The U.S. state of Florida has had a system of direct voting since 1886, as the Florida Constitution of 1885 required voter approval for all constitutional amendments. Since then, the system has undergone several overhauls. In 1968, voters approved an amendment creating an initiative and referendum system.
Background The Florida Constitution of 1885 carried a section requiring voter approval for all constitutional amendments. This system remained largely unchanged until 1968, when an amendment was passed creating a system by which citizens could place amendments on the ballot using the initiative process. Since then, state officials have regularly attempted to restrict the systems use, including by charging for signature verification, requiring amendments to reach a three-thirds supermajority (60%) voter approval to pass (which was approved by voters as a legislative referred constitutional amendment in 2006 in a ballot measure election), and restricting signature collection. As a result of these restrictions, Florida is one of the few states in which paid signature collectors are commonplace. In 2021, the state legislature passed a bill limiting individual contributions to ballot measure campaigns to $3,000, claiming that such a restriction would reduce fraud. In 2022, a federal judge blocked the bill from going into effect, citing donors First Amendment rights as the core legal reasoning.
Some ballot measures passed in Florida have been the subject of controversy or extended discussion. In 2000, a ballot measure requiring a high-speed rail project be started within 3 years was passed. The measure, which had been the subject of lengthy legal proceedings before making it onto the ballot, was estimated to cost at least $5 billon. After several years of little progress, a second ballot measure repealing the requirement passed with 64% of the vote in 2004. In 2008, Amendment 2 banning same-sex marriages passed with 62% of the vote, along with similar measures in Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas. A study of the vote by the University of Florida later found that lower education levels were a strong predictor of support for the measure. In 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 4, which extended voting rights to most former felons who had completed their sentences. Despite passing with 65% of the vote, state officials were slow to implement the updated guidelines, preventing many newly eligible voters from voting for several years. In 2022, Amendment 4 was reintroduced to the public eye after Governor Ron DeSantis announced the prosecution of twenty former felons who had been misled into thinking they were eligible to vote under the Amendment.
Several academic studies of Florida ballot measures and their connections to other aspects of the political sphere have been conducted. A study of the language used by ballot measures found that voters were more likely to support ballot measures with a "local" framing than ones with a statewide or national framing. Another study examining petition signing found that Florida residents who signed ballot measure petitions were significantly more likely to vote in the upcoming election regardless of whether the measure they supported made it to the ballot. An analysis of newspaper endorsements found that even if voters in Florida disagreed with a newspaper's political alignment, a newspaper's endorsement of a ballot measure was positively connected to that measure passing or failing.
Types of ballot measures
There are several types of ballot measures in Florida, including a mix of citizen-initiated types and government-initiated types. Citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, which are placed on the ballot after receiving signatures equal to at least 8% of voters in the previous election in at least 14 of Florida's congressional districts Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, which are placed on the ballot after being passed by the legislature Commission-referred constitutional amendments, which are placed on the ballot by the authority of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission Advisory questions, automatic ballot referrals, constitutional convention referrals, and legislatively referred state statues have also appeared on the ballot occasionally
1800s
1886 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesConstitution of 1885A measure to formally adopt the Constitution of Florida31,803 (59.95%)21,243 (40.05%)Local Option AmendmentA constitutional amendment to allow localities to prohibit alcohol 29,831 (69.81%) 12,902 (30.19%)
1890 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to State Representatives every two years -- --Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to set the size of the Florida Legislature and establish term limits for state legislators -- --Amendment 3A constitutional amendment to hold general elections every two years -- --
1892 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment creating a property tax exemption for widows -- --
1894 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to transfer the responsibility to pay trial costs to the counties where the crime was committed9,755 (53.76%)8,392 (46.24%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to extend voting rights to men aged 18 years and older11,691 (67.36%)5,664 (32.64%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment modifying how the state school fund is distributed10,126 (52.52%)9,154 (47.48%)
1896 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesArticle 16, Section 6A constitutional amendment requiring the legislature and supreme court to publicize newly enacted laws and decisions8,870 (93.00%)667 (7.00%)Article 3, Section 17A constitutional amendment modifying legislature proceedings7,786 (91.88%)688 (8.12%)Article 4, Section 12A constitutional amendment providing the Governor, Secretary of State, Comptroller, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Agriculture with the ability to grant pardons7,352 (92.62%)586 (7.38%)Article 5, Section 22A constitutional amendment establishing the authority of Justices of the Peace8,327 (94.78%)459 (5.22%)Changing State Elections to NovemberA constitutional amendment moving the general election date from October to November8,389 (83.60%)1,646 (16.40%)
1898 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesArticle 16, Section 13A constitutional amendment modifying the ability of state, county, and municipal governments to issue bonds11,582 (90.12%)1,270 (9.88%)Article 5, Section 35A constitutional amendment limiting the establishment of new courts12,061 (91.63%)1,102 (8.37%)Article 3, Section 34A constitutional amendment establishing procedures for the impeachment of state officials11,145 (93.54%)770 (6.46%)
1900–1949
1900 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesArticle 7, Section 4A constitutional amendment to ensure representation in the state legislature for new counties5,947 (58.70%)4,184 (41.30%)Article 3, Section 25A constitutional amendment prohibiting special incorporation laws5,650 (57.84%)4,118 (42.16%)Article 8, Section 5A constitutional amendment modifying the election procedures for county commissioners8,243 (70.75%)3,408 (29.25%)Article 16, Section 12A constitutional amendment defining the state seal and state flag5,088 (57.12%)3,819 (42.88%)
1902 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to increase the number of justices and modify the procedures of the Florida Supreme Court5,515 (63.67%)3,147 (36.33%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to create eight state judicial circuits5,170 (62.87%)3,053 (37.13%)
1904 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to increase the term length for some county officials4,983 (46.25%)5,791 (53.75%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to increase the maximum county tax for schools5,933 (52.60%)5,346 (47.70%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment to establish county-level courts3,750 (38.37%)6,023 (61.63%)Amendment 4A constitutional amendment allowing tax exemptions for manufacturing businesses3,140 (34.13%)6,059 (65.87%)Amendment 5A constitutional amendment preventing Supreme Court decisions from going into effect until after being filed3,840 (45.04%)4,685 (54.96%)Amendment 6A constitutional amendment creating a new court at the state level2,534 (30.06%)5,897 (69.94%)Amendment 7A constitutional amendment to require all municipalities to use the same system of government3,438 (41.95%)4,758 (58.05%)
1906 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to create a board of drainage commissioners8,787 (37.30%)14,771 (62.70%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to set the salaries of Supreme Court and Circuit Judges at $4,000 and $3,500 a year respectively6,752 (38.40%)10,830 (61.60%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment to set salaries for judges in various Criminal Courts of Record6,265 (39.17%)9,729 (60.83%)Amendment 4A constitutional amendment to create a Court of Record for Escambia County5,577 (38.77%)8,806 (61.23%)Amendment 5A constitutional amendment to modify the process of amending the Florida Constitution5,322 (36.06%)9,436 (63.94%)
1908 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to set judicial salaries6,835 (47.78%)7,469 (52.22%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment creating a tax to support some higher education facilities in Florida6,961 (48.21%)7,477 (51.79%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment outlining a process for the creation of new judicial circuits6,150 (47.31%)6,850 (52.69%)
1910 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to allow the creation of additional judicial circuits15,246 (51.34%)14,453 (48.66%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to create a Court of Record for Escambia County15,041 (52.79%)13,450 (47.21%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of alcohol24,506 (45.57%)29,271 (54.43%)
1912 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to add a Judge to the Circuit Court of Duval County18,051 (85.52%)3,057 (14.48%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to allow localities to create school tax districts16,348 (80.29%)4,014 (19.71%)
1914 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to restructure the position of County Treasurer14,164 (67.99%)6,668 (32.01%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to restructure the organization of the State Militia10,356 (68.34%)4,798 (31.66%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment to restructure the statewide court system8,998 (66.66%)4,500 (33.34%)
1916 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment providing a property tax exemption to widows20,859 (62.27%)12,641 (37.73%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment restructuring the allocation of state senators and representatives per county10,258 (36.59%)17,774 (63.41%)Amendment 3A constitutional amendment restricting voting rights to male property owners over the age of 2110,518 (34.82%)19,688 (65.18%)
1918 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to require counties to collect a school property tax21,895 (67.13%)10,723 (32.87%)Amendment 2A constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of alcohol21,851 (61.62%)13,609 (38.38%)
1920 Measure nameDescriptionStatusYes votesNo votesAmendment 1A constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to issue bonds for the purpose of infrastructure development34,504 (38.76%)54,510 (61.24%)
1922