Ahead of the upcoming legislative session, Secretary of State Wes Allen has proposed a new constitutional amendment requiring Alabama's elected constitutional officers to be natural-born citizens.
Allen's office said on Monday that the legislation, the Natural Born Citizen Constitutional Amendment (SB 21), has gained sponsors in both the State Senate and House.
On Monday, the Secretary of State's Office revealed that State Sen. Donnie Chesteen (R-Geneva) has agreed to back the legislation.
“I am excited to get this legislation passed and put the amendment on a ballot for a vote of the people," Chesteen said. "When Wes Allen approached me with the idea of mandating that all of our state’s elected constitutional officers must be natural-born citizens of the United States, I told him that I wanted to work with him as the Senate Sponsor on this legislation and make this a part of Alabama’s Constitution."
"Most people believe that it's already a requirement, and so we should ensure that we make it a prerequisite for serving,” the lawmaker added.
Allen touted Chesteen's support in the Senate and elaborated on the proposal
“Senator Chesteen is as passionate about this legislation as I am. For the same reasons our founding fathers sought to ensure that our nation’s leader was a natural born American citizen, we believe the same standard must be required of those operating in the highest levels of our state government,” Allen explained.
“I am confident that the vast majority of Alabamians join us in wanting to strengthen our state Constitution to put Alabama first and to counteract any potential future influence from abroad," he added.
State Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) has committed to sponsoring the bill in the House.
If passed by the Alabama House and Senate, the amendment would then be approved or rejected by voters on November 3, 2026.
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