On May 3, the Alabama Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections Committee passed HB 425. This is the bill that moves the primary for all office from June to the 2nd Tuesday in March. It has the effect of moving the petition deadline for minor parties and non-presidential independent candidates from June to March, because the existing law says those petitions are due on the date of the non-presidential primary.

As noted earlier, in 1991 the 11th circuit invalidated Alabama’s April petition deadline for new parties, and that case didn’t even involve a presidential election. Precedents against early petition deadlines for minor parties and independent candidates are stronger in presidential elections than they are in elections for other office. At the time of the 1991 decision, Alabama’s petition was 1% of the last gubernatorial vote; not it is 3% of the last gubernatorial vote.