The 2024 general election in Florida featured key constitutional amendments on issues ranging from tax policy to environmental protections. This year’s ballot included amendments that reflected both state priorities and more localized concerns.
State general rules stipulate that local results must be certified by noon on the 13th day after the election, while the state certification deadline is 8 A.M. on the 14th day. Florida also requires at least 60% approval for an amendment to pass. Below are the unofficial results posted on the Florida Division of Elections website.
Amendment 1 proposed making district school board elections partisan. Outcome: REJECTED. 45.1% (4,511,011 votes) voted NO, while 54.9% (5,492,132 votes) voted YES. As a result, school board elections will remain nonpartisan, and candidates will not be affiliated with political parties by designation or when running.
Amendment 2 sought to create a constitutional right to hunt and fish. Outcome: PASSED. 32.6% (3,355,972 votes) voted NO, while 67.4% (6,927,876 votes) voted YES. This ensures that hunting and fishing are now protected as constitutional rights in Florida, making it harder for legislators to create laws that would ban or restrict such activities. However, it specifies that the amendment does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section of Article IV of the State Constitution.
Amendment 3 would have legalized recreational marijuana, allowing adults 21 and over to possess up to 3 ounces and 5 grams in concentrated form, with certain restrictions. Outcome: REJECTED. 44.1% (4,685,443 votes) voted NO, while 55.9% (5,934,139 votes) voted YES. Recreational marijuana remains illegal, and Florida’s medical marijuana laws will stay in effect; it can only be consumed and sold for medical purposes.
Amendment 4 proposed a constitutional right to abortion, legalizing the procedure until fetal viability and when necessary for the patient’s health. Outcome: REJECTED. 42.9% (4,541,226 votes) voted NO, while 57.1% (6,053,481 votes) voted YES. Abortion will not be constitutionally protected, and current state laws will remain. As stated on the ballot, ” the state cannot “… 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.”
Amendment 5 aimed to adjust home property tax exemptions for inflation. Outcome: PASSED. 34.0% (3,433,199 votes) voted NO, while 66.0% (6,673,217 votes) voted YES. The increase in property tax exemptions will provide homeowners relief from inflation-related tax hikes. Property tax for homes in Florida are the house’s market value – the homestead exemption. The current exemption gives homeowners two $25,000 exemptions that exempts a total of $50,000 off the taxable value of a home (and automatically raises taxes as property values rise with inflation). Now, it will be adjusted every January 1st based on the percent change in the Consumer Price Index reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Amendment 6 would have ended public funding for statewide candidates. Outcome: REJECTED. 49.6% (4,943,255 votes) voted NO, while 50.4% (5,023,043 votes) voted YES. Public campaign financing for statewide candidates will continue.
The results of the 2024 Florida general election highlight the diverse priorities of the state’s voters. These decisions reflect both statewide concerns and the specific needs of individual communities.
