Student-led prayer, Star-Spangled Banner in school among ballot issues facing Alabama voters

Alabama voters have a busy November ahead, as the state ballot will feature four significant constitutional amendments. To ensure clarity for citizens, the Alabama Fair Ballot Commission gathered at the State Capitol on Tuesday to finalize plain-language summaries for each of these proposals.

Making Sense of the Ballot

Established by the Legislature in 2016, the commission is tasked with translating dense, technical legal language into easy-to-understand explanations. Patrick Moody, chairman of the commission and deputy commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, noted that the group aims for an eighth-grade reading level to ensure all voters are fully informed before casting their ballots.

"We just try to take it and work with our different commission members and everybody’s different backgrounds and try to think about our friends and family and what they want to know if they’re voting yes or no," Moody said. The final versions will be available to voters at polling locations and through the secretary of state’s website.

Proposed Constitutional Amendments

The four amendments, which previously cleared the Alabama Legislature, touch on everything from school policy to state governance:

• Amendment 1: Addresses vacancies in the lieutenant governor’s office, mandates the Legislature set pay for that position via joint resolution, and requires an elected official to approve lawmaker travel expenses. This initiative, sponsored by Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, was inspired by a recent residency eligibility challenge.

• Amendment 2: Establishes a framework for county school boards to merge with systems in adjacent counties. Under this proposal, multiple county boards could combine, provided the State Board of Education completes an impact study and local voters approve the move in a referendum if a protest is filed.

• Amendment 3: Focuses on education, specifically a proposal to permit student-led prayer in public schools. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Montgomery County, passed the House 94-3 and the Senate 30-0. It would also constitutionally mandate that all K-12 public schools start each day with the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Amendment 4: Requires public K-12 schools to broadcast the first stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner at least once a week, or feature a live performance by a school-approved group or vocalist.

While these amendments are now set for the ballot, the final decision remains with the voters of Alabama this November.