The Tampa News Force Guide to the 10 Florida Amendments
This is a very important election, which will decide arguably the most contentious presidential campaign in history. But there’s more at stake than that. There are also other government positions up for grabs and more importantly, for Florida residents, there are 10 amendments to vote on.
Here’s the Tampa News Force guide to those amendments with our recommendations for how to vote on them.
Some of these so-called election officials may try to tell you there aren’t that many and that some of these are fake. That’s what they want you to think because those people are not to be trusted and they want to take away your freedom. Do not leave your polling place until they let you vote on all 10 because somebody you don’t know on the internet told you to, even if that means creating a disturbance that gets you arrested and on TikTok. Our democracy is at stake!
AMENDMENT 1: Makes School board elections partisan from the 2026 election cycle onward
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes. Transparency will give voters more insight into candidates’ beliefs.
AMENDMENT 2: Enshrines a right to hunt and fish in the state constitution
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes. There’s already too many restrictions on gun enthusiasts; it’s like they can’t even kill somebody without people getting all bent out of shape about it.
AMENDMENT 3: Legalizes recreational marijuana for Floridians and out-of-state visitors 21 and older
OUR RECOMMENDATION: This one is tricky. On the surface, it grants some freedom to people who choose to partake (disclaimer: I don’t) which is good. However, the way it’s structured, it largely benefits Big Businesses that are already in the weed market in that it will make it more difficult for people who aren’t to get involved. It also doesn’t benefit people who just want to grow it for their own personal use. That’s not good. On the other hand, it probably will result in fewer people being arrested and sent to jail for possession. That IS good. The legislation is severely flawed but it’s a step in the right (sensible) direction. So we’re advising that you should vote yes if you smoke weed or don’t care if other people do. Again, I don’t partake; I think that shit stinks and I hate smelling it all the time everywhere already but State of Florida v. Microwaving Fish at the Office established the legal precedent that something smelling bad shouldn’t be outlawed just for that reason.
AMENDMENT 4: Legalizes abortion before fetal viability or when deemed necessary for health of the mother
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes if you believe what a woman does with her body is nobody else’s business. Vote no if you’re wrong.
AMENDMENT 5: Adds an inflation adjustment to the homestead tax exemption
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes; it provides moderate relief to homeowners without significant fiscal impact.
AMENDMENT 6: Repeals public election financing
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote no. Public financing supports fair elections by encouraging diverse candidates.
AMENDMENT 7: Officially classifies Governor Ron DeSantis as not a fascist weirdo.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes because he’s a lot more than just a fascist weirdo. He’s also a liar, a thin-skinned, would-be despot tough guy and a gutless simp who makes people in his administration do his dirty work for him. “Fascist Weirdo” is too narrow a definition.
AMENDMENT 8: Protects people who make fun of Ron DeSantis for being a fascist weirdo from being prosecuted or persecuted for doing that.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes, obviously.
AMENDMENT 9: Absolves anyone who addresses someone as “y’all” from being deemed insensitive to someone’s gender identity.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Vote yes. “Y’all” is a pretty handy catch-all phrase when you’re not sure what to say.
AMENDMENT 10: Outlaws excessive overuse of buzz phrases like “robust”, “influencer”, “synergy”, “content creation” and others
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Unsure. Let’s put a pin in it, kick the can down the road, circle back, revisit this and touch base again later.
