2024 Election Voter Guide: Florida’s Constitutional Amendments

For tips on voting in Florida, visit our 2024 Voter Information Center.

Whether you vote by mail, early in person, or on Election Day, Floridians will see six proposed constitutional amendments on their ballot this November. This means that in addition to voting for candidates on your November 2024 ballot, you will also have the opportunity to vote “Yes” or “No” on six proposed amendments to Florida’s Constitution.

The ACLU of Florida is supporting Amendments 3 and 4, which, if passed, will significantly impact your freedom and liberty in Florida. The guide below is provided to ensure you have the information you need to be able to make informed and educated decisions on the amendments. For additional information on the other amendments, please visit VOTE 411. For information in Spanish or Creole, you can visit Progress Florida.

2024 Constitutional Amendments

Amendment 1 - A legislatively proposed amendment to change school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan.

• A "YES" vote would change School Board elections from nonpartisan to partisan elections beginning in 2026, requiring the candidate’s political party to be designated on the ballot and triggering closed primary elections.

• A "NO" vote would leave School Board elections as nonpartisan elections with no closed primaries, allowing all voters to vote for any candidate.

Learn more about Amendment 1

Amendment 2 - A legislatively proposed amendment to provide that hunting and fishing are a public right and the preferred means to manage and control fish and wildlife populations.

• A "YES" vote would enshrine a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Florida in addition to the current statutory right and provide that it is the preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife.

• A "NO" vote would not establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish, but the 2002 Florida statute preserving the right to hunt and fish would remain in place.

Learn more about Amendment 2

The ACLU of Florida recommends voting YES on Amendment 3.

Amendment 3, titled, “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana,” would allow adults 21 years old and older to possess, purchase, or use a limited amount of marijuana.

• A "YES" vote would ensure that the personal and recreational use of marijuana by adults 21 years and older would be legal under Florida law.

• A "NO" vote would continue the current Florida law criminalizing possession and use of marijuana, including use of small amounts of marijuana by adults 21 years and older.

Amendment Number 3, titled “Adult Personal Use of Marijuana,” will be on your ballot this November 2024.

What is Amendment 3? Amendment 3 is a citizen-initiated ballot initiative that would allow adults 21 years old and older to possess, purchase, or use small amounts marijuana for recreational use.

What will Amendment 3 do if it passes? If Floridians vote to pass this amendment, it will legalize under Florida law the personal use of marijuana for adults 21 years old and older. Under Florida law, individuals would be allowed to possess up to three ounces of marijuana. (Note: the Amendment will not change or supersede Federal law regulating and restricting marijuana.)

Background:

• Medical marijuana was adopted by Florida voters in 2016 by a vote of 71% to 29%.
• 24 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized the possession and personal use of marijuana for recreational purposes.

What impact will Amendment 3 have on Floridians?

If passed, Amendment 3 will legalize the adult personal use of small amounts of marijuana under Florida law.

Significant research and data across the country and in Florida has shown that the criminalization of adult-use of recreational cannabis has led to far too many incarcerations, which waste critical state resources and billions of dollars, and disproportionately negatively impact communities of color.

Legalization of adult-use of marijuana is good for the economy: It is a waste of taxpayer dollars and state resources to criminalize the recreational and personal use and possession by adults of small amounts of marijuana. Criminal records negatively impact people for life – making it harder for Floridians to obtain employment, rent an apartment, vote in Florida elections, secure a loan, and serve in the military. Taxpayer dollars and state resources (including law enforcement time and energy) will be better spent on creating opportunities for Floridians to thrive, providing affordable housing and cost-effective healthcare, and keeping our communities safe from violent crimes. Additionally, if passed, Amendment 3 will lead to the creation of new jobs and generate millions of dollars each year for our state.

Adult-use marijuana legalization is an important step toward racial justice: Marijuana legalization is a racial justice issue. According to a 2020 ACLU report, Black Americans are almost four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white counterparts, despite equal reported use rates. Moreover, once arrested, Black Floridians are disproportionately negatively impacted at each stage of our criminal legal system. If charged with a felony, they also lose their right to vote under Florida law, which has an especially negative impact on already historically-disenfranchised Black communities in Florida. Passage of Amendment 3 is a step in the right direction toward ensuring that state resources and taxpayer dollars are spent on improving the lives of Floridians.

How many voters are needed to pass Amendment 3? Amendment 3 requires 60% of voters voting on the Amendment to vote YES in order to pass. This is why it is critical that you and everyone you know vote YES on Amendment 3.

How do I know if I’m already registered to vote in the November 2024 election? You can check your registration status at https://registertovoteflorida.gov by clicking on “Am I Already Registered.”

If I’m not already registered, how do I register to vote? If you are not registered, you can register to vote at https://registertovoteflorida.gov.

For tips on voting in Florida, visit our 2024 Voter Information Center.

The ACLU of Florida recommends voting YES on Amendment 4.

Amendment 4, titled, “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion,” would ensure that Floridians have the freedom to make personal medical decisions about their own bodies, without government interference.

• A “YES” vote means that abortion will be legal before viability or when necessary to protect a patient’s health, as determined by their healthcare provider.
• A “NO” vote means that Florida’s extreme abortion ban will remain in effect.

Amendment 4, titled the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion” will be on your ballot this November 2024.

What is Amendment 4? Amendment 4 is a citizen-initiated ballot initiative that ensures that abortion will be legal before viability or when necessary to protect a patient’s health, as determined by their healthcare provider.

What will Amendment 4 do if it passes? If Floridians vote to pass this amendment, it will limit government interference with abortion and overturn the state’s extreme abortion ban that is currently in place.

Background:

• Currently in Florida there is an extreme near-total ban on abortion, banning abortion before many people even realize they are pregnant.
• Florida’s extreme ban is often referred to as a “six-week ban,” but it’s important to understand that under Florida law, you are considered “six weeks pregnant” just two weeks after you have missed your period. Thus, you only have two weeks to obtain an abortion once you miss your period, if your periods are regular. Within this two week timeframe, it is virtually impossible for most people to obtain the two state-mandated in-person doctor appointments—which must be at least 24 hours apart—that are required by the state for an abortion to be legal.
• Click here for more information on Florida’s dangerous and extreme abortion ban

What impact will Amendment 4 have on Florida’s extreme abortion ban?

Amendment 4 will ensure that Floridians have the freedom to make personal medical decisions about their own bodies, their lives, and their futures, without government interference. If passed, Amendment 4 will end Florida’s dangerous and extreme abortion ban.

What will happen if Amendment 4 does not pass in November 2024? Florida’s near-total abortion ban will stay in effect, forcing most pregnant people, including many survivors of rape and incest, to carry pregnancies to term against their will despite the dangers to their health and safety.

How many voters are needed to pass Amendment 4? Amendment 4 requires 60% of voters voting on the Amendment to vote YES in order to pass. This is why it is critical that you and everyone you know vote YES on Amendment 4.

How do I know if I’m already registered to vote in the November 2024 election? You can check your registration status at https://registertovoteflorida.gov by clicking on “Am I Already Registered.”

If I’m not already registered, how do I register to vote? If you are not registered, you can register to vote at https://registertovoteflorida.gov.

For tips on voting in Florida, visit our 2024 Voter Information Center.

Amendment 5 -A legislatively proposed amendment to provide for an annual adjustment for inflation to the value of the homestead property tax exemption .

• A "YES" vote would increase the homestead exemption amount each January 1, beginning 2025, if the Consumer Price Index increases, thereby reducing the amount of property taxes on primary residences and reducing the amount of tax dollars available for county, city and special district programs and services.

• A "NO" vote would leave the current homestead exemption amount as is.

Learn more about Amendment 5

Amendment 6 - A legislatively proposed amendment to repeal a constitutional provision stating that “it is the policy of this state to provide for state-wide elections in which all qualified candidates may compete effectively” and ensuring that there exists a method of public financing to accomplish this goal.

• A "YES" vote would repeal Section 7, Article VI from the Florida Constitution, which provides for “public financing for campaigns for state-wide office” to ensure “state-wide elections in which all qualified candidates may compete effectively.”

• A "NO" vote would leave the current public campaign financing program, including spending limits for publicly-funded candidates, in place.

Learn more about Amendment 6