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Florida Amendments: Here’s which ones failed and which ones passed

FILE - Stickers reading "I voted" rest beside a ballot scanner as a voter fills in a ballot at a privacy booth, during voting in Florida's primary election, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in a voting bureau at the American Legion in South Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) (Rebecca Blackwell, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During this election, Floridians voted on six constitutional amendments; two initiatives passed, while four did not.

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Some of the amendments were more controversial than others in the lead-up to election day with money being spent on both sides to convince voters whether to say “Yes” or “No.”

Amendment 3, which focused on adult marijuana use, and Amendment 4, which focused on abortion, were both placed on the ballot through petition signatures.

We know that the language on the ballot can be confusing when trying to decide yes or no on an amendment, so we’ve got a breakdown of each. (Thanks to our political experts Daniel Cronrath and Chris Hand for providing us with the information.)

Amendment 1 - Failed

Amendment 1, which asked voters if they wanted to reverse a decision that made school board elections non-partisan, has failed.

The Florida Legislature voted to put this measure on the ballot.

RELATED | Path to the Polls: Will Amendment 1 turn the school playground into a political battleground?

The sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Spencer Roach, a Republican from North of Fort Myers, said the measure was designed to provide more information about school board candidates to voters. He said it was about transparency, not giving one political party an advantage over another.

But opponents of the measure worried that, if passed, the amendment would’ve furthered politicized education. They argued that without partisan school board elections, there can be healthy debate and healthy discussion.

Since it failed: The system will remain as it currently is and School Board elections will remain nonpartisan, with candidates running without a party affiliation on the ballot.

Amendment 2 - Passed

Amendment 2, which will enshrine the public’s right to fish and hunt as a way to control fish and wildlife, has passed in Florida.

Under Florida Statute, everyone already has a right to fish and hunt, but supporters of the amendment say it would remove any ambiguity.

But some environmental groups have come out against Amendment 2 because they’re afraid of the language that says things like “the use of traditional hunting methods.”

Many hunting methods have been banned as cruel to animals.

Since it passed: The Florida Constitution will explicitly recognize everyone’s right to hunt and fish, and the Florida Legislature will not have the ability to impose restrictions on people’s ability to fish or hunt.

Amendment 3 - Failed

Amendment 3, which would’ve legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older, has failed.

A nine-figure campaign bankrolled by the state’s largest medical marijuana operator drew intense opposition from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

RELATED: How would Amendment 3 be implemented if passed? It may depend on who your sheriff is, former officer says | Florida officials share different perspectives on marijuana legalization

The proposal would have effectively decriminalized possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana by adults ages 21 and over.

The governor enlisted numerous state agency heads to join his crusade against the pot proposal and unleashed a variety of state resources to campaign against the measure.

In a bipartisan blitz this week, Smart & Safe Florida released an ad featuring former President Donald Trump, a Florida resident, saying he intended to vote for the measure and Vice President Kamala Harris also said recreational marijuana should be legalized.

RELATED: Trump supports Florida’s Amendment 3, but says marijuana legalization ‘should be done correctly’

Medical marijuana use is already legal in Florida.

Since it failed: The law remains as it currently exists with individuals able to use marijuana if they have a medical card and purchase it at dispensaries. Recreational marijuana use remains illegal in Florida.

Amendment 4 - Failed

Amendment 4, which asked voters to decide on a woman’s right to an abortion, has failed.

Amendment 4 would’ve allowed a woman to seek an abortion up to the point that the medical community calls viability. The American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said that it is a 24-week window. After that window, a child has more than a 50/50 chance of living if it is brought out of the womb.

RELATED | ‘It’s the First Amendment, stupid’: Federal judge blocks state from threatening TV stations over Amendment 4 ad | Gov. DeSantis: Florida will become ‘major abortion tourist destination’ if Amendment 4 passes

The proposed constitutional amendment, in part, says no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

The law, which was placed on the ballot via signatures, is a response to the Florida Legislature and DeSantis passing a law that largely prevents abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. That law took effect May 1.

RELATED: DeSantis using state money, time and his power to fight abortion rights measure | Path to the Polls: Is Gov. DeSantis violating the law in Florida’s abortion battle?

While Florida’s six-week law is considered one of the country’s strictest abortion restrictions, it includes exceptions for a pregnant woman’s health and for cases of rape and incest up to 15 weeks of pregnancy.

But supporters of the ballot measure contended that the documentation required to satisfy the exceptions is so onerous that many patients can’t meet the requirements.

Since it failed: The current six-week abortion ban remains Florida law. Florida is one of the first states to reject abortion rights in a ballot measure since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Amendment 5 - Passed

Amendment 5, which will add language to the constitution to adjust the value of homestead exemptions, tying the changes to inflation, has passed.

A homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a property for the homeowner -- as long as the property is the homeowner’s permanent residence.

Proponents of Amendment 5 say that the cost of housing has continued to go up in Florida and tying homestead exemptions to inflation would ease the tax burden on Floridians as they try to keep up with rising prices.

Those against Amendment 5 say the reduction in property tax revenue could have a significant impact on local governments, which rely heavily on that revenue to fund programs and public services.

Since it passed: The first $25,000 of your homestead exemption will be indexed with inflation, so when inflation goes up, the homestead exemption goes up as well. The amount of the exemption might increase as costs and prices go up.

Amendment 6 - Failed

Amendment 6, which asked voters if they wanted to repeal a portion of the state constitution related to public financing for statewide campaigns, has failed.

The idea behind the original provision was to create competitiveness for candidates who weren’t necessarily wealthy if they were running for governor or any of the statewide Cabinet seats.

It made public matching funds available for those offices up to a certain amount.

That would’ve been a significant change because in each of the past elections -- 2022, 2018, 2014, dating back to 2000 -- the first year the matching funds were available -- the statewide office candidates have, for the most part, accepted the matching funds.

Since it failed: The public campaign financing program remains in place and candidates running for statewide office in 2026 will be eligible to use the matching fund system.

The News Service of Florida & The Associated Press contributed to this report.


About the Authors
Francine Frazier headshot

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

Ariel Schiller headshot

Ariel Schiller joined the News4Jax team as an evening reporter in September of 2023. She comes to Jacksonville from Tallahassee where she worked at ABC27 as a Weekend Anchor/Reporter for 10 months.

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