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Alabamians approved four statewide constitutional amendments on Tuesday that affect elections and schools.
The first changes the way a new lieutenant governor is selected if the office becomes vacant in the first two years of a term, such as by resignation or death. Now, voters will be able to elect a new lieutenant governor at the next election if the office becomes vacant, rather than waiting up to four years for the end of the term, as happened when Kay Ivey became governor in 2017.
The amendment also allows the Legislature to set the lieutenant governor’s salary by resolution, and it requires legislators to have their travel expenses approved by officers who will be elected by the House and Senate.
The amendment was approved with 65.41% of the vote.
The second amendment creates a process that could allow county school boards to combine if they chose and if the state Board of Education agreed. Voters could petition to force a vote on consolidation if enough of them objected. The amendment was designed to help smaller school systems reduce administrative costs and concentrate their money in the classrooms.
It had the narrowest margin of victory, with 50.92% of voters favoring it.
Amendment 3 requires that students recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day in schools. School boards also would be required to adopt policies on student-led prayer, which already are allowed at schools.
It passed with 62.57% of the vote.
The fourth amendment requires that public schools broadcast or perform the first stanza of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at least once a week during school hours. It was approved on a 58.58% vote.
