Alabama Prohibit Diminishing District Attorney Compensation During Term of Office Amendment (May 2026)

Alabama Prohibit Diminishing District Attorney Compensation During Term of Office Amendment
Election date May 19, 2026
Topic Salaries of government officials
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The Alabama Prohibit Diminishing District Attorney Compensation During Term of Office Amendment is on the ballot in Alabama as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on May 19, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports prohibiting any reduction in a district attorney's compensation during their term in office.

A "no" vote opposes prohibiting any reduction in a district attorney's compensation during their term in office.

Overview

What would the amendment do?

See also: Constitutional changes

The ballot measure would prohibit decreasing the salary or compensation of district attorneys during his or her term of office. The state constitution provides that the salary and compensation of district attorneys is determined by the state legislature in Alabama law. For more information on the laws determining district attorney salaries in Alabama, click here.

As the ballot measure would change the state constitution, it must be approved by voters to become law. A simple majority vote (50% plus 1) from voters is required to approve constitutional amendments.

How was the amendment placed on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

A 60% vote from both chambers of the Alabama State Legislature is required during one legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. On February 27, 2025, the amendment, introduced as House Bill 354 (HB 354), was read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund. It was passed out of the committee with a Do Pass recommendation. On April 1, the state House approved the amendment in a vote of 101-0. On May 6, 2025, the state Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 29-1. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. The text of HB 354 stated that it would be placed on the ballot for the May 26, 2026 election.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for the amendment is below.

“

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to provide that the compensation of a district attorney may not be diminished during his or her term of office. Proposed by Act 2025-291. ( ) YES ( ) NO

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article VI, Alabama Constitution

The amendment would amend Section 160 of Article VI of the state constitution.

Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

(a) A district attorney for each judicial circuit shall be elected by the qualified electors of those counties in such the circuit. Such The district attorney shall be licensed to practice law in this state and shall, at the time of his or her election and during his or her continuance in office, shall reside in his or her circuit. His The term of office shall be for six years. and he He or she shall receive such compensation as provided by law; provided, the compensation shall not be diminished during his or her official term. Vacancies in the office of district attorney and in his or her staff shall be filled as provided by law.

(b) Clerks of the circuit courts shall be elected by the qualified electors in each county for a term of six years. If the office of register in chancery continues to be provided by law then the clerk of the circuit court may also fill such the office in a manner prescribed by law. Vacancies in the office of clerk of the circuit court shall be filled by the judge or judges of the circuit court who have jurisdiction over the county in which the office of clerk of the circuit court is located.

(c) Persons Individuals elected to the position of constable to assist the courts of the state as provided by law shall be subject to the same restrictions, rights, and limitations as are specified in section Section 280 of the Constitution of 1901 Alabama of 2022, and no law shall prohibit the receipt of fees for the performance of official duties of said the position while holding any other elected or appointed office.

(d) The revenue from fines, forfeitures, and court costs produced in district courts from the exercise of jurisdiction under municipal ordinances shall be apportioned between the municipality and the state as shall be provided by law.

Upon ratification of this constitutional amendment, the Code Commissioner shall number and place this amendment as appropriate in the constitution omitting this instructional paragraph and may make the following nonsubstantive revisions: change capitalization, hierarchy, spelling, and punctuation for purposes of style and uniformity; correct manifest grammatical, clerical, and typographical errors; revise internal or external citations and cross-references; harmonize language; and translate effective dates.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Rep. Jim Hill (R)

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

Opponents

Ballotpedia did not locate a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure.

Arguments

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Alabama ballot measures

If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this measure, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

District attorney salaries in Alabama

In 2025, the Alabama State Legislature passed House Bill 353. The law required that new district attorneys receive an initial salary equivalent to an incoming circuit court judge. As of 2025, the salary of a circuit court judge was $140,000, though this number is determined by the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. After each term completed as a district attorney, their salary is increased by 7.5%. The 7.5% pay increase is only set for the first four terms as a district attorney, though there are no term limits for district attorneys in Alabama.

Alabama district attorneys are elected by the constituents. Only three states, Connecticut, Alaska, and New Jersey, do not elect their district attorneys. There are 41 separate judicial circuits in the state of Alabama. Each has its own elected district attorney that serve six year terms.

District attorney salaries in other states

The four states that surround Alabama do not have provisions in their state constitutions that govern the salary of district attorneys. The only laws on their salaries are in state statutes. Below are the salaries of district attorneys in states surrounding Alabama:

• In Georgia, there is no set salary for district attorneys. The law only requires that they be paid based on a state government salary step system.
• In Mississippi, the annual salary for district attorneys is $134,400.
• In Tennessee, the annual salary for district attorneys is $205,328. Raises are calculated to reflect the average pay increase provided for state employees by the general appropriations act.
• In Florida, salaries are provided in the General Appropriations Act, which is the yearly state budget. Raises and decreases for district attorneys' pay vary each year based on revenue allocated by the state legislature.

Path to the ballot

Amending the Alabama Constitution

See also: Amending the Alabama Constitution

A 60% vote is required from both chambers of the Alabama State Legislature during one legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 63 votes in the Alabama House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Alabama State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

House Bill 354 (2025)

The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:

• February 27, 2025: The amendment was read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund.
• April 1, 2025: The amendment was passed in the House by a vote of 101-0 with three members not voting and one vacancy.
• May 6, 2025: The Senate passed the amendment in a vote of 29-1 with four members absent or not voting and one vacancy.

Partisan Direction Index = -1.0% (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

100.0%

Republican Support

99.0%

Alabama House of Representatives

Voted on April 1, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 63
	Yes	No	NV
Total	101	0	3
Total %	97.1%	0.0%	2.9%
Democratic (D)	28	0	1
Republican (R)	73	0	2

Alabama State Senate

Voted on May 6, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 23
	Yes	No	NV
Total	29	1	4
Total %	85.3%	2.9%	11.8%
Democratic (D)	7	0	1
Republican (R)	22	1	3

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Alabama

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Alabama.

How to vote in Alabama

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." An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

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.

Voters cannot register during the 14-day period preceding an election. According to the Alabama Secretary of State's website:

“

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: Driver's licensing office County and select municipal public libraries Department of Human Resources WIC Program, Department of Public Health Medicaid Agency Department of Rehabilitation Services The postcard voter registration form is also available at: Public 4-year universities Select private 4-year universities Driver's licensing office County and select municipal public libraries Department of Human Resources WIC Program, Department of Public Health Medicaid Agency Department of Rehabilitation Services

”

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

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

An Alabama state law, passed in 2011, requires people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.

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."

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. 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. 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 September 2024. Click here for the most current information, sourced directly from the Office of the Alabama Secretary of State.

“

Valid Alabama Driver’s License (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days) Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Driver’s License Valid Alabama Nondriver ID (not expired or has been expired less than 60 days) Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Digital Nondriver ID Valid Alabama Photo Voter ID Card Valid State-Issued ID (Alabama or any other state) Examples Valid AL Department of Corrections Release - Temporary ID (Photo Required) Valid AL Movement/Booking Sheet from Prison/Jail System (Photo Required) Valid Pistol Permit (Photo Required) Valid Federal-Issued ID Valid US passport Valid Employee ID from Federal Government, State of Alabama, County, Municipality, Board, or other entity of this state Valid student or employee ID from a public or private college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools) Digital student ID from a public or private college or university in the State of Alabama (including postgraduate technical or professional schools) Valid student or employee ID issued by a state institution of higher learning in any other state Digital student ID issued by a state institution of higher learning in any other state Valid Military ID Valid Tribal ID

”

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.

Voters must also provide a copy of valid photo identification when applying for an absentee ballot, with the exception of 1) voters for whom polling locations are inaccessible due to age or disability, and 2) overseas military members.

See also

2026 measures

• 2026 ballot measures
• Salaries of government officials on the ballot

Alabama

• Alabama ballot measures
• Alabama ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Alabama House Bill 354 (2025)

Footnotes

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