Alabama Require Special Election for Lieutenant Governor Vacancies Amendment (2026)

Alabama Require Special Election for Lieutenant Governor Vacancies Amendment
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic State executive elections
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

The Alabama Require Special Election for Lieutenant Governor Vacancies Amendment is on the ballot in Alabama as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports amending the Alabama Constitution to require the office of lieutenant governor to be filled by election if a vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election.

A "no" vote opposes amending the Alabama Constitution to require the office of lieutenant governor to be filled by election if a vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election.

Overview

What would the amendment change?

See also: Text of measure

The amendment would amend Section 127 of Article V of the Alabama Constitution that would require the office of lieutenant governor to be filled by election if a vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text is available here.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Alabama Constitution

The state process

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.

Senate Bill 271 (2026)

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

• February 5, 2026: State Sen. Sam Givhan (R-07) filed the constitutional amendment as Senate Bill 271 (SB 271).
• February 19, 2026: The Alabama State Senate voted 29-0 to approve SB 271. Twenty-six Republicans and six Democrats voted in favor of the amendment, and four Republicans and two Democrats did not vote.
• March 31, 2026: The Alabama House of Representatives voted 101-0 to approve an amended version of SB 271. Seventy-two Republicans and 29 Democrats voted in favor of the amended version, and four Republicans did not vote.
• April 2, 2026: The Alabama State Senate voted 25-0 to approve the amended version of SB 271. Twenty-two Republicans and three Democrats voted in favor of the amended version, and five Republicans and five Democrats either abstained or did not vote.

Partisan Direction Index = 0.0% (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

100%

Republican Support

100%

How does this vote compare to other legislative ballot measures in 2026?
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →

Alabama House of Representatives

Voted on March 31, 2026

Votes Required to Pass: 63
	Yes	No	NV
Total	101	0	4
Total %	96.2%	0%	3.8%
Democratic (D)	29	0	0
Republican (R)	72	0	4

Alabama State Senate

Voted on April 2, 2026

Votes Required to Pass: 21
	Yes	No	NV
Total	25	0	10
Total %	71.4%	0.0%	28.6%
Democratic (D)	3	0	5
Republican (R)	22	0	5

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." Anyone in line when the 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 days 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

See also: Automatic voter 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

See also: Same-day voter 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 February 2026, the law had not been implemented.

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. Eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Three states, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. 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 November 2025. 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

”

To view Alabama statute pertaining to voter identification, click here.

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.

See also

2026 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Alabama.

• 2026 ballot measures
• Alabama 2026 ballot measures
• Alabama elections, 2026

Alabama ballot measures

Explore Alabama's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.

• List of Alabama ballot measures
• State executive branch structure ballot measures
• Alabama State Legislature

Initiative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Laws governing the initiative process in Alabama
• Initiated constitutional amendment
• Alabama Constitution
• Amending state constitutions

External links

• Alabama State Legislature, Senate Bill 271
• Full text

Footnotes

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