Amendment 3: Pledge of Allegiance and Student-Led Prayer in Public Schools
Statewide — all of Alabama
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Referred to the ballot by the Alabama Legislature as House Bill 511 (Act 2026-379), sponsored by Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road). Alabama has no citizen initiative; the Legislature refers amendments to voters under Sections 284 and 285 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, and a majority of those voting on the question approves. The House passed it on March 10, 2026 and the Senate on April 8, 2026.[1][2][5]
The question on the ballot
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to require local boards of education to adopt policies requiring each public K-12 school to recite The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag at the beginning of each school day; and to require local boards of education to adopt a policy authorizing student-initiated and student-led prayer. Proposed by Act 2026-379.[1][2]
The amendment would require each local board of education to adopt policies requiring every public K-12 school, at the start of each school day, to conduct the Pledge of Allegiance and give students the opportunity to voluntarily recite it, and to allow a prayer that is initiated and led by a student, with no student required to participate. Policies must ensure students may opt out of the Pledge or the prayer based on their own beliefs, and violations may be reported to the local superintendent, who must review them. The Fair Ballot Commission's statement notes the Constitution currently contains no such requirement, and states: "There are no costs or taxes associated with Amendment 3."[1][2]
A YES vote means
Adds to the Alabama Constitution a requirement that local boards adopt policies for a daily Pledge of Allegiance in every public K-12 school and for student-initiated, student-led prayer, with an opt-out for students.
A NO vote means
The Alabama Constitution is not changed: it continues to contain no requirement that local boards adopt policies for a daily Pledge of Allegiance or for student-initiated, student-led prayer.
The law today
The Alabama Constitution does not currently require local boards of education to adopt policies for a daily Pledge of Allegiance or for student-initiated, student-led prayer (Fair Ballot Commission). The Alabama Reflector reports that state law already requires schools to conduct the Pledge each day, that students cannot be coerced into reciting it, and that students are already allowed to pray in public schools when not engaged in school activities or instruction.[2][6]
Official fiscal estimate
The Fair Ballot Commission states: "There are no costs or taxes associated with Amendment 3."[2]
Arguments made for
- Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road), the sponsor, said: "A lot of these kids want to be exposed to God or have that opportunity to worship, and this gives them that. They don't have that opportunity at home because their parents may work two or three jobs and work on Sunday."[3]
- Rep. Reed Ingram (R-Pike Road), the sponsor, told the Alabama Reflector: “The Pledge of Allegiance is the law now, but a lot of schools are not doing it,” and, “This takes it to a constitutional amendment where if there is any litigation, then it would eliminate the litigation in the future.”[6]
Arguments made against
- Rev. Julie Conrady of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, speaking about the prayer legislation, said: "Imposing these bills would create a further hardship to our students of diverse religious beliefs in our state, and so it is essential that we protect their beliefs and their parents' choice in making those decisions about which faith communities they are a part of and which doctrines they are exposed to." WSFA also reported that opponents argue the legislation conflicts with the First Amendment and the principle of separation of church and state.[4]
- Kim Bailey, president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama, which opposes the amendment, said: “The overarching concern is that you are impinging on people’s rights,” and, “You are not allowing people to make a choice as to what to do.”[6]
Research notes & limits
The Alabama Secretary of State's page of Fair Ballot Commission ballot statements (sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/ballot-measures/statewide) lists exactly four statewide amendments for the Nov. 3, 2026 general election, numbered 1-4 in this order; the question text is the description in the enrolled Act, confirmed against the Commission's ballot statement (which adds "Proposed by Act 2026-xxx"). Alabama issues no voter pamphlet and no registered ballot-measure committees were found. The arguments are from news coverage of committee hearings on the bill (HB 511 and a companion), not from a campaign. Roll-call counts are omitted: the enrolled Act shows only passage dates, and the Alabama Reflector's articles disagree on the House count (94-4 on April 8, 94-3 on Oct. 12). The Alabama Reflector's Oct. 12 article dates the state's daily-Pledge requirement to 1976, while Alabama Daily News dates it to 2019, so no year is stated in the current-law entry. The Reflector also quotes an Auburn political scientist, Steven P. Brown, on possible conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court decisions; he is an expert commentator, not a registered opponent, and is not quoted.
Sources · 6
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.House Bill 511 (2026 Regular Session), enrolled · Alabama Legislature Official record
- 2.Fair Ballot Commission ballot statement for Statewide Amendment 3 (Nov. 3, 2026) · Alabama Fair Ballot Commission (via Alabama Secretary of State) · 2026-08 Official record
- 3.Nearly identical school prayer bills pass Alabama House committees · Alabama Reflector · 2026-03-05 News report
- 4.Alabama bill allowing student-led prayer in public schools advances in Senate · WSFA 12 News · 2026-03-17 News report
- 5.Amendment requiring Pledge of Allegiance and prayer in schools headed to Alabama voters · Alabama Reflector · 2026-04-08 News report
- 6.Alabama voters to consider Pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem, school prayer · Alabama Reflector · 2026-10-12 News report