New law bans crossover voting in AL
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - This year there will be some changes to the process when you go vote.
The big change will affect what happens after the primary.
New state law says you will no longer be able to crossover vote. You will still choose Republican or Democrat. But whichever party you select, you'll have to vote with that party if a runoff occurs.
If our exclusive polling is any indication, we could see a run-off in the upcoming GOP Senate primary. Governor Kay Ivey signed the no crossover voting into law earlier this year.
The goal, according to Secretary of State John Merrill, is to not have people who support the another party influence a run-off election.
"People get confused because they think when they go to vote on Aug. 15, they're voting for their person. They are only voting for the nominee of their party and we need to remember that and that's why a cross over rule could be in effect and should be the choice of the party. But now that it's been cotified, it will be illegal if you vote in the nomination process for one party and the run off for the other party," Merrill said.
This only impacts primary voting. Once the general election rolls around, you can vote for whoever you want to.
The upcoming Senate primary is Aug. 15 and a run-off is set for Sept. 26.
Copyright 2017 WBRC. All Rights Reserved.
