After filling in all the bubbles next to your favorite names on Election Day, here are the things you should know about the 13 statewide ballot measures that’ll follow.
Think betting on dog racing should be banned or convicted felons should be able to vote after their time has been served?
Here are the legislative and state constitutional amendments you’ll see on Nov. 6 at the polls.
What to know:
If there are two different provisions within the amendment, you cannot approve one and reject the other.
Petition
Petition-driven amendments are put forth by voters and require a super-majority: 60 percent or more of voter approval.
Amendment 3: Requires voter approval for any form of casino gambling.
Amendment 4: Restores voting rights to felons who have served their sentence
Commission
Commission-referred ballot members are put forth by the state’s 37-member Constitution Revision Commission, which only meets every 20 years.
Amendment 9
Bans offshore oil and gas drilling and vaping in enclosed, indoor workplaces
Amendment 11:
- Cancels the development of a high-speed rail system connecting Florida’s five largest cities
- Gives people ineligible for citizenship the right to own, inherit or possess property
- Rules that the repeal of a criminal statute does not affect the prosecution of any crime committed before the repeal
Amendment 12
Prohibits former elected officials and employees from lobbying for six years
Amendment 13
Phases out commercial dog racing in connection with wagering by 2020
Amendment 6
- Increases the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75
- Establishes new rights for crime victims in court proceedings (like the right to have the victim’s welfare considered when setting bail)
- Requires judges to interpret statutes and rules rather than deferring to a government agency’s interpretation
Amendment 7
Requires employers and the state to provide death benefits to the surviving spouses of first responders and active-duty U.S. Armed Forces members
Amendment 8
- Establishes eight-year term limits for school board members
- Requires the legislature to promote civic literacy in education
Amendment 10
- Requires county constitutional officers to be elected rather than appointed
- Creates the Office of Domestic Security and Counterterrorism
- Establishes the Department of Veteran’s Affairs as a constitutional office
- Changes the start date of legislative sessions in even-numbered years to January
Legislative
Legislative amendments are put forth by the state Legislature.
Amendment 5: Would require a two-thirds vote of the legislature to increase taxes/fees
Amendment 1: Increases the homestead property tax exemption
Amendment 2: makes the cap on non-homestead assessment increases permanent
