Alabama GOP primaries may go “members only”

The Alabama Republican Party will take a weekend vote to create a closed primary election system. The ballot will be whether to support a party registration requirement for primaries. The current system in Alabama is also known as an open system, that allows voters of all political parties to cast ballots. Alabama is one of fifteen states that don’t ask voters to register with a political party ahead of a primary. Any passage of the resolution by the party would signal support for the idea. However, the Alabama Legislature would have to enact legislation to make the change. The Alabama Republican Party says it expects the registration requirement recommendation to pass. Every state has its own rules regarding primary voting and party registration.