The November 3, 2020 ballots had candidates for presidential, Florida senate, and congress as well as several local governmental seats.
But in addition to those items, six amendments were placed on the ballot for Floridian voters to decide upon.
These amendments pertained to voting abilities, minimum wage, homestead exemption, and more.
Below is how Gadsden County voted in favor, or in opposition to, those amendments:
Amendment 1 – Citizenship required to vote in Florida elections
Under this amendment, voters will be required to prove that they are American citizens who are at least 18 years old, as well as permanent Floridian residents.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 78.09%
No – 21.91%
Amendment 2 – Minimum wage to $15/hour
This amendment, should voters approve it, will raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour in September of 2021, and each September thereafter, an additional $1 raise will be tacked on until reaching $15 an hour for minimum wage workers.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 66.42%
No – 33.58%
Amendment 3 – Making Florida an open-primary state
Currently, voting law in Florida stipulates that you can only vote in the election primaries if your registered political party has a candidate in that race. Registered independents can’t vote in the primaries. An “open primary” would allow all voters to vote for any candidate in the race, regardless of political affiliation, with the top two vote-getters moving on to the general election.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 59.43%
No – 40.57%
Amendment 4 – Changes to how amendments are passed
This amendment would require any future amendments on the ballot to pass in two election cycles as opposed to just one cycle.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 54.66%
No – 45.34%
Amendment 5 – Changes to Homestead Property Tax assessments
This amendment would increase from two to three years which accrued Save-Our-Homes benefits may be transferred from a prior homestead to a new homestead.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 67.86%
No – 32.14%
Amendment 6 – Should spouses of Deceased Veterans receive tax discounts?
This amendment would allow spouses of deceased veterans to receive the homestead property tax discounts that were originally granted to their spouses.
Gadsden votes:
Yes – 86.48%
No – 13.52%
Percentages reflect Gadsden County votes only, as of 8:23 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Percentages may not reflect statewide percentages and vote outcomes.