Alabama is one of the several states in the United States heading to the polls on Tuesday for primary elections.
But this primary season has an unexpected hiccup for voters in the deep-red southern state. Some may have to return to the ballot box in a few months.
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Four of the state’s congressional districts are expected to hold special primaries in August, as part of a nationwide battle over redistricting.
President Donald Trump has pushed Republican-led states to redraw their congressional maps in order to give the right-wing party an advantage in the November midterm elections.
At stake is control over the US House of Representatives. Each congressional district represents one seat in the House, where Republicans currently hold a slim majority.
Just this month, the Supreme Court issued a decision that clears the way for Alabama to install a congressional map that had been rejected in 2023 for diluting the power of Black voters.
That map would rearrange the four congressional districts in the state’s south, clustering many of the state’s Democratic voters into a single district, rather than two.
Shortly after the court’s decision, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced the special primary elections in the four districts, to allow for the new map to be implemented.
But the originally scheduled primaries are still unfolding in those districts on Tuesday, as are other national and statewide races. Here’s what you should know about the Alabama primaries:
What time do polls open?
Polls are open on Election Day at 7:00am (12:00 GMT) and close at 7:00pm local time (0:00 GMT).
Is Kay Ivey running for re-election as governor?
Alabama limits its governors to two consecutive four-year terms, making Ivey, an 81-year-old former school teacher, ineligible for re-election in 2026.
She has served as her state’s chief executive since 2017, making her the longest serving female governor in US history.
Ivey has been a staunch supporter of President Trump, leading her state to adopt right-wing policies to restrict abortion, speed up death-penalty cases and limit environmental policies.
Her absence from the 2026 primary ballot has opened up a hotly contested race to replace her.
Who is running for governor?
Six Democrats and three Republicans are running to replace Ivey as governor of Alabama.
Whoever wins the Republican primary will have an edge in November’s general election: Not since 2003 has a Democrat held the office.
Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is leading the pack. A former conference-winning football coach for Alabama’s Auburn University, Tuberville has built a national profile as a right-wing stalwart during his single term in Congress.
Famously, in 2023, he blocked hundreds of military promotions in protest against a policy that could provide funds to service members seeking travel for abortion.
Which is the most closely watched primary?
The most closely watched race is the contest for Tuberville’s seat in the US Senate.
Ten candidates total are vying for his job. The Republican field is among the most crowded this cycle, with six contenders.
The frontrunners include state Attorney General Steve Marshall, Navy SEAL veteran Jared Hudson and Barry Moore, a US representative for Alabama’s first district.
They share similar platforms centred on border security, backing law enforcement, and protecting Second Amendment gun rights.
But each one has tried to set himself apart. Moore, for instance, has touted himself as a “true conservative”, who was among the first to back Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. He also has received Trump’s endorsement for the Senate.
Hudson, meanwhile, has played up his ties to the military, a key economic driver in Alabama. The state boasts multiple military bases and installations, as well as a flight centre for rockets and spacecraft in Huntsville.
If no Republican gets at least 50 percent of the primary vote, there is likely to be a runoff in June.
Tuesday’s primary will also determine which Democrat will advance to November’s election. Four left-leaning candidates — Dakarai Larriett, Kyle Sweetser, Everett Wess and Mark Wheeler — are seeking the nomination.
What other positions are up for grabs?
Primaries for all seven of Alabama’s US House congressional districts are on the ballot.
There are also state-level positions, including attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer.
Why does this race matter?
In Alabama, many statewide and local races lean heavily towards the Republican party, meaning some primary results may effectively decide November’s election.
But this cycle carries an added twist. A recent US Supreme Court decision in April weakened how race might be considered in cases of congressional redistricting.
According to the ruling, plaintiffs must now show that districts were designed overtly to disenfranchise minority voters in order to overturn congressional maps.
That higher bar allowed states like Alabama to reinstate maps that were previously blocked. The new map boosts Republican chances of gaining an additional House seat.
Each win could be key in deciding the outcome of November’s midterm elections. At the moment, Republicans hold 217 positions in the 435-seat House, a small majority. Losing even a few House seats could see control over the chamber shift to Democrats.
Are House primaries still happening on Tuesday in the affected districts?
Yes. Four areas are affected by the redistricting push: Alabama’s first, second, sixth and seventh congressional districts.
The old congressional map is currently in place, and primaries are expected to unfold in each of those areas on Tuesday.
But once the new map is implemented, the four districts will hold special elections in August to update their primary results. Candidates may choose to run in a different district, as a result of the redesign.
The current map, for instance, includes two Democratic-leaning districts: one that contains the city of Birmingham, and another that extends from the state’s east to west.
Under the proposed redesign, the Birmingham district will absorb the westernmost stretch of the other district, concentrating Democratic voters in a single area.
When are the results expected?
The results from Tuesday’s primaries will be posted on the Alabama Secretary of State’s website before the end of the night, even for districts that will hold special elections in August.
What are the polls saying?
A poll commissioned by Alabama Daily News showed Moore leading the Republican Senate primary with 23 percent of the vote, followed by Hudson with 19 percent and Marshall with 14 percent.
However, the poll also found that 40 percent are undecided.
In the governor’s race, Tuberville dominates with 65 percent support, according to polling conducted for Gray Television Alabama stations and the Alabama Daily News.