From staff reports
MONTGOMERY – Alabama’s Secretary of State John H. Merrill announces Alabama joins Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia in hosting the SEC presidential primary on March 1, 2016. Governor Robert Bentley will sign the bill on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 10 a.m.
“I’m excited that the citizens of Alabama will have an opportunity to make a significant impact on who will be the next President of the United States. We have already heard from most of the announced candidates or their campaign teams and they are looking forward to visiting Alabama and meeting our people,” said Merrill. “We would also like to thank Senator Quinton Ross (D) – Montgomery, Representative Ed Henry (R) – Hartsell, Republican Chairwoman Terry Lathan, Democratic Chairwoman Nancy Worley, and the entire state Legislature for their bipartisan support of the SEC Primary.”
The SEC primary is the nickname given to the primaries of the southern states as a reference to the Southeastern Conference in college athletics. The bill’s actual language states that “Primary elections for the purpose of determining the preferred candidates for President of the United States shall be held the first Tuesday in March each year in which a President is to be elected beginning in the year 2016.”
Information about elections and election schedules is provided at the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office, visit www.sos.alabama.gov.