Isabella Carter
Tennessee voters had the opportunity to vote on four constitutional amendments in the November 8, 2022, general election ballot. The proposed amendments covered a range of issues, from union rights to removing antiquated slavery language from the state's constitution. To pass, an amendment must receive more yes votes than no votes, and the total number of yes votes must constitute a majority of the votes in the gubernatorial election. This process, unique to Tennessee, has been challenged in the past. Voters are encouraged to educate themselves on the proposed amendments and the process for their adoption to make informed voting decisions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | November 8, 2022 |
| Number of Amendments | 4 |
| Topics | Union issues, removing slavery language, succession plan for governor, removing a ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly |
| Voting Mechanism | Yes or No questions |
| Yes Vote | Vote to amend the Constitution and adopt the proposed language in the amendment |
| No Vote | Vote to not amend the Constitution and keep the current language in the Constitution |
| Requirements for Amendment to Pass | More yes votes than no votes, and yes votes must be a majority of the total votes in the gubernatorial election |
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What You'll Learn
Voting 'yes' means you want to amend the constitution
Voting 'yes' on a constitutional amendment in Tennessee means you want to amend the constitution and adopt the proposed language in the amendment. In other words, you are in favour of changing the constitution to include the new language outlined in the proposed amendment.
For example, in the 2022 Tennessee election, Amendment 1, also known as the "Right-to-Work" amendment, proposed adding language to the state constitution that would guarantee workers the right to work without being compelled to join a union or pay union dues. Voting 'yes' on this amendment indicated support for including this language in the constitution.
Similarly, Amendment 4 in the same election proposed repealing a ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly. A 'yes' vote on this amendment signalled agreement with the proposed change, indicating support for allowing religious leaders to serve in state legislatures.
It's important to note that voting 'yes' on a constitutional amendment doesn't automatically change the constitution. For an amendment to pass in Tennessee, two conditions must be met. First, there must be more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes. Second, the number of 'yes' votes must constitute a majority of the total votes cast in the gubernatorial election. This unique system ensures that constitutional changes reflect the will of a significant portion of the electorate.
Therefore, when voting 'yes' on a constitutional amendment in Tennessee, you are expressing your desire to amend the constitution with the proposed changes, but the amendment must also meet the required thresholds for it to be officially adopted.
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Voting 'no' means you want to keep the constitution as it is
Tennessee voters need to be aware of the proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. Voting no on a constitutional amendment means you want to keep the constitution as it is and do not support changing the language.
The four proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution on the Nov. 8 ballot are:
- An amendment to Article XI, of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to the right to work
- An amendment to Article II and Article III of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to the exercise of the powers and duties of the Governor during disability
- An amendment to Article I, Section 33 of the Constitution of Tennessee, to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude
- An amendment to Article IX, of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to disqualifications
To see the exact language for the proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the ballot, including a summary of each amendment written by the Tennessee Attorney General's office, visit sos.tn.gov/amendments. The Secretary of State’s office and local county election commissions are Tennessee’s trusted sources for accurate election information.
For an amendment to pass and become part of the Tennessee Constitution, two things must happen. There must be more yes votes than no votes supporting the amendment. And the number of yes votes must equal a majority of the total votes in the gubernatorial election.
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Amendments need more 'yes' than 'no' votes to pass
Amendments to the Tennessee Constitution require more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes to pass. However, this is not the only criterion. The total number of 'yes' votes must also constitute a majority of the votes in the gubernatorial election. This means that the number of 'yes' votes must exceed 50% + 1 of the total votes for governor. If these two conditions are met, the amendment passes and becomes part of the Constitution.
The process for amending the Tennessee Constitution is longstanding and was confirmed by a court decision following the 2014 general election. This unusual system has been challenged in the past, such as over a 2014 ballot measure that eliminated the right to abortion from the state constitution.
When voting on amendments, Tennessee voters are presented with yes or no questions. A 'yes' vote means you want to amend the Constitution and adopt the proposed changes, while a 'no' vote means you want to keep the current language of the Constitution unchanged. It is important to note that voting on constitutional amendments is separate from voting in the governor's race, and you do not need to vote for governor to vote on the amendments.
In the 2022 election, Tennessee voters had the opportunity to vote on four constitutional amendments, ranging from union issues to removing antiquated slavery language from the Constitution.
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Amendments need more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes plus 1
In Tennessee, proposed constitutional amendments are presented as yes or no questions on the ballot. A "yes" vote is a vote to amend the Constitution and adopt the proposed language in the amendment. A "no" vote is a vote to keep the current language in the Constitution unchanged.
For an amendment to pass and become part of the Constitution, two things must happen. Firstly, the amendment must receive more "yes" votes than "no" votes. Secondly, the number of "yes" votes must be a majority of the total votes in the gubernatorial election. This means that the number of "yes" votes must exceed 50% +1 of the total votes for governor.
The voter turnout in the governor's race plays a significant role in the amendment process. The votes for all candidates for governor are added together and then divided by two to determine the threshold for the proposed amendment to pass. If the number of "yes" votes does not meet or exceed this threshold, or if there are more "no" votes than "yes" votes, the amendment fails.
It is important to note that it is not necessary to vote in the governor's race to vote on the constitutional amendments, and vice versa. Voters can choose to participate in one or both of these voting processes.
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Amendments are listed on the ballot after gubernatorial candidates
The four amendments were:
- An amendment to Article XI, of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to the right to work.
- An amendment to Article II and Article III of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to the exercise of the powers and duties of the Governor during disability.
- An amendment to Article I, Section 33 of the Constitution of Tennessee, to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude.
- An amendment to Article IX, of the Constitution of Tennessee, relative to disqualifications.
The first two amendments were particularly notable. Amendment 1, also known as the Right-to-Work Amendment, was sponsored by Republican Senator Brian Kelsey. It stated that workers could not be hired or fired based on their membership in a union. While supporters argued that this protected civil rights, opponents countered that it would weaken unions and lead to lower wages. Amendment 2 addressed the lack of an emergency succession plan for the governor in Tennessee. It proposed that the Speaker of the Senate, who is also the Lieutenant Governor, should assume the role temporarily if the governor becomes medically incapacitated.
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