Florida, State Constitutions in the United States, Constitutional Amendment

Constitutional Amendment Process for Florida

Constitutional change is possible in two main ways.

In the first way, a proposal is placed on the ballot by a three-fifths vote of the Florida Legislature and must be approved by 60% of the voters in a general election.

The second way is through a citizen initiative, which requires the collection of 766,200 valid petition signatures (8% of the total votes cast in the last gubernatorial election) and subsequent approval by 60% of the voters in the next general election.

Florida's Constitution

The current Florida Constitution was adopted in 1968, and has since been amended over 400 times.

Constitutional revision must take place every 20 years, as mandated by Article XI, Section 2, of the Florida Constitution.

During this revision the Constitution Revision Commission reviews the constitution and places suggested changes on the ballot for citizen approval.

The revision commission last convened in 2017-2018.

State Constitutions in the US

Unlike the US constitution, state constitutions are much more detailed, covering a wide range of topics, including:

• the structure and powers of government
• the rights of citizens
• local government
• education
• the environment
• taxes
• criminal justice

State constitutions are also more frequently amended than the US Constitution.

Constitutional Amendment

An amendment is a change to a constitution. Amendments can be proposed by the legislature or by citizens through a citizen initiative.

In order to be adopted, an amendment must be approved by a majority of voters in a general election.

Once adopted, an amendment becomes part of the constitution and can only be repealed by another amendment.