Jonah Patel
Texas voters have the power to decide on amendments to the state's constitution. In 2023, 297 constitutional amendments were filed in the Texas State Legislature for the 2023 ballot, with 14 amendments referred to the November ballot. Texas is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas Senate. Texans will vote on these amendments as part of the election, and a majority of voters in the state must approve each amendment before it can be added to the constitution officially.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of proposed amendments in 2023 | 297 |
| Number of amendments referred to the November ballot | 14 |
| Number of amendments referred to the ballot in 2023 | 1 |
| Minimum votes required in the Texas House of Representatives | 100 |
| Minimum votes required in the Texas Senate | 21 |
| Voter turnout for constitutional amendments (1995-2022) | 11.1% |
| Voter turnout for constitutional amendments in 1991 | 26% |
| Voter turnout for constitutional amendments in 2011 | 5% |
| Number of amendments approved by voters in 2017 | 7 |
| Number of amendments approved by voters in 2019 | 9 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Texas constitutional amendment election process
The Texas Constitution can be amended through a vote by the citizens of Texas. The process for this to occur is as follows:
First, the Texas Legislature must propose a constitutional amendment. This can be done by either the House of Representatives or the Senate, and the proposed amendment must be approved by a majority of both chambers. The proposed amendment then goes to the people of Texas for a vote. This occurs during a constitutional amendment election, which is a type of referendum.
For a constitutional amendment to be approved, it must receive a majority of the votes cast. This means that more than half of the people who vote on the amendment must vote in favour of it. The governor can also proclaim that an amendment has been passed if it receives more than 880,000 votes, regardless of the voter turnout.
There are some requirements for voting in Texas constitutional amendment elections. Voters must be registered in the county where they reside and provide proof of identification when voting in person. Absentee ballots are available for those who cannot vote in person due to sickness or disability.
The Texas Constitution has a wide range of topics, including the state's governance, rights, and policies. Amendments can be proposed to change any part of the constitution, and they often reflect the state's current priorities and issues. For example, in the 2023 constitutional amendment election, Texans voted on 14 proposed amendments, including Proposition 1, which protected the right to engage in farming and ranching, and Proposition 7, which created a state fund to support the construction and operation of electric generating facilities.
The Citizenship Rights of the Formerly Enslaved
You may want to see also
Voter eligibility requirements
Texas voters will decide the fate of constitutional amendments proposed by state lawmakers. In Texas, citizens do not have the power to initiate statewide initiatives or referendums. A majority of voters in the state must approve each amendment before it can be added to the Constitution.
Texas is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas Senate, assuming no vacancies.
During the 2023 legislative session, 297 constitutional amendments were filed in the Texas State Legislature for the 2023 ballot. Democrats filed 113 (38%) of these, and Republicans filed 184 (62%).
Texans voting in constitutional amendment elections must be registered voters. If a voter is unable to go to a polling place due to sickness or disability, they may request an emergency early voting ballot or use curbside voting.
How to Overturn a Constitutional Amendment
You may want to see also
Ballot measures
In Texas, citizens do not have the power to initiate statewide ballot initiatives or referendums. Voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have provided for this process back in 1914. However, as of 2023, the state allowed charter cities to have an initiative process for local ballot measures.
The Texas State Legislature can refer statewide ballot measures, in the form of constitutional amendments, to voters in odd-numbered years and even-numbered years. However, as the legislature only convenes regular sessions in odd-numbered years, most amendments have been referred to ballots in odd-numbered years. Between 1995 and 2022, 175 of 179 (97.8%) statewide ballot measures appeared on odd-numbered-year ballots.
Texas is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas Senate, assuming no vacancies.
During the 2023 legislative session, 297 constitutional amendments were filed in the Texas State Legislature for the 2023 ballot. Democrats filed 113 (38%) of these, while Republicans filed 184 (62%). Ultimately, the Texas Legislature voted to refer 14 amendments to the November ballot—the most since 2007, which featured 17 measures.
The First Amendment: A Historic Constitution Change
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Voting thresholds
Texas voters have the power to approve or reject constitutional amendments proposed by the state legislature. In 2023, the Texas State Legislature referred 14 amendments to the November ballot, the most since 2007, which featured 17 measures. Texans will decide the fate of these 14 constitutional amendments during the election.
During the 2023 legislative session, 297 constitutional amendments were filed in the Texas State Legislature for the 2023 ballot. Of these, 113 (38%) were filed by Democrats, and 184 (62%) were filed by Republicans.
Texas is one of 16 states that require a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. This amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas Senate, assuming no vacancies.
Historically, Texas voters have approved most amendments on the ballot. In 2017, voters approved all seven amendments on the ballot. In 2019, voters approved nine out of 10 proposed changes.
The Third Amendment: Protecting Freedom From Quartering Troops
You may want to see also
Previous Texas voter behaviour
Texas voters decided on 14 constitutional amendments on the ballot for the November 7 election. More than 2.5 million Texans cast a ballot, which amounts to 14.4% of registered voters. This is the highest turnout for a constitutional amendment election since 2005.
The constitutional amendments that were voted on include:
- Proposition 1 – HJR 126: The constitutional amendment protecting the right to engage in farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management.
- Proposition 10 – SJR 87: The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation equipment or inventory held by a manufacturer of medical or biomedical products.
- Proposition 13 – HJR 107: The constitutional amendment to increase the mandatory age of retirement for state justices and judges.
- Proposition 14 – SJR 74: The constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the centennial parks conservation fund to be used for the creation and improvement of state parks.
The results of the election show that Texas voters approved a massive property tax cut, raises for retired teachers, and new infrastructure funds. However, they rejected the proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges.
Constitutional Amendment 8200: Who's in Support in Washington State?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
A Texas constitutional amendment needs a majority of voters in the state to approve it before it can be added to the constitution.
In 2023, 297 constitutional amendments were filed for the ballot, with 14 making it onto the ballot.
The Texas State Legislature can refer statewide ballot measures in the form of constitutional amendments in odd-numbered and even-numbered years. However, as the legislature meets in odd-numbered years and not even-numbered years, most amendments are referred to ballots in odd-numbered years.
Between 1988 and 2023, the average voter turnout for odd-numbered year elections featuring constitutional amendments was 11.1%, 40 percentage points lower than the average turnout for general elections in even-numbered years.
In 2017, Texas voters approved all seven amendments on the ballot. In 2019, voters approved nine out of 10 proposed changes.
