Barack Obama, one of two Democratic senators still vying for the nomination, spoke at a packed Bartow Arena in Birmingham. Republican hopeful Mike Huckabee visited local churches before he dropped out of the race in early March.
Some voters said the reaction was more hyped in the news this year than in previous years.
"It seems like more attention was on the state," Addie Kipp said. "But I don't think we had more nominees visit our state. I think it's the same as it was the last time."
Kipp said she thought the turnout on February 5 would be higher than it was. She votes at the Moundville precinct in Hale County.
She said the move was a good idea, but because of close race between Obama and Hillary Clinton it would have been alright to leave it in June.
"They couldn't predict how close this race was going to be," Kipp said. "They did what they thought was in the best interest of the state."
Kipp said she is hopeful about the future of the state in deciding nominees if the primary is left in February. Especially since Alabama is becoming industrialized, she said becoming a New South state, like Florida, Tennessee and Georgia, will only bring more attention.
In 2007, Alabama's legislature voted to move the primary date from June to February to give the state more influence in selecting the nominees. They joined more than 20 states on February 5 for the largest primary and caucus date in United States' history.
The Republicans
Carolyn Serviss is a retired school teacher living in Jacksonville, Alabama. She remembers the days when Alabama was a blue state and "Republican" was a word no one mentioned.
Now, Alabama votes Republican overwhelmingly on the national level. It's no longer blue state, and it is as red as the Crimson Tide.
Serviss said the Republican Party in Alabama is more conservative than the national party.
"We saw in February where we stood on the national level with other Republicans," she said. "We saw voters in Alabama trend toward the more conservative candidate and not the frontrunner John McCain."
Huckabee won the state in February with 41 percent of the vote. McCain placed second with 37 percent.
She said it is a problem McCain has to fix. She said he does not fit in with the rigid outline the Republican candidates of the past had.
She said the reason the Deep South voted for Huckabee instead of McCain not only had to do with that ideal Republican character but also that McCain wasn't able to build momentum in the South.
"We had a massive amount of states voting," Serviss said. "The candidates couldn't stay more than one day in a state like they did previous elections."
She said the candidates relied more on picking the states they knew they were strong in so they could get the delegates needed.
Tony Moreland, Calhoun County Chairman of Alabama Democratic Party, said there was too much going on at one time.
"The states are like horses," Moreland said. "Every state is off from the gate. The gambler isn't going to bet on all the horses. He has to choose which one he thinks is going to win. That's the strategy the candidates had in mind."
He said the state is a gamble in itself because it is one of the few Republican primaries without a winner-take-all format.
Moreland said Alabama may not be the strongest state, but it is reliable. Alabama had 48 delegates at stake in the February 5 primary.Alabama is ranked 17th this year for delegates on the Republican side. If the Republican National Committee decided not to punish several states, Alabama would drop to 18th. Michigan, which usually has 60 delegates, would take its place.
Moreland said it was one of the largest Republican contests on Super Tuesday. Alabama was the ninth largest state on February 5, but it trailed all its Southern counterparts--except Arkansas, which has 34 delegates.
He said he didn't think Alabama is going to have a national presence at the Republican National Convention in September, because the state voted for Huckabee.
"It might turn out to be a McCain-Huckabee ticket," Moreland said. "Whether that happens or not, we're going to get some coverage in November."
The Republican National Convention is scheduled for September 1-4 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The Democrats
A mysticism of southern gentility exists in small towns in rural Alabama. Most of the townspeople are proud to call themselves Democrats.
They disagree with the national party on moral issues, but they put those differences aside. To them, government helps to find solutions. Government is a solution.
Bob Lake, a former Moundville mayor, said that is the essence of a Southern Democrat.
"Government is help," Lake said. "Government is a friend."
While Lake said government is help, he said moving Alabama's primary earlier in the year did not help.
"It's a numerical game," Lake said. "Alabama has less than 15 percent of the delegates California has. We may get attention, but the state won't matter as much as he bigger states do."
Alabama had 60 delegates in the Democratic primary. That figure is 25th this year, because Florida and Michigan were stripped of all their delegates.Out of 22 contests on February 5, Alabama is the 13th in size of delegates.
Lake said the state is not going to hold a large hand in Denver, which is where the Democratic National Convention is going to be held this year. He said it is because the state splits its delegates almost evenly.
"The race isn't as close as people are making it out to be," he said.
Right now, Obama's campaign argues they deserve the nomination because they have the popular vote and have won more states. Obama is also ahead in delegates.
Clinton's campaign argues she is winning the states, like Ohio, that matter in November. She has an edge over Obama in super delegates.
Lake said the convention's decision is going to be fragile if one side does not cede before then.
Roy Hanner, Calhoun County Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said the state is going to have a larger role in Denver than it did in February.
In February, Alabamans voted 56 percent for Obama, while 42 percent voted for Sen. Clinton.
"What's happening is every delegate is being sought after," Hanner said. "That includes delegates from Alabama."
Hanner said Alabama's role is dependent on how the state fits into the equation.
"We fuel Obama's fire," he said. "He says the people want him, and the people of Alabama voted for him. It's going to come down to the convention."
The Democratic National Convention is held in Denver, Colorado, this year. It takes place from August 25-28.
How well have you payed attention to the primary and caucus season?
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