Omar Bennett
The Florida Constitution has been amended 146 times since its adoption in 1968, and there are a few ways to propose and approve amendments. Proposed amendments may be made by a legislative joint resolution, an initiative petition, or a proposal from the Constitution Revision Commission or the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot, but they do require at least 60% approval from voters to pass.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of ways to amend the constitution | 5 |
| Legislative process | Yes |
| Citizen-initiated process | Yes |
| State constitutional convention process | Yes |
| Commission-referral process | Yes |
| Minimum voter approval | 60% |
| Minimum signatures for citizen-initiated process | 8% of votes cast in the last presidential election |
| Minimum signatures for constitutional convention | 15% of votes cast in the last presidential election |
| Number of commissions with power to refer amendments | 2 |
| Frequency of Constitution Revision Commission meetings | Every 20 years |
| Frequency of Taxation and Budget Reform Commission meetings | Every 20 years |
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What You'll Learn
Florida's legislative amendment process
Legislative amendment is one of five methods of amending the Florida Constitution. The other four are citizen-initiated, state constitutional convention, and commission-referral processes. The two commissions with the power to refer amendments are the Constitution Revision Commission and the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. The Constitution Revision Commission convenes every 20 years, while the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission convenes once every 20 years.
The legislative process for amending the Florida Constitution begins with a proposed amendment by a legislative joint resolution. This resolution must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the state legislature. The amendment is then referred to the ballot and put to a statewide vote. If a simple majority of voters approve the amendment, it becomes part of the constitution.
The Florida Constitution has been amended 146 times since its adoption in 1968. The most recent amendments were approved by voters on November 5, 2024.
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Citizen-initiated amendments
The Florida Constitution provides five mechanisms for amending the state's constitution, one of which is a citizen-initiated process. This process involves an initiated constitutional amendment, which is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Florida is one of eighteen states that allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
The process of initiating a constitutional amendment through a citizen-led petition begins with a registered political committee acting as the petition sponsor. The petition sponsor can only sponsor one initiative petition per election cycle. The petition must be signed by a minimum number of registered Florida voters. For the 2026 General Election ballot, an initiative petition must be signed by 880,062 voters. This number is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. Proponents must obtain signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the most recent presidential election in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts.
In addition to the signature requirement, there are other important considerations for citizen-initiated amendments. For example, certain sections of the constitution are prohibited from being amended through a citizen-initiated process. These sections typically relate to matters that are reserved for legislative action or are otherwise deemed too significant to be amended through a citizen-initiated process.
It is worth noting that the requirements for citizen-initiated amendments can vary across states. While Florida requires a substantial number of signatures, other states like Illinois and Mississippi have requirements that are considered more difficult to meet, and as a result, citizen-initiated amendments are rarely used in those states.
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Commission-referred amendments
The Florida Constitution can be amended through a commission-referral process, which involves two commissions with the authority to propose amendments: the Florida Constitution Revision Commission and the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission.
The Constitution Revision Commission and the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission have the power to refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. These commissions convene every 20 years, with the first Constitution Revision Commission meeting held in 1977. To get an amendment proposal on the ballot, the Constitution Revision Commission requires a simple majority vote of approval from its members.
The Constitution Revision Commission can propose amendments on any topic, while the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is limited to issues related to taxation and the state budget. The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission is subject to the same rules as the Constitution Revision Commission regarding the process of referring amendments to the ballot.
To amend the Florida Constitution, a proposed amendment requires at least 60% voter approval. This requirement was introduced in 2006 when voters passed an amendment mandating this threshold.
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Convention-referred amendments
The Florida Constitution provides five mechanisms for amending the state's constitution, one of which is a convention-referred constitutional amendment. This process involves a constitutional convention, which can be called through an initiative petition. The proponents of the convention must collect signatures equal to 15% of the total number of votes cast in the last presidential election. Once the signatures have been gathered, the question of holding a convention is put to a vote. If a simple majority of voters approve, then a convention will be held.
During the convention, amendments to the constitution are proposed and discussed. The specific procedures and requirements for proposing amendments at the convention may vary and are determined by the convention delegates. These proposals are then put to a vote at the convention, and if they receive the necessary support, they are referred to the statewide ballot for voter consideration.
The Florida Constitution requires a 60% supermajority vote for voters to approve constitutional amendments. This means that any amendments proposed through a convention must also meet this threshold to be enacted. It is important to note that the convention-referred amendment process is separate from the citizen-initiated process, where citizens can propose amendments through signature petitions.
In addition to the convention-referred process, Florida also has two commissions with the power to refer amendments: the Florida Constitution Revision Commission and the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. These commissions convene every 20 years to propose amendments, with the first meeting held in 1977. The Revision Commission can refer amendments on any topic, while the Budget Reform Commission focuses on taxation and state budget-related issues.
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Requirements for petition circulators
To amend the Florida Constitution, one of five mechanisms can be used: a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, a state constitutional convention process, or a commission-referral process with two commissions that have the power to refer amendments.
The focus here is on the citizen-initiated process, which is also known as an initiative petition process. This process starts with a registered political committee, which acts as the petition sponsor. The petition sponsor can only sponsor one initiative petition per election cycle. In addition to other requirements, getting a proposed initiative on the ballot requires petitions to be signed by a minimum number of registered Florida voters. For placement on the 2026 General Election ballot, for example, an initiative petition must be signed by 880,062 voters.
Starting July 1, 2025, petition circulators must take and pass an online training program before registering with the State. Once registered, petition circulators can circulate petitions for more than one petition sponsor. The citizenship and residency requirements for a petition circulator are not always in effect for certain petitions and certain persons. For instance, non-Florida residents and/or non-US citizens who want to register as petition circulators can email the Florida Division of Elections for more information.
The number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the last presidential election. Proponents must obtain signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts.
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Frequently asked questions
There are five ways to amend the Florida Constitution: a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, a state constitutional convention process, and a commission-referral process with two commissions that have the power to refer amendments.
The Florida Constitution Revision Commission and the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission can refer amendments.
A 60% supermajority vote is required for voters to approve amendments to the Florida Constitution.
An initiated constitutional amendment requires signatures from 8% of the voters in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts.
