 26 runoffs, if either party requires such, according to Secretary of State John Merrill.

Voters, therefore, should decide now and commit to the party of their choice if they plan to be involved in either of the primaries to determine a party’s final candidate for the seat.

The general election for the Senate seat is set for Dec. 12, and voters on that ballot can choose whomever they like from either party.