[Primary Election: June 3, 2008]

Presidential Preference Primary -- Tuesday, February 5, 2008

"Super Tuesday in Alabama was just that – super.  With 40% of registered voters casting their votes in the Presidential Primary, there was historic voter turnout.  The last Presidential Primary attracted only 17% of Alabamians and the largest percentage voting in a Presidential Primary prior to this one was 29%." - Feb. 7, 2008 press release from Secretary of State Beth Chapman.

Democrats 60 Delegates (52 Pledged, 8 Unpledged) and 9 Alternates.  1.48% of the 4,049 Delegate Votes. Clinton  |  Obama Unofficial Results Joe Biden 1,176 0.22% Hillary Clinton 222,897 41.56% Chris Dodd 524 0.10% John Edwards 7862 1.47% +Barack Obama 300,143 55.97% Bill Richardson 1,020 0.19% Uncommitted 2,671 0.50% Total 536,293

Republicans 48 Delegates: 3 RNC; 24 at-large; 21 by CD (3 x 7 CDs). 2.02% of the 2,380 Delegates. At-large delegate allocation - Winner-take-all if candidate receives 50% statewide primary vote; if not, then proportional w/ 20% threshold. CD delegate allocation - Winner-take-all if candidate receives 50% in CD during primary; if not, 2 delegates to plurality candidate with remaining delegate to 2nd place (w/ 20% threshold). Huckabee  |  McCain  |  Paul  |  Romney Unofficial Results Hugh Cort 230 0.04% Rudy Giuliani 2,174 0.39% +Mike Huckabee 225,715 40.72% Duncan Hunter 490 0.09% Alan Keyes 779 0.14% John McCain 206,672 37.29% Ron Paul 15,060 2.72% Mitt Romney 99,872 18.02% Tom Tancredo 91 0.02% Fred Thompson 1,873 0.34% Uncommitted 1,292 0.23% Total 554,248

Setting the Primary Date
The presidential preference primary has historically been held with the state primary on the first Tuesday in June.  In 2005 Rep. Ken Guin (D-Carbon Hill) introduced a bill, HB100, to move the presidential primary forward; the House passed the bill on April 6, but the Senate failed to pass the bill by the close of session on May 16.  In January 2006 Guin reintroduced his bill, HB51, to establish a separate presidential primary "on the Saturday immediately following the New Hampshire presidential preference primary."  The bill, amended to set the presidential primary on first Tuesday in February, passed the House and the Senate and was delivered to Gov. Bob Riley (R) on April 17, 2006.  Riley signed the bill on April 27.  According to a fiscal note, HB51 "would increase the election expenses of the state, paid from the State General Fund, by an estimated $3.3 million for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008 and every fourth year thereafter."  State primary remains in June.

[Also note.  In the first part of 2006 the Democratic National Committee sought proposals from state parties to hold presidential caucuses or primaries early, in the pre-window period (i.e. before February 5, 2008), in an effort to increase diversity in the early stages of its nominating process.  Alabama Democrats were among several state parties that applied to the DNC by the April 14, 2006 deadline seeking to hold their primary early.  However the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, meeting on July 22, 2006, recommended South Carolina for the new pre-window primary position].

Qualifying for the Presidential Primary Ballot
Petitions signed by a total of not less than 500 qualified electors of the state, or petitions signed by not less than 50 qualified electors of each congressional district of the state submitted to respective state party chairman no later than Nov. 7, 2007.

Voter Registration
Jan. 25, 2008 - Voter registration deadline in all counties except Baldwin and Mobile Counties. (Jan. 30 Early voting day in Baldwin and Mobile Counties).
 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voter registration cut-off is October 22, 2004.

Official Results Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 693,933 (36.84) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.)  1,176,394 (62.46) Badnarik/Campagna (Ind.) 3,495 (0.19) Nader/Pierce (Ind.) 6,701 (0.36) Peroutka/Baldwin (Ind.) 1,994 (0.11) w/ins 898 (0.05) Total........1,883,415   Registered voters:  2,856,647

2004 Overview The last Democrat to win in Alabama was Jimmy Carter in 1976.  Bush-Cheney padded upon their 2000 showing and continued the Republican winning streak.  Bush-Cheney gained a plurality of 482,461 votes (25.62 percentage points) over the Kerry-Edwards ticket and finished ahead in 56 of the state's 67 counties. General Election Details Kerry/Allies  |  Bush-Cheney '04

Past Results

1996 Dole (Rep.)...........769,044 (50.12) Clinton (Dem.)......662,165 (43.16) Perot (Ind.).............92,149   (6.00) Others (4+w/ins).....10,991 (0.72) Total........1,534,349  1992 Bush (Rep.)..........804,283 (47.64) Clinton (Dem.)......690,080 (40.88) Perot (Ind.)...........183,109 (10.85) Others (5+w/ins)....10,588 (0.63) Total........1,688,060

2000 Gore/Lieberman (Dem.) 692,611 (41.57) Browne/Olivier (Lib.) 5,893 (0.35) +Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 941,173 (56.48) Buchanan/Foster (Ind.) 6,351 (0.38) Hagelin/Goldhaber (Ind.) 447 (0.02) Nader/LaDuke (Ind.) 18,323 (1.10) Phillips/Frazier (Ind.) 775 (0.05) Write-ins 699 (0.04) Total........1,666,272 Voter Registration: 2,528,963 Turnout as a percentage of voting age population was 49.99%.  (U.S. avg: 53.76%).

2000 Overview Bush consistently had a comfortable lead in the polls, and there were no surprises on Election Day as the Bush-Cheney ticket won with a plurality of 248,562 votes (14.91 percentage points) and finished ahead of Gore-Lieberman in 49 of the state's 67 counties.  In other races, "Ten Commandments" judge Roy Moore handily won the race for chief justice of the state Supreme Court, and voters approved Amendment 2 to remove the state's ban on interracial marriages. General Election Activity

Note: During the 2001 Regular Session, Sen. Steve French (R/Birmingham) introduced a bill to create a separate presidential primary on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March (SB69).  Then-Secretary of State Jim Bennett supported that effort.  "During the 2000 presidential primary season, Alabama's primary was dead last among the 50 states," Bennett said. "By the time Alabama voters went to the polls, the nominees of both major parties had long been selected and were already preparing for the general election." [April 19, 2001 press release].  Bennett noted later, "Unfortunately, it did not travel far. The cost factor is the main deterrent.  Alabama is facing some severe budget restraints.  In our state, the taxpayers foot the bill for party primaries.  I don't think this is a dead issue, however, and we may see it again."
 

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Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.