2022 Florida Amendment 3

2022 Florida Amendment 3 was a proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution, which failed on November 8, 2022. Through a statewide referendum, the amendment achieved only 58.7% support among voters in the U.S. state of Florida, short of the 60% majority required by state law,[1] although higher than the 2006 amendment which created the 60% requirement.

2022 Florida Amendment 3
Additional homestead property tax exemption for certain workers.
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 4,215,601 58.68%
No 2,968,734 41.32%
Valid votes 7,184,335 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00%
Total votes 7,184,335 100.00%

Background

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The amendment proposed an increase to the state's homestead tax exemption for specific groups including "teachers, police officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency-medical technicians, paramedics, child-welfare services professionals, and active-duty members of the military and Florida National Guard."[2] The Tallahassee Democrat cited "severe teacher and prison-security shortages" as factors contributing to the proposal of the referendum.[3]

Overview

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The amendment was sponsored by Josie Tomkow, a Republican state legislator representing Polk City. One state legislator, Democrat Bobby Powell of West Palm Beach, opposed the amendment, along with the Florida League of Women Voters, the Palm Beach Post, and the Tampa Bay Times.[2]

Results

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Despite the amendment's failure to win 60% of the vote, it received majority support in all but two counties, and received more than 60% support in many of the state's most populous counties, including Osceola County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Escambia County. There was little correlation between county partisanship and levels of support for the amendment.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Florida Amendment 3 Election Results: Expand Homestead Property Tax Exemption". The New York Times. 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  2. ^ a b "What Florida voters need to know about Amendment 3 before Election Day". WUSF Public Media. 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  3. ^ Cotterell, Bill. "Florida Amendment 3 would increase homestead exemptions for teachers, first responders". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2023-05-02.