County Commission | The Magazine April 2018 | Page 17

FROM THE COVER
A Primer on Primaries
ELECTION 2018
Statewide Primaries
JUNE 5
Primary Runoffs (if needed)
JULY 17
n Primary
General Election
Election Dates
NOVEMBER 6
“Beginning in
Excerpts and code references are taken from the “Alabama Election Handbook,
18th Edition, 2017-2018” published by the Alabama Law Institute.
n Primary Elections
“Primary elections are regulated for the most part in
Chapter 13 of Title 17. §§ 17-13-1 through 17-13-89.”
n Political Party Definition
“In order for any political group to be considered a
political party in any county or in the state, it is necessary
only that one candidate of the party obtain the required
20 percent in a general election in the particular county
or in the state at large. (§ 17-13-40) A political party
that meets the legal definition may, by action of its state
executive committee, elect whether it will come under the
primary election law. § 17-13-42.”
n Election Expense Compensation
“When a party chooses to be governed by the state
primary law, the expense of primary elections is paid
by the state or county in the same manner as general
elections. § 17-13-4. See also §§ 17-16-2 through 17-16-6.”
2016, presidential
preference primaries and regular primaries held in a
presidential primary year will be held the first Tuesday in
March. § 17-13-100. Otherwise, regular primary elections
are held on the first Tuesday in June. § 17-13-3.”
n Political Party Privileges
“State and county executive committees may, by
resolution, require their members be elected. When these
committee members are elected, the election is held on
the same ballot as the gubernatorial primary election.…
The state committee of each political party may fix the
political or other qualifications of its own members and
may determine who is qualified to be a candidate or to
vote in the primary. § 17-13-7(a). Prescribed qualifying
fees may be established by each party to be paid by
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