Governor Kay Ivey has amended the calendar for the August 11 Special Primary elections in hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court approves the state’s appeal to use its 2023 congressional maps as planned.
According to the original August 11 Special Primary Election Calendar, the secretary of state must certify the names of opposed candidates to probate judges by Friday, May 29.
Meanwhile, the state’s appeal to the Supreme Court asks for a response by Monday, June 1, causing a clear conflict with the original schedule. Ivey announced Wednesday that she has amended that deadline to June 3 to allow for the Supreme Court decision.
“Alabama is committed to the redistricting fight, and as I said yesterday, I fully support Attorney General Steve Marshall’s appeal,” Ivey said. “I am hopeful the Supreme Court quickly gives Alabama a favorable response so we can move forward with the August 11 Special Primary Election using our 2023 congressional map. We remain in close contact with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office as the appeal process plays out and as our elections approach us.”
That is one of several deadlines in limbo as the state continues to seek court relief as Election Day creeps closer. Because of the June 16 primary runoff, the voter registration records will close after June 2—leaving registrars unable to reassign voters until the records become unlocked again after runoff results are certified. But that would cut into more deadlines regarding how soon before an election voters can be reassigned.
Effectively, reassignment must be completed by June 2. A response from the Supreme Court makes that window vanishingly small, as Justice Clarence Thomas ordered a response from the plaintiffs in the case by 4 p.m. on June 1. Even in the best-case scenario, that would allow for less than 24 hours for reassignment to take place.
The special election schedule has already been heavily altered to accommodate the immutable general election, with lawmakers cutting out the runoff and allowing a winner-take-all approach for the special primary.
It also remains unclear whether those primaries will be held if the Supreme Court denies Alabama’s appeal or fails to respond in time.
