MONTGOMERY, Ala. –
Alabama’s Secretary of State John H. Merrill announces Alabama joins Arkansas,
Georgia, Oklahoma, 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,”
states Secretary of State 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.