Alabama voters face four amendments on Nov. 3 ballot

School prayer and patriotic observances

Alabama voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to add four amendments to the state constitution, including two affecting public schools’ daily or weekly routines.

Amendment 3 would introduce voluntary, student-led prayer in classrooms and impose stricter requirements for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. State Rep. Reed Ingram, the amendment’s sponsor, said the prayer would not be mandatory, led by school administrators or tied to a particular religion. He also said about 30% of schools do not currently participate in reciting the pledge.

Ingram described the proposal as a reminder of citizenship. It was the only one of the four proposed amendments that did not receive unanimous approval in the state Senate; a vote tally was not stated.

School mergers and state office vacancies

Amendment 2 would establish a process involving the State Board of Education for handling possible school mergers. It also would allow voters to protest a proposed merger.

Amendment 1 would create a process for holding a special election when the lieutenant governor’s office becomes vacant. The lieutenant governor is a statewide elected official, and the proposed amendment concerns how an opening in that office would be addressed.

Voting dates

Alabama’s voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 19. Voters will cast separate decisions on the four constitutional amendments when they go to the polls.

The amendment descriptions and election dates were reported by WTVM.