During a Tuesday discussion on Mobile radio's FM Talk 106.5's "The Jeff Poor Show," candidate for Secretary of State Caroleene Dobson expressed support for closing primaries in Alabama.
Under current law, the Yellowhammer State operates within an open-primary system, meaning there is no requirement that an elector register with a party to vote. Closed primaries usually require voters to be registered with a political party to participate in an election.
"There is no question that we have a huge problem with Democrats, depending on where you are in the state, with Democrats voting in Republican primaries and trying to manipulate the options that Republicans have available in the primaries," Dobson told show host Jeff Poor. "That becomes kind of disenfranchisement of Republican voters.
Added Dobson, "We have got to be cognizant of the fact that Democrats, the left is always trying to manipulate loopholes with respect to the legislation that was proposed this past cycle. I don't think that it adequately closed the loophole with respect to absentee ballots and absentee voting."
Dobson pointed to closing primaries as one of several options to help fight "manipulation" and lawfare from the left in Alabama's elections.
"We certainly need to be looking at any way that we can prevent the left from manipulating our primaries and our elections," she argued. "Whether it's this or what I'm also concerned about is lawfare from the far left, from out-of-state activist groups, and also manipulation of our registration process in general."
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) filed HB541 during the most recent legislative session to close primaries and mandate party registration for participation in elections. After passing the House and a Senate committee, Yarbrough's bill did not receive a full Senate vote, effectively killing the legislation.
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