Alabama gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 5
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2022 →
← 2014
|
| Governor of Alabama |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 9, 2018 |
| Primary: June 5, 2018 Primary runoff: July 17, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Kay Ivey (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Alabama |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| Alabama executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant governor |
Incumbent Kay Ivey (R) was the winner of the June 5 Republican primary for governor of Alabama, receiving 56.1 percent of the vote to Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle's (R) 25.0 percent.
Ivey faced four Republican challengers in her bid for a first full term after taking office to succeed Robert Bentley (R), who resigned as governor in April 2017. In addition to Battle, preacher Scott Dawson (R), state Sen. Bill Hightower (R), and Michael McAllister (R) ran against Ivey.
The winner of the general election was involved in the state's redistricting process following the 2020 Census. Under Alabama state law, the state Legislature is responsible for drawing new maps for U.S. House and state legislative seats following the completion of the census. The governor has the power to veto these district map proposals.[1] Click here for more information on redistricting procedures.
Candidates and election results
Incumbent Kay Ivey defeated Tommy Battle, Scott Dawson, Bill Hightower, and Michael McAllister in the Republican primary for Governor of Alabama on June 5, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Alabama
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kay Ivey | 56.1 | 331,739 |
 | Tommy Battle | 24.9 | 147,207 | |
 | Scott Dawson | 13.5 | 79,546 | |
 | Bill Hightower | 5.0 | 29,367 | |
| Michael McAllister | 0.6 | 3,340 | ||
| Total votes: 591,199 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Slade Blackwell (R)
Endorsements
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
The first poll released in this primary was released in September 2017. It showed a 55 percent lead for sitting Governor Kay Ivey. The poll, which was commissioned by the Ivey campaign and conducted by the Tarrance Group, showed Ivey polling at 66 percent among likely primary voters. The poll reported 11 percent support for Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, and three percent each for preacher Scott Dawson and state Senator Bill Hightower. The poll did not report results for former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy George, businessman Josh Jones, or Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan. The Tarrance Group poll surveyed 601 likely Republican primary voters between August 28 and August 30 and reported a margin of error of 4.1 percent.
| Alabama gubernatorial Republican primary election, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Kay Ivey | Tommy Battle | Scott Dawson | Bill Hightower | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||
| The Tarrance Group (May 20-22, 2018) | The Ivey campaign | 58% | 18% | 7% | 5% | 12% | +/-4.1 | 602 | |||||||||||
| The Tarrance Group (August 28-30, 2017) | The Ivey campaign | 66% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 16% | +/-4.1 | 601 | |||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 62% | 14.5% | 5% | 4% | 14% | +/-4.1 | 601.5 | ||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance
Following are campaign finance figures obtained from the Alabama Electronic Fair Campaign Practices Act Reporting System, covering all contributions and expenditures made before February 28, 2018.[6]
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: Alabama gubernatorial election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Context of the 2018 election
- As of the 2018 elections, Alabama was a Republican trifecta. It had been under this status since 2011, when Republicans gained majorities in the state Senate and state House. Alabama also had a Republican triplex.
- The Republican presidential candidate won Alabama in each of the past five election cycles. The most narrow margin of victory was George W. Bush's 15 percent margin in 2000 while the widest was Donald Trump's 28 percent margin in 2016.
- Alabama was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.
Past elections
2014
- See also: Alabama gubernatorial election, 2014
Robert Bentley ran for re-election as Governor of Alabama in the 2014 election. Bentley won the Republican primary, defeating former Morgan County Commissioner Stacy George and retired software company owner Bob Starkey by an 83.6 percent margin.[7]
| Governor of Alabama Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Robert Bentley Incumbent |
89.3% | 388,247 | ||
| Stacy George | 5.8% | 25,134 | ||
| Bob Starkey | 4.9% | 21,144 | ||
| Total Votes | 434,525 | |||
| Election results via Alabama Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign tactics and strategies
Campaign advertisements
Kay Ivey
Support
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tommy Battle
Support
|
|
|
Scott Dawson
Support
|
|
|
Bill Hightower
|
|
|
|
|
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Alabama uses an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[8][9][10]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Alabama, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. According to state law, "All polling places in areas operating on eastern time shall open and close under this section pursuant to eastern time except the county commissions in Chambers County and Lee County may by resolution provide for any polling place to be excluded from this sentence and to be open according to central time."[11] An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[12]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
Alabama requires that an applicant be a citizen of the United States who resides in Alabama. A voter must be at least 18 years old on or before Election Day. A citizen cannot have been barred from registering due to a felony conviction and cannot have been declared mentally incompetent by a court.[13]
Voters cannot register during the 14-day period preceding an election. According to the Alabama Secretary of State's website:[13]
| “ |
You may download the State of Alabama Postcard Voter Registration Application from this site. The form can be printed on your printer, filled out, and then mailed into your local voter registration officials. Click here for more information. You may also request a postcard voter registration from this office by e-mail. Click here to request a voter registration form. Voter registration is also available from your local County Board of Registrars. Click here to get the address and phone number for the board of registrars office in your county. You may also obtain voter registration services at the following state and local government offices and agencies:
The postcard voter registration form is also available at:
|
” |
Automatic registration
Alabama does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Alabama has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
Alabama does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Alabama, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.
Verification of citizenship
An Alabama state law, passed in 2011, requires people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.[15] However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.[16]
In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill (R) said the following: "That’s an election administration nightmare ... You’d have to have two sets of poll books, one for federal elections and one for state elections, and that just doesn’t make any sense to me."[17]
An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Alabama Secretary of State's Voter View website allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Alabama requires voters to present photo identification at the polls. The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of October 2025. Click here for the most current information, sourced directly from the Office of the Alabama Secretary of State.
| “ |
|
” |
A voter can obtain a free identification card from the Alabama Secretary of State, a county registrar's office, or a mobile location. The mobile location schedule can be accessed here.
Early voting
Absentee voting
A voter is eligible to vote absentee/mail-in in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[19]
- The voter will be absent from the county on Election Day.
- The voter is ill or has a disability that prevents a trip to the polling place.
- The voter is a registered voter living outside the county, such as a member of the armed forces, a voter employed outside the United States, a college student, or a spouse or child of such a person.
- The voter is an appointed election officer or poll watcher at a polling place other than his or her regular polling place.
- The voter works a required shift of 10 hours or more that coincides with polling hours.
- The voter is a caregiver to a family member to the second degree of kinship who is confined to their home.
- The voter is incarcerated and has not been convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Absentee/mail-in ballot application must be received by the seventh day prior to the election if delivered by mail, and by the fifth day before an election if delivered by hand.
In the following circumstances, the deadline to apply for an absentee/mail-in ballot is 5 p.m. the day before the election:
- The voter is required by an employer under unforeseen circumstances to be out of the county on Election Day for an emergency business trip.
- The voter has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician.
- The voter is a caregiver of a person who requires emergency treatment by a licensed physician within five days before an election.
- The voter has a family member to the second degree of kinship by affinity or consanguinity die within five days before an election.
Alabama also provides for medical emergency absentee/mail-in voting for a voter who has a medical emergency requiring treatment from a licensed physician within 5 days of an election. A voted medical emergency absentee/mail-in ballot must be returned no later than noon on election day.[19]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Alabama heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2017 special election, one Republican and one Democrat each held a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama.
- Republicans held 6 of 7 U.S. House seats in Alabama.
State executives
- As of August 2018, Republicans held 9 state executive positions. The other four positions were nonpartisan.
- The governor of Alabama was Republican Kay Ivey. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Alabama State Legislature. They had a 72-32 majority in the state House and a 26-8 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Alabama was a Republican state government trifecta, meaning Republicans held the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house.
2018 elections
- See also: Alabama elections, 2018
Alabama held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- U.S. House
- Governor
- Other state executive
- State Senate
- State House
- Special state legislative
- State Supreme Court
- Intermediate appellate courts
- Local judges
- School boards
- Municipal government
Demographics
| Demographic data for Alabama | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,853,875 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 50,645 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 68.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 26.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.2% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.7% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 23.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $43,623 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 23.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Alabama. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2016, Alabama's three largest cities were Birmingham (pop. est. 211,000), Montgomery (pop. est. 200,000), and Huntsville (pop. est. 195,000).[20]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Alabama from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Alabama Secretary of States.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Alabama every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Alabama 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Donald Trump |
62% |  Hillary Clinton |
34% | 28% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney |
61% | Barack Obama |
38% | 23% |
| 2008 | John McCain |
60% | Barack Obama |
39% | 21% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
62% | John Kerry |
37% | 25% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
56% | Al Gore |
42% | 14% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Alabama from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Alabama 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Richard Shelby |
64% | Ron Crumpton |
36% | 28% |
| 2014 | Jeff Sessions |
97% | No Democratic candidate | 0% | 97% |
| 2010 | Richard Shelby |
65% | William Barnes |
35% | 30% |
| 2008 | Jeff Sessions |
63% | Vivian Figures |
37% | 26% |
| 2004 | Richard Shelby |
68% | Wayne Sowell |
32.0% | 36% |
| 2002 | Jeff Sessions |
59% | Susan Parker |
40.0% | 19% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Alabama.
| Election results (Governor), Alabama 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Robert Bentley |
64% | Parker Griffith |
36% | 28% |
| 2010 | Robert Bentley |
58% | Ron Sparks |
42% | 16 |
| 2006 | Bob Riley |
57% | Lucy Baxley |
42% | 15% |
| 2002 | Bob Riley |
49% | Don Siegelman |
49% | 0% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Alabama in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Alabama 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 6 |
86% | 1 |
14% | R+5 |
| 2014 | 6 |
86% | 1 |
14% | R+5 |
| 2012 | 6 |
86% | 1 |
14% | R+5 |
| 2010 | 6 |
86% | 1 |
14% | R+5 |
| 2008 | 5 |
71% | 2 |
29% | R+3 |
| 2006 | 5 |
71% | 2 |
29% | R+3 |
| 2004 | 5 |
71% | 2 |
29% | R+3 |
| 2002 | 5 |
71% | 2 |
29% | R+3 |
| 2000 | 5 |
71% | 2 |
29% | R+3 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Alabama Party Control: 1992-2025
Six years of Democratic trifectas • Fifteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states. No counties in Alabama are Pivot Counties.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Alabama with 62.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 34.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Alabama voted Democratic 53.33 percent of the time and Republican 40 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Alabama voted Republican all five times.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alabama governor Republican primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
|
Alabama government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ All about Redistricting, "Who draws the lines?" accessed January 24, 2018
- ↑ AL.com, "Mike Huckabee endorses evangelist Scott Dawson in Alabama governor's race," October 5, 2017
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 AL.com, "45 GOP legislators endorse Kay Ivey in Alabama governor's race," May 24, 2018
- ↑ AL.com, "Stacy Lee George drops out of governor's race, endorses Ivey," November 13, 2017
- ↑ AL.com, "Gov. Kay Ivey, AG Steve Marshall get NRA endorsement," May 17, 2018
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Political Race Search," accessed January 8, 2018
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Certification of Results - Republican Party Primary, 2014," June 13, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed July 22, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "Alabama Code § 17-13-1," accessed July 22, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "Alabama Code § 17-3-30," accessed July 22, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "Alabama Code § 17-9-6," accessed July 20, 2024
- ↑ NAACP Legal Defense Fund, "Alabama Voter Information," accessed July 20, 2024
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Alabama Secretary of State, "Voter Registration General Information," accessed July 20, 2024
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alabama Secretary of State, "Election Laws, Section 31-13-28," accessed March 1, 2023
- ↑ Phone conversation between Amée LaTour and Jeff Elrod, supervisor of voter registration with the Alabama Secretary of State office.
- ↑ Pew Trusts, "'Proof of Citizenship' Voting Laws May Surge Under Trump," November 16, 2017
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Alabama Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed July 21, 2024
- ↑ Alabama Demographics, "Alabama Cities by Population," accessed August 30, 2018
 |
State of Alabama Montgomery (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
