Alabama 2016 ballot measures

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Fifteen measures were certified to appear on the Alabama ballot in 2016. One was on the ballot during the election on March 1, 2016. Fourteen were on the ballot during the election on November 8, 2016. Thirteen of the measures were approved and two were defeated.

One legislatively referred constitutional amendment was approved on March 1, 2016, and twelve other legislatively referred constitutional amendments were approved on the November 8, 2016, general election ballot.

Topics decided on by voters included county and municipal governance, constitutional language, state legislatures, wages and pay, and education.

Getting measures on the ballot

As of 2016, Alabama state law did not allow for initiatives or referendums; therefore, all measures were referred to the ballot by the Alabama Legislature. The state's 2016 legislative session lasted from February 2 through May 16, 2016, during which time legislative referrals were placed on the ballot.

According to Article 18 of the Alabama Constitution, both houses of the Alabama State Legislature are required to pass a bill by a three-fifths or 60 percent vote in order to send it to the statewide election ballot. If the amendment is approved by a simple majority of the electorate, it becomes part of the state constitution.

Historical facts

See also: List of Alabama ballot measures

A total of 100 measures have appeared on Alabama statewide ballots since 1996.

• Between 1996 and 2016, an average of seven measures appeared annually on the ballot in Alabama.
• From 1996 to 2016, the number of measures on statewide ballots ranged from one to 14.
• Between 1996 and 2016, 75 percent of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots (75 of 100) were approved and about 21 percent (21 of 100) were defeated. Ballotpedia was unable to obtain election results for four percent (4 of 100) of the measures that appeared on the ballot during this time.

On the ballot

See also: 2016 ballot measures

March 1:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Wages and pay	Changes retirement plans for Alabama judicial officials	a

November 8:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Education	Auburn University's Board of Trustees	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Forests and parks	Prohibit reallocation of state park funds for other uses	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Local gov't	Rules governing local constitutional amendments	a
LRCA	Amendment 4	Local gov't	Administration of county affairs	a
LRCA	Amendment 5	Constitution	Separation of powers	a
LRCA	Amendment 6	Legislature	Establish new rules for impeachment	a
LRCA	Amendment 7	Law enforcement	Supervision of Etowah County Sheriff employees	a
LRCA	Amendment 8	Labor and unions	A "right-to-work" amendment	a
LRCA	Amendment 9	Judges	Pickens County Judge of Probate maximum qualifying age	d
LRCA	Amendment 10	Local gov't	Police and planning jurisdiction over Calhoun County land	a
LRCA	Amendment 11	Taxes, local gov't	Manufacturing Zone Tax Revenue	a
LRCA	Amendment 12	Transportation, bonds	Toll bridge and toll road districts	d
LRCA	Amendment 13	Civil service	Age restrictions for government officials	a
LRCA	Amendment 14	Budget	Budget isolation resolution on local laws	a

Note: Besides the proposed constitutional amendments listed above, there were some proposed changes to the Alabama Constitution that were decided by local voters. For a full list, click here.

Not on the ballot

See also: Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Flat Income Tax Amendment	Taxes	Establishes a flat income tax rate of 2.75 percent
LRCA	Cost of Living Increases for State Employees Amendment	Labor	Provides that cost of living increases must apply to public education employees
LRCA	Age Limit for Election to Judicial Office Amendment	Judiciary	Increases the maximum age for election or appointment to judicial office
LRCA	Property Tax Exemptions Amendment	Taxes	Amends provisions regarding property tax exemptions
LRCA	Constitutional Amendments by Initiative Amendment	Direct democracy	Allows the people to enact laws and constitutional amendments through initiative
LRCA	Filling Legislative Vacancies Amendment	Legislature	Allows certain legislative vacancies to be filled by gubernatorial appointment
LRCA	Impeachment of County and Municipal Officers Amendment	Local gov't	Provides that all county and municipal officers are subject to impeachment
LRCA	Legislative Term Limits Amendment	Term limits	Provides that members of the legislature be limited to three full consecutive terms
LRCA	Minimum Wage Amendment	Min wage	Provides an increase in the state's minimum wage
LRCA	Display of Ten Commandments Amendment	Religion	Allows the Ten Commandments to be displayed on property belonging to the state

State profile

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.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Alabama

Alabama voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Alabama coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Alabama
• United States congressional delegations from Alabama
• Public policy in Alabama
• Endorsers in Alabama
• Alabama fact checks
• More...

See also

• 2016 ballot measures
• List of Alabama ballot measures
• Alabama Legislature
• List of ballot measures by state

External links

• Alabama Voter Guide 2016
• Fair Ballot Commission 2016 Amendments Voter Guide

Footnotes

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