Lieutenant Governor Vacancy Election Requirements - Constitutional Amendment
Summary
Alabama SB271 was signed into law on April 1, 2026, establishing a constitutional amendment requiring the office of Lieutenant Governor to be filled by election under certain vacancy circumstances. The bill passed both chambers with unanimous support (Senate 29-0, House 102-0, final House vote 66-0, Senate concurrence 25-0). This marks the first time Alabama's constitution will include specific election requirements for filling Lieutenant Governor vacancies.
What changed
Alabama enacted SB271, a constitutional amendment establishing election requirements for filling Lieutenant Governor vacancies in certain circumstances. The bill was sponsored by Senator Sam Givhan (R) and underwent amendment in both chambers before final passage. The Senate passed its version 29-0 on February 19, 2026, and the House passed the amended version 102-0 on March 31, with final Senate concurrence at 25-0 on April 1.
Government agencies and election officials should begin reviewing existing vacancy procedures to identify where the new constitutional requirements apply and what changes are needed. As a constitutional amendment, this takes effect upon certification but may require implementing legislation or administrative rules to establish specific procedures.
What to do next
- Review existing Lieutenant Governor vacancy procedures against new constitutional requirements
- Update election administration protocols to reflect election-based vacancy filling
- Consult legal counsel regarding implementation timeline and any needed enabling legislation
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Alabama / SB271 Signed by Governor SB271 Senate Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-01
Lieutenant Governor, vacancy in office, require the office be filled by election in certain circumstances, constitutional amendment
Bill Details
State Alabama
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Sam Givhan (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-01 H Signature Requested 2026-04-01 S Sent to Secretary of State 2026-04-01 S Delivered to Governor 2026-04-01 S Enrolled 2026-04-01 S Ready to Enroll 2026-04-01 S Givhan Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1011 2026-04-01 H Third Reading in Second House 2026-03-31 H Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1091 2026-03-31 H Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1090 NRP36J8-1 2026-03-31 H Lovvorn 1st Amendment Offered NRP36J8-1 2026-03-31 H Third Reading in Second House 2026-03-05 H Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-03-04 H Reported Out of Committee Second House 2026-02-24 H Pending House State Government 2026-02-24 H Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on State Government 2026-02-19 S Engrossed 2026-02-19 S Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 485 2026-02-19 S Givhan motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 484 2JZRHII-1 2026-02-19 S Givhan 1st Amendment Offered 2JZRHII-1 2026-02-19 S Third Reading in House of Origin 2026-02-12 S Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar 2026-02-11 S Reported Out of Committee House of Origin 2026-02-05 S Pending Senate State Governmental Affairs 2026-02-05 S Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on State Governmental Affairs
Votes
2026-02-19 SBIR: Passed by House of Origin Yea: 29 Nay: 0 2026-02-19 Third Reading in House of Origin Yea: 29 Nay: 0 2026-02-19 Givhan motion to Adopt - Roll Call 484 2JZRHII-1 Yea: 29 Nay: 0 2026-02-19 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Roll Call 485 Yea: 29 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 HBIR: Passed by Second House Yea: 102 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 Third Reading in Second House Yea: 102 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 Motion to Adopt - Roll Call 1057 NRP36J8-1 Yea: 101 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Roll Call 1058 Yea: 101 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 HBIR: Passed by Second House Yea: 66 Nay: 0 2026-04-01 Third Reading in Second House Yea: 66 Nay: 0 2026-04-01 Givhan Concur In and Adopt - Roll Call 1011 Yea: 25 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-02-05 S State Governmental Affairs 2026-02-24 H State Government
Amendments
2026-02-19 Senate Givhan motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 484 2026-03-31 House Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1057
Bill Text Versions
2026-02-05 Introduced 2026-02-19 Engrossed 2026-04-01 Enrolled
Subjects
Constitutional Amendments Statewide Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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