Editing Alabama (section)

== Law and government ==
=== State government ===
{{Main|Government of Alabama}}
[[File:Alabama Capitol Building.jpg|thumb|The [[Alabama State Capitol|State Capitol Building]] in Montgomery, completed in 1851]]

The foundational document for Alabama's government is the [[Constitution of Alabama|Alabama Constitution]], the current one having been adopted in 2022. The former Alabama [[Alabama Constitution of 1901|constitution adopted in 1901]] was, with over 850 amendments and almost 87,000 words, by some accounts the world's longest constitution and roughly forty times the length of the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>Tim Lockette, [http://www.annistonstar.com/article_c928bd51-fbf1-5056-a30c-1bf4b19eb012.html?mode=jqm Is the Alabama Constitution the longest constitution in the world?Truth Rating: 4 out of 5] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307224910/http://www.annistonstar.com/article_c928bd51-fbf1-5056-a30c-1bf4b19eb012.html?mode=jqm |date=March 7, 2016}}, ''Anniston Star''.</ref><ref>Campbell Robertson, [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/us/alabama-simmers-before-vote-on-its-constitutions-racist-language.html Alabama Simmers Before Vote on Its Constitution's Racist Language] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170723071330/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/us/alabama-simmers-before-vote-on-its-constitutions-racist-language.html |date=July 23, 2017}}, ''New York Times'', October 10, 2012.</ref><ref name="Washington Post">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/11/28/alabama-vote-opens-old-racial-wounds/c801ee54-a22b-424c-9122-729aabaf2007/ |last=Roig-Franzia |first=Manuel |title=Alabama Vote Opens Old Racial Wounds |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 28, 2004 |access-date=November 4, 2021 |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322031912/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/11/28/alabama-vote-opens-old-racial-wounds/c801ee54-a22b-424c-9122-729aabaf2007/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Constitution">{{cite web |url=http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeOfAlabama/Constitution/1901/Constitution1901_toc.htm |title=Constitution of Alabama—1901 |website=The Alabama Legislative Information System |access-date=September 22, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060923081542/http://www.legislature.state.al.us/CodeOfAlabama/Constitution/1901/Constitution1901_toc.htm |archive-date=September 23, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

There has been a significant movement to rewrite and modernize Alabama's constitution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.constitutionalreform.org/ |title=Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform |publisher=Constitutionalreform.org |access-date=October 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915165938/http://www.constitutionalreform.org/ |archive-date=September 15, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Critics have argued that Alabama's constitution maintains highly centralized power with the state legislature, leaving practically no power in local hands. Most counties do not have home rule. Any policy changes proposed in different areas of the state must be approved by the entire Alabama legislature and, frequently, by state referendum. The former constitution was particularly criticized for its complexity and length intentionally codifying segregation and racism.

[[File:Ala Supreme Court Building Feb 2012 01.jpg|thumb|The [[Alabama Judicial Building|Heflin-Torbert Judicial Building]] in Montgomery. It houses the [[Supreme Court of Alabama]], [[Alabama Court of Civil Appeals]], and [[Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals]].]]
Alabama's government is divided into three coequal branches. The [[Legislature|legislative branch]] is the [[Alabama Legislature]], a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] assembly composed of the [[Alabama House of Representatives]], with 105 members, and the [[Alabama Senate]], with 35 members. The Legislature is responsible for writing, debating, passing, or defeating state legislation. The [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] currently holds a majority in both houses of the Legislature. The Legislature has the power to override a gubernatorial veto by a simple majority (most state Legislatures require a two-thirds majority to override a veto).

Until 1964, the state elected state senators on a geographic basis by county, with one per county. It had not redistricted congressional districts since passage of its constitution in 1901; as a result, urbanized areas were grossly underrepresented. It had not changed legislative districts to reflect the decennial censuses, either. In ''Reynolds v. Sims'' (1964), the U.S. Supreme Court implemented the principle of "one man, one vote", ruling that congressional districts had to be reapportioned based on censuses (as the state already included in its constitution but had not implemented.) Further, the court ruled that both houses of bicameral state legislatures had to be apportioned by population, as there was no constitutional basis for states to have geographically based systems.

At that time, Alabama and many other states had to change their legislative districting, as many across the country had systems that underrepresented urban areas and districts. This had caused decades of underinvestment in such areas. For instance, Birmingham and Jefferson County taxes had supplied one-third of the state budget, but Jefferson County received only 1/67th of state services in funding. Through the legislative delegations, the Alabama legislature kept control of county governments.

[[File:Governor Kay Ivey 2017 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Kay Ivey]] is the [[governor of Alabama]] as of 2025.]]
The [[Executive (government)|executive branch]] is responsible for the execution and oversight of laws. It is headed by the [[List of governors of Alabama|governor of Alabama]]. Other members of the executive branch include the cabinet, the [[List of lieutenant governors of Alabama|lieutenant governor of Alabama]], the [[Attorney General of Alabama]], the [[Secretary of State of Alabama|Alabama Secretary of State]], the [[Alabama State Treasurer]], and the [[State Auditor of Alabama]]. The current governor is Republican [[Kay Ivey]].

The members of the Legislature take office immediately after the November elections. Statewide officials, such as the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and other constitutional officers, take office the following January.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/legislativeprocess/legislativeprocess_ml.html |title=Alabama's Legislative Process |first=McDowell |last=Lee |year=2009 |publisher=State of Alabama |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102162559/http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/legislativeprocess/legislativeprocess_ml.html |archive-date=January 2, 2011}}</ref>

The [[judiciary]] is responsible for interpreting the [[Constitution of Alabama]] and applying the law in state criminal and civil cases. The [[State supreme court|state's highest court]] is the [[Supreme Court of Alabama]]. Alabama uses partisan elections to select judges. Since the 1980s judicial campaigns have become increasingly politicized.<ref name="AJS">[http://www.judicialselection.us/judicial_selection/index.cfm?state=AL Judicial Selection in the States: Alabama] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006162358/http://www.judicialselection.us/judicial_selection/index.cfm?state=AL |date=October 6, 2014}}, American Judicature Society.</ref> The current [[chief justice]] of the Alabama Supreme Court is Republican [[Tom Parker (judge)|Tom Parker]]. All sitting justices on the Alabama Supreme Court are members of the Republican Party. There are two intermediate [[appellate court]]s, the Court of Civil Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals, and four [[trial court]]s: the circuit court (trial court of general jurisdiction), and the district, probate, and municipal courts.<ref name="AJS"/>

Alabama has the death penalty with authorized methods of execution that include the [[electric chair]] and the [[gas chamber]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/methods-of-execution |title=Methods of Execution |access-date=March 20, 2023 |archive-date=July 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701043600/https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/methods-execution |url-status=live}}</ref> Some critics believe the election of judges has contributed to an exceedingly high rate of executions.<ref>[{{cite web |title=Questions of Death Row Justice For Poor People in Alabama |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/01/us/questions-of-death-row-justice-for-poor-people-in-alabama.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 1, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326035332/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/01/us/questions-of-death-row-justice-for-poor-people-in-alabama.html |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |url-status=live |last1=Rimer |first1=Sara}}</ref> Alabama has the highest per capita [[Capital punishment in Alabama|death penalty rate]] in the country. In some years, it imposes more death sentences than does Texas, a state which has a population five times larger.<ref name="npr.org"/> However, executions per capita are significantly higher in Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/state-execution-rates|title=State Execution Rates (through 2020)|website=Death Penalty Information Center|access-date=December 14, 2019|archive-date=February 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207020714/https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/state-execution-rates|url-status=live}}</ref> Some of its cases have been highly controversial; the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eji.org/us-supreme-court-reverses-alabama-death-penalty-case-christopher-floyd-racially-biased-jury-selection |title=Supreme Court Reverses Another Alabama Death Penalty Case |date=June 21, 2016 |website=EJI |access-date=August 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820093442/http://www.eji.org/us-supreme-court-reverses-alabama-death-penalty-case-christopher-floyd-racially-biased-jury-selection |archive-date=August 20, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 24 convictions in death penalty cases.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} It was the only state to allow judges to override jury decisions in whether or not to use a death sentence; in 10 cases judges overturned sentences of [[Life imprisonment|life imprisonment without parole]] that were voted unanimously by juries.<ref name="npr.org">{{cite news |author=Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/07/25/335418230/with-judges-overriding-death-penalty-cases-alabama-is-an-outlier |title=With Judges Overriding Death Penalty Cases, Alabama Is An Outlier |newspaper=NPR |date=July 27, 2014 |access-date=July 21, 2016 |archive-date=July 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703220906/https://www.npr.org/2014/07/25/335418230/with-judges-overriding-death-penalty-cases-alabama-is-an-outlier |url-status=live}}</ref> This judicial authority was removed in April 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/04/post_317.html |title=Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill: Judges can no longer override juries in death penalty cases |website=Al.com |date=April 12, 2017 |access-date=December 13, 2017 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035444/http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/04/post_317.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

On May 14, 2019, Alabama passed the [[Human Life Protection Act]], banning abortion at any stage of pregnancy unless there is a "serious health risk", with no exceptions for rape and [[incest]]. The law subjects doctors who perform abortions with 10 to 99 years imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/14/abortion-bill-alabama-passes-ban-six-weeks-us-no-exemptions-vote-latest |title=Alabama abortion ban: Republican senate passes most restrictive law in US |last=York |first=Erin Durkin Jessica Glenza in New |date=May 15, 2019 |work=The Guardian |access-date=May 15, 2019 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=May 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515023534/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/14/abortion-bill-alabama-passes-ban-six-weeks-us-no-exemptions-vote-latest |url-status=live}}</ref> The law was originally supposed to take effect the following November, but on October 29, 2019, U.S. District Judge [[Myron H. Thompson|Myron Thompson]] blocked the law from taking effect due to it being in conflict with the 1973 [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] case ''[[Roe v. Wade]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chandler |first1=Kim |title=Federal judge blocks Alabama's strict abortion ban |url=https://apnews.com/dae2aa0b0796432daa146bbc6128643b |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=November 9, 2019 |location=Montgomery |date=October 29, 2019 |archive-date=November 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108185459/https://apnews.com/dae2aa0b0796432daa146bbc6128643b |url-status=live}}</ref> On June 24, 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned ''Roe v. Wade'' in ''[[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]]'', Judge Thompson lifted the injunction, allowing the law to go into effect.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/ad/dad08b38-f403-11ec-b63f-6308c50f258e/62b62b6dda8ef.pdf.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/ad/dad08b38-f403-11ec-b63f-6308c50f258e/62b62b6dda8ef.pdf.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=YASHICA ROBINSON vs STEVEN MARSHALL Court Docket |website=bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com}}</ref>

Alabama is one of the few states that does not allow the creation of state lotteries.<ref>Alabama Law, Article IV, §65</ref>

=== Taxes ===
Taxes are collected by the Alabama Department of Revenue.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://revenue.alabama.gov/ |title=Alabama Department of Revenue |publisher=Alabama Department of Revenue |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103043604/https://revenue.alabama.gov/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Alabama levies a 2%, 4%, or{{spaces}}5% [[State income tax|personal income tax]], depending on the amount earned and filing status.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-individual-income-tax-rates-and-brackets/ |title=State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2021 |first=Katherine |last=Loughead |publisher=[[Tax Foundation]] |date=February 17, 2021 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118042724/https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-individual-income-tax-rates-and-brackets/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Taxpayers are allowed to deduct their [[Income tax in the United States|federal income tax]] from their Alabama state tax, even if taking the [[standard deduction]]; those who itemize can also deduct [[Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax|FICA]] (the Social Security and Medicare tax).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thebalance.com/deducting-federal-income-taxes-on-your-state-return-3193248 |title=States That Allow You to Deduct Federal Income Taxes |first=TONYA |last=MORENO |work=[[Dotdash]] |date=May 27, 2021 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055340/https://www.thebalance.com/deducting-federal-income-taxes-on-your-state-return-3193248 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The state's general sales tax rate is 4%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/taxes-administered/sales-tax/ |title=Sales Tax |publisher=Alabama Department of Revenue |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119015045/https://revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/taxes-administered/sales-tax/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Sales tax rates for cities and counties are also added to purchases.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/tax-rates/city-and-county-tax-rates/ |title=City and County Tax Rates |publisher=Alabama Department of Revenue |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055340/https://revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/tax-rates/city-and-county-tax-rates/ |url-status=live}}</ref> For example, the total sales tax rate in [[Mobile County, Alabama]] is 10% and there is an additional restaurant tax of 1%, which means a diner in [[Mobile County, Alabama]] would pay an 11% tax on a meal.

In 2020, sales and excise taxes in Alabama accounted for 38% of all state and local revenue.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://rss.alabamanewscenter.com/2021/01/08/alabama-collected-record-12-2b-revenues-in-2020/ |title=Alabama collected record $12.2B revenues in 2020 |first=Chuck |last=Chandler |work=Alabama News Center |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055339/https://rss.alabamanewscenter.com/2021/01/08/alabama-collected-record-12-2b-revenues-in-2020/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Only Alabama, [[Mississippi]], and [[South Dakota]] tax groceries at the full state sales tax rate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/states-that-still-impose-sales-taxes-on-groceries-should-consider |title=States That Still Impose Sales Taxes on Groceries Should Consider Reducing or Eliminating Them |first1=Eric |last1= Figueroa |first2=Julian |last2=Legendre |publisher= [[Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]] |date=April 1, 2020 |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131124324/https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/states-that-still-impose-sales-taxes-on-groceries-should-consider |url-status=live}} {{update inline|date=May 2024}}</ref>

The corporate income tax rate in Alabama is 6.5%. The overall federal, state, and local tax burden in Alabama ranks the state as the second least tax-burdened state in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://taxfoundation.org/state/alabama/ |title=Taxes In Alabama |publisher=[[Tax Foundation]] |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055341/https://taxfoundation.org/state/alabama/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Property tax]]es of .40% of assessed value per year, are the second-lowest in the U.S., after Hawaii.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brendarichardson/2020/04/09/residents-pay-the-lowest-property-taxes-in-these-states/ |title=Residents Pay The Lowest Property Taxes In These States |first=Brenda |last=Richardson |work=[[Forbes]] |date=April 9, 2020 |url-access=limited |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055340/https://www.forbes.com/sites/brendarichardson/2020/04/09/residents-pay-the-lowest-property-taxes-in-these-states/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The state constitution currently requires a voter referendum to raise property taxes.

Historically, an Alabama excise tax "on the storage, use or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased at retail for storage, use or other consumption in this state" was the focus of a 1941 [[Supreme Court of the United States|U S Supreme Court]] ruling, ''Curry v United States''.<ref>{{ussc|314|14|1941}}</ref>

=== County and local governments ===
{{See also|List of counties in Alabama}}
{{Alabama County Labelled Map|align=right|width=300}}

Alabama has 67 [[county (United States)|counties]]. Each county has its own elected legislative branch, usually called the county commission. It also has limited executive authority in the county. Because of the constraints of the Alabama Constitution, which centralizes power in the state legislature, only seven counties (Jefferson, Lee, Mobile, Madison, Montgomery, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa) in the state have limited [[home rule]]. Instead, most counties in the state must lobby the Local Legislation Committee of the state legislature to get simple local policies approved, ranging from waste disposal to land use zoning.

The state legislature has retained power over local governments by refusing to pass a constitutional amendment establishing home rule for counties, as recommended by the 1973 Alabama Constitutional Commission.<ref name="home"/> Legislative delegations retain certain powers over each county. United States Supreme Court decisions in ''Baker v. Carr'' (1964) required that both houses have districts established on the basis of population, and redistricted after each census, to implement the principle of "one man, one vote". Before that, each county was represented by one state senator, leading to under-representation in the state senate for more urbanized, populous counties. The rural bias of the state legislature, which had also failed to redistrict seats in the state house, affected politics well into the 20th century, failing to recognize the rise of industrial cities and urbanized areas.

"The lack of home rule for counties in Alabama has resulted in the proliferation of local legislation permitting counties to do things not authorized by the state constitution. Alabama's constitution has been amended more than 700 times, and almost one-third of the amendments are local in nature, applying to only one county or city. A significant part of each legislative session is spent on local legislation, taking away time and attention of legislators from issues of statewide importance."<ref name="home">{{Cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1153 |title=Home Rule |first=Albert P. |last=Brewer |publisher=[[Encyclopedia of Alabama]] |access-date=February 4, 2015 |archive-date=February 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203220653/http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1153 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Alabama is an [[alcoholic beverage control state]], meaning the state government holds a monopoly on the sale of alcohol. The [[Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board]] controls the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in the state. A total of 25 of the 67 counties are "[[Dry county|dry counties]]" which ban the sale of alcohol, and there are many dry municipalities in counties which permit alcohol sales.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://alabcboard.gov/licensing-compliance/wet-cities |title=Wet Cities |publisher=Alabama ABC Board |access-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119055341/https://alabcboard.gov/licensing-compliance/wet-cities |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Rank !! County !! Population{{break}}(2019 Estimate) !! Population{{break}}(2010 Census) !! Seat !! Largest city
|+ Largest counties in Alabama by population
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| [[Jefferson County, Alabama|Jefferson]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 658,573
| style="text-align:center;"| 658,158
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Birmingham
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2
| [[Mobile County, Alabama|Mobile]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 413,210
| style="text-align:center;"| 412,992
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Mobile
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| [[Madison County, Alabama|Madison]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 372,909
| style="text-align:center;"| 334,811
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Huntsville, Alabama|Huntsville]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Huntsville
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| [[Montgomery County, Alabama|Montgomery]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 226,486
| style="text-align:center;"| 229,363
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Montgomery
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 5
| [[Shelby County, Alabama|Shelby]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 217,702
| style="text-align:center;"| 195,085
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Columbiana, Alabama|Columbiana]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Hoover, Alabama|Hoover]] (part){{break}}[[Alabaster, Alabama|Alabaster]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 6
| [[Baldwin County, Alabama|Baldwin]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 223,234
| style="text-align:center;"| 182,265
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Bay Minette, Alabama|Bay Minette]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Daphne, Alabama|Daphne]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 7
| [[Tuscaloosa County, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 209,355
| style="text-align:center;"| 194,656
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Tuscaloosa
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 8
| [[Lee County, Alabama|Lee]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 164,542
| style="text-align:center;"| 140,247
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Opelika, Alabama|Opelika]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Auburn, Alabama|Auburn]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 9
| [[Morgan County, Alabama|Morgan]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 119,679
| style="text-align:center;"| 119,490
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Decatur, Alabama|Decatur]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Decatur
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
| [[Calhoun County, Alabama|Calhoun]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 113,605
| style="text-align:center;"| 118,572
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Anniston, Alabama|Anniston]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Anniston
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 11
| [[Houston County, Alabama|Houston]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 105,882
| style="text-align:center;"| 101,547
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Dothan, Alabama|Dothan]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Dothan
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 12
| [[Etowah County, Alabama|Etowah]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 102,268
| style="text-align:center;"| 104,303
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Gadsden, Alabama|Gadsden]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Gadsden
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 13
| [[Limestone County, Alabama|Limestone]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 98,915
| style="text-align:center;"| 82,782
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Athens, Alabama|Athens]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Athens
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 14
| [[Marshall County, Alabama|Marshall]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 96,774
| style="text-align:center;"| 93,019
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Guntersville, Alabama|Guntersville]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Albertville, Alabama|Albertville]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 15
| [[Lauderdale County, Alabama|Lauderdale]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 92,729
| style="text-align:center;"| 92,709
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Florence, Alabama|Florence]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Florence
|}

=== Politics ===
During Reconstruction following the American Civil War, Alabama was occupied by federal troops of the [[Third Military District]] under [[John Pope (general)|General John Pope]]. In 1874, the political coalition of white Democrats known as the [[Redeemers]] took control of the state government from the Republicans, in part by suppressing the black vote through violence, fraud, and intimidation. After 1890, a coalition of White Democratic politicians passed laws to segregate and disenfranchise African American residents, a process completed in provisions of the 1901 constitution. Provisions which disenfranchised blacks resulted in excluding many poor Whites. By 1941 more Whites than Blacks had been disenfranchised: 600,000 to 520,000. The total effects were greater on the black community, as almost all its citizens were disfranchised and relegated to separate and unequal treatment under the law.

From 1901 through the 1960s, the state did not redraw election districts as population grew and shifted within the state during urbanization and industrialization of certain areas. As counties were the basis of election districts, the result was a rural minority that dominated state politics through nearly three-quarters of the century, until a series of federal court cases required redistricting in 1972 to meet equal representation. Alabama state politics gained nationwide and international attention in the 1950s and 1960s during the civil rights movement, when whites bureaucratically, and at times violently, resisted protests for electoral and social reform. Governor [[George Wallace]], the state's only four-term governor, was a controversial figure who vowed to maintain segregation. Only after passage of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964<ref name="cra64" /> and Voting Rights Act of 1965 did African Americans regain the ability to exercise suffrage, among other civil rights. In many jurisdictions, they continued to be excluded from representation by at-large electoral systems, which allowed the majority of the population to dominate elections. Some changes at the county level have occurred following court challenges to establish [[single-member district]]s that enable a more diverse representation among county boards.

In 2007, the Alabama Legislature passed, and Republican governor [[Bob Riley]] signed a resolution expressing "profound regret" over slavery and its lingering impact. In a symbolic ceremony, the bill was signed in the [[Alabama State Capitol]], which housed Congress of the Confederate States of America.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Phillip |last=Rawls |title=Alabama offers an apology for slavery |work=The Virginian Pilot |date=June 1, 2007}}</ref> In 2010, Republicans won control of both houses of the legislature for the first time in 136 years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/11/gop_takes_alabama_legislature.html |title=GOP takes control of Alabama Legislature after 136 years |last=White |first=David |date=November 2, 2010 |work=[[The Birmingham News]] |access-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-date=July 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709153753/http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/11/gop_takes_alabama_legislature.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{as of|2023|February|}}, there are a total of 3,707,233 registered voters, with 3,318,679 active, and the others inactive in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/election-data |title=Elections Data Downloads |publisher=Alabama Secretary of State |access-date=March 2, 2023 |archive-date=December 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208174821/http://sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/election-data |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 2023 ''American Values Atlas'' by [[Public Religion Research Institute]] found that a majority of Alabama residents support [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=American Values Atlas: Approval of Same-Sex Marriage in Alabama |url=https://ava.prri.org/#lgbt/2022/States/lgbt_ssm/m/US-AL |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]] |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#lgbt/2022/States/lgbt_ssm/m/US-AL |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Elections ===
{{Main|Elections in Alabama}}
[[File:Doug Jones Biden Event.jpg|thumb|Senator [[Doug Jones (politician)|Doug Jones]] won a [[2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama|special election]] in 2017.]]

==== State elections ====
With the disfranchisement of Blacks in 1901, the state became part of the "[[Solid South]]", a system in which the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] operated as effectively the only viable political party in every Southern state. For nearly a hundred years local and state elections in Alabama were decided in the Democratic Party [[Partisan primary|primary]], with generally only token [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] challengers running in the general election. Since the mid- to late 20th century, however, white conservatives started shifting to the Republican Party. In Alabama, majority-white districts are now expected to regularly elect Republican candidates to federal, state and local office.

Members of the nine seats on the [[Supreme Court of Alabama]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/sue_bell_cobb_considering_runn.html |title=Sue Bell Cobb considering running for governor |website=The Birmingham News |date=May 2, 2009 |access-date=August 7, 2009 |archive-date=May 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506035723/http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/05/sue_bell_cobb_considering_runn.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and all ten seats on the state appellate courts are elected to office. Until 1994, no Republicans held any of the court seats. In that general election, the then-incumbent chief justice, [[Ernest C. Hornsby]], refused to leave office after losing the election by approximately 3,000 votes to Republican [[Perry Hooper Sr.|Perry O. Hooper Sr.]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 26, 2016|title=Chief Justice Perry Hooper remembered as GOP pioneer|url=https://www.al.com/news/2016/04/alabama_chief_justice_perry_ho.html|access-date=April 2, 2021|website=al|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613164025/https://www.al.com/news/2016/04/alabama_chief_justice_perry_ho.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Hornsby sued Alabama and defiantly remained in office for nearly a year before finally giving up the seat after losing in court.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Courting Votes in Alabama|last=Johnson|first=Winthrop|publisher=Prescott Press, Inc.|year=1999|isbn=0-933451-41-5|location=Lafayette, Louisiana|page=250}}</ref> The Democrats lost the last of the nineteen court seats in August 2011 with the resignation of the last Democrat on the bench.

In the early 21st century, Republicans hold all seven of the statewide elected executive branch offices. Republicans hold six of the eight elected seats on the [[Alabama State Board of Education]]. In 2010, Republicans took large majorities of both chambers of the state legislature, giving them control of that body for the first time in 136 years. The last remaining statewide Democrat, who served on the Alabama Public Service Commission, was defeated in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.psc.state.al.us/commissioners.htm |title=Commissioners |publisher=Psc.state.al.us |access-date=August 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718210525/http://www.psc.state.al.us/commissioners.htm |archive-date=July 18, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Special |url=http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/11/lucy_baxley_wins_alabama_publi.html |title=Lucy Baxley wins Alabama Public Service Commission presidency, but recount possible |publisher=Birmingham News via al.com |date=November 5, 2008 |access-date=August 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090802212747/http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/11/lucy_baxley_wins_alabama_publi.html |archive-date=August 2, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Amy |url=http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/public_service_commission.html |title=Public Service Commission: Twinkle Cavanaugh, Terry Dunn join GOP sweep |publisher=al.com |access-date=June 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120306232802/http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/public_service_commission.html |archive-date=March 6, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Only three Republican lieutenant governors have been elected since the end of Reconstruction, when Republicans generally represented Reconstruction government, including the newly emancipated freedmen who had gained the franchise. The three GOP lieutenant governors are [[Steve Windom]] (1999–2003), [[Kay Ivey]] (2011–2017), and [[Will Ainsworth]] (2019–present).

==== Local elections ====
Many metropolitan and suburban counties have voters who are majority Democrats, resulting in local elections being decided in the Democratic primary. Similarly, most rural counties are majority-Republican and elections are effectively decided in the Republican Primary. However, since local governments in Alabama are weaker than in other parts of the country, Republicans have the upper hand in government.

Alabama's 67 county sheriffs are elected in partisan, at-large races, and Republicans retain the vast majority of those posts. The current split is 18 [[Alabama Democratic Party|Democrats]], and 49 [[Alabama Republican Party|Republicans]] as of 2023. However, most of the Democratic sheriffs preside over urban and more populated counties. The majority of Republican sheriffs have been elected in the more rural counties with lower population. As of 2025, the state of Alabama has 11 African-American sheriffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sheriffs Directory – Alabama Sheriffs Association – Alabama |url=https://www.alabamasheriffs.com/sheriffs-directory |access-date=April 16, 2023 |website=www.alabamasheriffs.com |archive-date=May 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530115854/https://www.alabamasheriffs.com/sheriffs-directory |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Federal elections ====
The state's two [[United States Senate|U.S. senators]] are [[Katie Britt]] and [[Tommy Tuberville]], both of whom are Republican. In the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], the state is represented by seven members, five of whom are Republicans ([[Mike Rogers (Alabama politician)|Mike Rogers]], [[Robert Aderholt]], [[Dale Strong]], [[Barry Moore (American politician)|Barry Moore]], and [[Gary Palmer (politician)|Gary Palmer]]) and two Democrats ([[Terri Sewell]] and [[Shomari Figures]]).