Alabama voters in four congressional districts face a special primary Aug. 11
Alabama will hold a special primary for U.S. House Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. The unusual election follows redistricting litigation that made the May 19 congressional primary results in those four districts ineffective for determining party nominees.
Residents should confirm their congressional district, polling place and sample ballot through the Alabama Secretary of State before voting. Districts 3, 4 and 5 are not part of this special congressional primary.
Why Alabama is holding another congressional primary
The special primary grew out of a legal fight over Alabama’s congressional map. In a May 26 preliminary injunction, a three-judge federal court ordered the state to continue using the race-blind, court-ordered map used for the 2024 elections and the May 19, 2026, primary.
The court found that Alabama’s 2023 legislative map likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and reaffirmed its finding that the plan intentionally discriminated against Black voters in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. That order was a preliminary injunction, not a final resolution of all redistricting litigation. The state pursued an appeal, so the court’s findings and the appeal posture should not be treated as a final ruling by a higher court.
Under Alabama law, the May 19 congressional primary results in Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 became ineffective when the governor set special primaries for those districts. The May vote was therefore not simply postponed; it does not determine the party nominees in the four affected House races.
Who is affected
Only voters assigned to Congressional Districts 1, 2, 6 or 7 will participate in the special congressional primary. Voters in Districts 3, 4 and 5 do not vote again in these House contests on Aug. 11.
Because the map litigation changed the election-administration timeline, voters should not rely on an old sample ballot, a prior polling-place notice or the results from May. Use the Secretary of State’s 2026 Election Information and Upcoming Elections pages to check the district associated with your address, polling-place information, candidate certifications and the correct sample ballot.
What voters will see at the polls
Alabama does not register voters by party. An eligible voter may choose a Democratic or Republican primary ballot at the polling place, but may participate in only one party’s primary in the election.
Review the current state-certified sample ballot before arriving. Candidate lists and ballot information should be checked against the Secretary of State’s current materials because party certifications and state certifications are the official sources for the contests.
The Aug. 11 election is a special primary, not the general election. Its purpose is to determine the party nominees for the affected congressional races under the court-ordered districts.
Deadlines and voting logistics
The deadline to register to vote for the special primary was Wednesday, July 22. Voters who registered by that deadline should still confirm their registration and polling information before Election Day.
For absentee voting, applications sent by mail had to be received by the county absentee election manager seven days before the election, on Monday, Aug. 3. Applications delivered by hand are due five days before the election, on Thursday, Aug. 6.
Absentee ballots returned by hand must be received by the close of business on Monday, Aug. 10. Ballots returned by mail must reach the absentee election manager by noon on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Separate rules apply to military and overseas voters; those voters should use the Secretary of State’s UOCAVA instructions or contact their absentee election manager.
Polling places are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Polling places in Alabama’s Eastern time zone use Eastern time. Voters should bring an approved physical photo ID. The Secretary of State lists accepted identification, including an Alabama driver’s license, a valid state or federal ID, a U.S. passport, a military ID, a tribal ID and qualifying student or employee IDs.
What happens after the vote
There will be no runoff for the Aug. 11 special primary. The candidate receiving the greatest number of votes in each party’s contest will be that party’s nominee, subject to the official canvass and certification process.
County executive committees must meet by noon Tuesday, Aug. 18, to receive, canvass and tabulate returns by precinct and publicly declare the results. The chair of each state party executive committee must also certify the names of the nominated candidates to the Secretary of State by noon that day.
Political parties may submit amendments or corrections to the special-primary candidate certifications through Monday, Aug. 24. The certified nominees then advance to the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, unless a later official action changes the ballot.
Checklist before voting
- Confirm that your voter registration is active.
- Check whether your address is in District 1, 2, 6 or 7.
- Verify your polling place through Alabama’s official voter tools.
- Bring an approved physical photo ID.
- Choose either the Democratic or Republican primary ballot.
- Review the current sample ballot and candidate certifications.
- If voting absentee, confirm the application and ballot-delivery deadlines with your county election office.
The Secretary of State’s election-information pages are the best place to check for updated district, candidate, sample-ballot and voting instructions before Aug. 11.
Sources
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