AMENDMENT 1
Establishing School
Board Elections as
Partisan
Ballot Language: “Proposing
amendments to the State Constitution to
require members of a district school board
to be elected in a partisan election rather
than a nonpartisan election and to specify
that the amendment only applies to elections
held on or after the November 2026
general election. However, partisan primary
elections may occur before the 2026 general
election for purposes of nominating political
party candidates to that oce for placement
on the 2026 general election ballot.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Florida State Legislature
What Your Vote Means
A YES vote on this amendment: A yes
vote would allow parties to nominate their
own candidates for these elections and
permit candidates to have their political
aliation listed on the ballot.
A NO vote on this amendment: A no
vote would keep in place the Florida
constitutional requirement that school
board election candidates must remain
nonpartisan and cannot run under a
political party.
Pros: Supporters of this amendment
argue that voters are entitled to as much
information about their candidates as
possible and that the measure would increase
transparency for voters.
Cons: Opponents argue that school boards
(local government bodies that oversee public
school funding and management) should
remain as apolitical as possible.
Constitutional Merit: This measure
is not a reform that can be addressed by
the State Legislature and thus requires a
constitutional ballot initiative in order to be
implemented.
In Sum: This amendment would amend
the Florida Constitution and would require
candidates to run under a specic party
aliation.
AMENDMENT 2
Establishing a State
Constitutional Right
to Hunt and Fish
Ballot Language: “Proposing an
amendment to the State Constitution
to preserve forever shing and hunting,
including by the use of traditional methods,
as a public right and preferred means of
responsibly managing and controlling sh
and wildlife. Species that the amendment
does not limit the authority granted to the
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
under Section 9 of Article IV of the State
Constitution.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Florida State Legislature
What Your Vote Means
A YES vote on this amendment: A yes
vote would enshrine the right to hunt and
sh in the Florida State Constitution. A
state constitutional right to hunt or sh
would make it harder for legislators to
create laws that would ban or restrict
various forms of hunting or shing.
A NO vote on this amendment: A no vote
means that the state legislature can more
easily place restrictions on Floridians’
hunting and shing activities. Such
restrictions would likely be part of an
eort to conserve various wildlife species
or areas.
Pros: A right to hunt or sh would protect
individuals’ rights to gaming and sporting
how they wish (in line with the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s
authority) and enshrine these activities,
which play an important role in the
traditions and economics of the state.
Cons: In rejecting this amendment,
it would remain easier for the state
government to make regulations restricting
hunting and shing of various species that
may be threatened by excessive shing and
hunting, either commercial or recreational.
Constitutional Merit: This measure
is not a reform that can be addressed by
the State Legislature and thus requires a
constitutional ballot initiative in order to be
implemented.
In Sum: While this initiative may more
formally enshrine for Floridians the right
to hunt and sh, the exercise of that right
and the language specifying that hunting
and shing would be the “preferred means”
for wildlife management make this vote a
question of conservation methods versus
individual rights.
AMENDMENT 3
Recreational
Marijuana
Legalization
Ballot Language: “Allows adults 21
years or older to possess, purchase, or
use marijuana products and marijuana
accessories for non-medical personal
consumption by smoking, ingestion, or
otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana
Treatment Centers, and other state licensed
entities, to acquire, cultivate, process,
manufacture, sell, and distribute such
products and accessories.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Citizen-Initiated
What Your Vote Means
A YES vote on this amendment: A
yes vote would legalize marijuana
consumption in the state of Florida
A QUICK GUIDE TO FLORIDA’S
2024 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
On election day, November 5, 2024, more than 10 million Floridians will cast their votes. For this election, the six
proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot originate from two sources: the Florida Legislature and
citizen initiatives. Regardless of how a measure makes it to the ballot, all amendments require a 60 percent voting majority
to pass. Repealing any amendment that has passed would require a new ballot initiative garnering 60 percent of the vote
in a subsequent election. As always, the mission of The James Madison Institute is to inform citizens so that, together, we
may chart the course of making Florida an even more prosperous state. It is in that context that we oer this analysis.
TYPE TITLE SUBJECT DESCRIPTION
Florida State Legislature Amendment 1 Education/Elections
Makes school board elections partisan from
the 2026 election cycle onward
Florida State Legislature Amendment 2 Hunting and Fishing
Enshrines a right to hunt and sh in the state constitution
Citizen-Initiated Amendment 3 Drug Legalization
Legalizes recreational marijuana for Floridians
and out-of-state visitors 21 and older
Citizen-Initiated Amendment 4 Abortion
Legalizes abortion before fetal viability or when deemed necessary for
health of the mother
Florida State Legislature Amendment 5 Taxation
Adds an ination adjustment to the homestead tax exemption
Florida State Legislature Amendment 6 Campaign Finance
Repeals public election nancing
850-386-3131 | 100 NORTH DUVAL ST. • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301 | JAMESMADISON.ORG
for non-medical purposes, including
recreation. This legalization enables
personal consumption and private
cultivation of marijuana for sale,
requiring a state license to do so. It allows
those 21 and older to purchase and
consume cannabis without a doctor’s
recommendation.
A NO vote on this amendment: A no
vote retains the current marijuana law for
the state, which allows for its consumption
and sale for medical purposes only.
Pros: Marijuana businesses and increased
sales from a new recreational market would
signicantly add to tax revenues. Such
revenues could be used to fund a variety of
other initiatives that benet Floridians.
Cons: Recreational marijuana will reduce
overall productivity in the classroom and
workplace and that it will put Florida law at
odds with federal law. Legalizing marijuana
could lead to greater drug abuse in Florida,
exacerbating the public costs of drug-related
problems
Constitutional Merit: This measure
can be enacted in statute by the Florida
Legislature. It does not require a
constitutional amendment to address.
In Sum: While recreational legalization
could create substantial tax benets, the
cost should be weighed against the possible
public health problems (and costs) such a
measure may exacerbate.
AMENDMENT 4
Right to Abortion
Ballot Language: “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.
This amendment does not change the
Legislature’s constitutional authority to
require notication to a parent or guardian
before a minor has an abortion.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Citizen-Initiated
What Your Vote Means:
A YES vote on this amendment: A yes
vote would legalize abortion in the state
of Florida before the period of fetal
viability (estimated to be around 24
weeks) or when a healthcare provider
deems it necessary for the safety of a
mother.
A NO vote on this amendment: A no
vote would keep in place the state’s
current abortion law, which sets abortion
as legal only within the rst six weeks of a
pregnancy.
Pro: Supporters argue that such a ballot
measure is crucial to guarantee Floridians’
right to an abortion. Limited abortion access
is currently oered to Floridians, but many
supporters of this amendment see its passage
as a way to expand and protect that right.
Con: Opponents of the measure argue that
it is not necessary to enshrine any right to
abortion into the state constitution since the
state legislature already has the ability to
vote and regulate the procedure, without the
necessity of a constitutional amendment.
Additionally, the point of fetal viability varies
by patient, likely setting the groundwork for
future controversy. Further, this amendment
would also allow abortions to protect a
pregnant patient’s health, as determined by a
health care provider, without any restriction
on when that determination could occur.
Constitutional Merit: This measure
can be enacted in statute by the Florida
Legislature. It does not require a
constitutional amendment to change current
law.
In Sum: If the measure passes, it would
overturn Florida’s six-week abortion ban and
replace it with legalized abortions up until
fetal viability or to protect a patient’s health.
AMENDMENT 5
Homestead
Exemption Inflation
Adjustment
Ballot Language: “Proposing an
amendment to the State Constitution to
require an annual adjustment for ination
to the value of current or future homestead
exemptions that apply solely to levies other
than school district levies and for which
every person who has legal or equitable
title to real estate and maintains thereon
the permanent residence of the owner,
or another person legally or naturally
dependent upon the owner is eligible. This
amendment takes eect January 1, 2025.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Florida State Legislature
What Your Vote Means:
A YES vote on this amendment: A
yes vote supports adding an ination
adjustment to the current homestead
tax exemption. Under the measure,
assessments would be indexed to the
percent change in the Consumer Price
Index. For example, if the rate of
ination is 8 percent, it would increase
the value of the exemption from $25,000
to $27,000.
A NO vote on this amendment: A no vote
supports keeping the current homestead
tax exemption regardless of ination.
This means that taxes will automatically
rise as property values rise with ination.
Pro: While property values continue to
increase and homeowners pay more in
property taxes, supporters argue that this
measure will give homeowners relief on their
taxes by adjusting for ination.
Con: Opponents of this measure highlight
its negative impact on tax revenues for local
governments.
Constitutional Merit: This measure
is not a reform that can be addressed by
the State Legislature and thus requires a
constitutional ballot initiative in order to be
implemented.
In Sum: The current homestead tax
exemption structure for primary residences
is not adjusted for ination. An ination
adjustment would eliminate automatic tax
increases going towards local governments
and would require local ocials to vote to
increase taxes going forward.
AMENDMENT 6
Repeal of Public
Campaign Financing
Ballot Language: “Proposing the repeal
of the provision in the State Constitution
which requires public nancing for
campaigns of candidates for elective
statewide oce who agree to campaign
spending limits.”
How the Amendment
Reached the Ballot:
Florida State Legislature
What Your Vote Means:
A YES vote on this amendment: A
yes vote would repeal the provision of
the Florida Constitution that provides
public funds to candidates for statewide
oces (Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Attorney General, Chief Financial
Ocer, Commissioner of Agriculture).
A NO vote on this amendment: A no vote
would keep in place public nancing for
statewide candidates.
Pro: Supporters of this measure argue that
those running for statewide oce should
not be entitled to taxpayer money for
election purposes, and that getting rid of
public campaign nancing will lower taxes
for Floridians and allocate general revenue
funds on other important issues within the
state.
Con: Opponents contend that by giving
money to candidates that may not already
have money or the capacity to raise sucient
funds, the measure can eectively level the
playing eld for aspiring oceholders that
lack political and nancial connections.
Constitutional Merit: This measure
is not a reform that can be addressed by
the State Legislature and thus requires a
constitutional ballot initiative in order to be
implemented.
In Sum: Voters will get to decide whether
public campaign funds should be available
for those running for statewide oce or if
candidates should no longer be able to spend
taxpayer dollars in campaigning.
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