Alabama voters to decide constitutional amendment requiring elections to fill lieutenant governor vacancies
The Alabama State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to the election of the lieutenant governor to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. On April 2, legislators passed the amendment, which would require an election for lieutenant governor if a vacancy occurs more than 60 days before the next general election.
The ballot measure would require that, if the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant more than 60 days before the next general election, voters would elect a replacement at that election. The person elected would serve the remainder of the unexpired term.
As of 2026, Section 127 of the Alabama Constitution provides for an election to be held if "both the governor and lieutenant governor be removed from office, die or resign" more than 60 days before the next general election. If only the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, it remains that way for the rest of the term.
The measure would also add a new provision authorizing the state legislature to set the salary of the lieutenant governor and members of the legislature. As of April 2026, Section 49 of the Alabama Constitution sets the annual compensation for state legislators based on the median annual household income in Alabama, and Section 118 makes the salary of the lieutenant governor equal to that of the state's speaker of the house.
https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/04/06/alabama-voters-to-decide-constitutional-amendment-requiring-elections-to-fill-lieutenant-governor-vacancies/