If one Alabama Democrat leader has their way, Democrat voters will head to the polls and vote Republican in the August 11 special primary.
Alabama Democrat Party vice chair Tabitha Isner is calling for Democrats to pick a Republican ballot in the upcoming special primary.
Alabama has an extra primary election in 2026 in some congressional districts due to Alabama recently reverting back to a likely 6-1 Republican map instead of the previous 5-2 map used in the 2024 election cycle.
Isner said on Facebook on Friday, "Attorney General Steve Marshall has weighed in. Voters can choose either party's primary for the August 11 special primary. In Congressional Districts 1, 2, and 7, there's no Democratic ballot, so you just march right in and pick the Republican ballot."
"Let's show them we plan to vote in EVERY election. If you're not sure who to vote for in the Republican primary, I'll help you out. Go to my website to get the deets," Isner said
The special election is expected to have low voter turnout due to primaries usually occurring in May and the week of August 11 being the first week of school for many districts. The winning candidate also only needs a plurality of the votes, rather than a majority.
There are four Republican candidates in the August 11 special primary for Congressional District 1, six in Congressional District 2, and two each in Districts 6 and 7. The only Democrat primary with multiple candidates is District 6.
Democrats who voted in their party's May primary were barred from voting in the Republican runoff elections in June under state law prohibiting crossover voting. However, Democrats who voted in the May primary will be legally eligible to vote in the August Republican special primary, since it is a separate election.
Democrats apparently will try to get their voters to the polls in August to vote for a weaker Republican candidate. Democrats still have hopes of trying to re-elect U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) in November.
"If we don't have a Democratic Primary, we're going to vote in the Republican Primary for the candidate that we want to beat in November," Isner wrote on her site. "Sign up below and we'll notify you on August 8th about who to vote for in the Republican Primary on August 11. If all of us vote for the same Republican, we can choose who will be running against our Democratic nominees."
Closed primary legislation that would've required party registration to participate in the state's partisan primary elections passed the House in the 2026 legislative session but died in the Senate. It would've gone into effect on January 1, 2027, if it had been passed into law. Alabama has an open primary system.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
