Florida Amendment 1, Partisan School Board Elections Amendment (2024)

Florida Amendment 1
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Elections and campaigns and Education
Status d Defeated
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Florida Amendment 1, the Partisan School Board Elections Amendment, was on the ballot in Florida as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported making school board elections partisan beginning in the November 2026 general election and for primary elections nominating party candidates for the 2026 election.

A "no" vote opposed making school board elections partisan, thereby maintaining current procedures where school board members are elected in a nonpartisan election.

Election results

See also: Results for education and school choice ballot measures, 2024

Amendment 1 needed to receive a 60% vote to be approved.

Florida Amendment 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		5,492,993	54.90%
No		4,512,372	45.10%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

What would Amendment 1 have changed about school board elections in Florida?

See also: Constitutional changes

Amendment 1 would have made school board elections partisan beginning in 2026. Candidates would have been nominated for the general election through partisan primaries and be featured on the ballot with partisan labels, such as Democrat and Republican. As of 2024, the Florida Constitution required school board elections to be nonpartisan, meaning that partisan labels did not appear on the ballot next to a candidate's name.

Florida had partisan school board elections until voters approved Amendment 11, which prohibited party labels in school board elections, in 1998. Amendment 11 was referred to the ballot by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.

School board members in Florida are elected by the voters of the county and serve four-year terms. The school board controls school property, establishes, organizes, and operates the schools of the district, including establishing schools, adopting enrollment plans, providing for school elimination and consolidation, cooperating with school boards of adjoining districts in maintaining schools, maintaining the school year schedule, and other duties as outlined in Florida law.

What states had partisan school board elections?

See also: School board partisanship

At the time of the election in 2024, Florida was one of 41 states with state laws providing for nonpartisan school board elections. Four states — Alabama, Connecticut, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania — had state laws providing for partisan school board elections. Five states — Rhode Island, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia — provided for partisan or nonpartisan school board elections depending on the district. The state laws of 41 states containing 11,761 school districts provided for school board elections without party labels identifying the affiliation of candidates listed on the ballot (nonpartisan elections).

What did state legislators say about the amendment?

See also: Path to the ballot

State Rep. Spencer Roach (R-76), the sponsor of the amendment, said, "This is not about, at least for me, advancing the cause of one political party over another. But for me it’s about transparency, and I simply believe that we have an obligation to give voters as much information about a candidate as possible, and let them make a decision about vetting a candidate. I would tell folks, if they truly want to vote for nonpartisan candidates, those candidates in Florida who are NPAs that don’t have a philosophical association with either of the two major parties and they (voters) viewed them as sort of purist NPAs — right now in Florida, the law prevents you from doing that, because you don’t know who that candidate is."

State Rep. Angela Nixon (D-13), who opposed the amendment, said, "I believe this bill is not about transparency at all. This bill is about making our school-board elections and our school boards more contentious, more like D.C., which [Republicans] honestly always try to oppose."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title wa as follows:

“

PARTISAN ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS.— Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to require members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election and to specify that the amendment only applies to elections held on or after the November 2026 general election. However, partisan primary elections may occur before the 2026 general election for purposes of nominating political party candidates to that office for placement on the 2026 general election ballot.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article IX, Florida Constitution and Article XII, Florida Constitution

The measure would have amended Article IX and Article XII of the state constitution. The following struck-through text would have been deleted and underlined text would have been added.

ARTICLE IX EDUCATION

SECTION 4. School districts; school boards.— (a) Each county shall constitute a school district; provided, two or more contiguous counties, upon vote of the electors of each county pursuant to law, may be combined into one school district. In each school district there shall be a school board composed of five or more members chosen by vote of the electors in a partisan nonpartisan election for appropriately staggered terms of four years, as provided by law.

(b) The school board shall operate, control and supervise all free public schools within the school district and determine the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed herein. Two or more school districts may operate and finance joint educational programs.

ARTICLE XII SCHEDULE

Partisan election of members of district school boards.— This section and the amendment to Section 4 of Article IX requiring members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election shall take effect upon approval by the electors, except that members of district school boards may not be elected on a partisan basis until the general election held in November 2026. However, partisan primary elections may occur before the general election held on November 3, 2026, for purposes of nominating political party candidates to that office for placement on the 2026 general election ballot.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.

The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 8, and the FRE is 51. The word count for the ballot title is 8.

The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 22, and the FRE is 4. The word count for the ballot summary is 71.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Joe Gruters (R)
• State Sen. Tyler Sirois (R)
• State Rep. Spencer Roach (R)

Arguments

• State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-22): "Parties engage in these races. There’s no such thing as a non-partisan race anymore. These races are partisan, and the only ones that aren’t informed are being tricked. And what happens is, there are games that are played all the time in these races. And what I’m trying to do is pull the bag off of the voters’ heads."
• State Rep. Spencer Roach (R-76): "I simply think as policymakers, we have an obligation to provide voters with as much information as possible about candidates to include party affiliation, and let the voters make their decisions based on that information. So I don't think you should ever be allowed to use the power of the law to hide your ideology or to hide your affiliations, whether it's with a political party or otherwise. I think it's really a legal fiction that these races are nonpartisan, the candidates are nonpartisan actors. And I think there are real differences in the party platform. So I think that every race, including judicial races, should be partisan."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. Bobby Powell Jr. (D)
• State Rep. Angela Nixon (D)

Arguments

• State Rep. Angie Nixon (D-13): "I believe this bill is not about transparency at all. This bill is about making our school-board elections and our school boards more contentious, more like D.C., which [Republicans] honestly always try to oppose."
• Tina Certain, Alachua County School Board Chair: "It's important to me that the race stays nonpartisan because everyone is impacted by school decisions. It doesn't matter what your political affiliation is, and I think everyone should get to vote and have a voice on a candidate, not just based on your political registration during the time of the election. We're seeing more politicization in education because of the governor of Florida’s actions. That is not rising up from local communities. It's coming down from Tallahassee, from the governor, down."
• Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua County Education Association: "I do not think there's any place for partisan politics in our public education system. We should be fully focused on what's best for students. I feel like public education is under attack, and part of the attack is sowing the seeds of division. I think this is part of the culture war strategy that is being perpetrated on classrooms, on educators and public school systems by our leadership."
• State Sen. Bobby Powell (D-24): "This is not something that’s being done nationwide. If you look nationwide, most school-board races and school boards remain non-partisan. I am hopeful that what happens with regard to partisan politics does not bleed into our school-board races."

Media editorials

See also: 2024 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

• Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board: "This measure does nothing to help students or public education. Rather, it’s aimed at increasing the electoral power of party bosses to pick and choose who runs for school board. That leverage would include withholding fundraising to ensure a candidate’s pliancy in promoting a partisan agenda. In practical terms, that means school campuses would become ever-more useful fronts for waging culture wars over books, gender, race, instructional materials and teachers. Beyond the negative impact on schools, this amendment also is a tool for the party establishments to disenfranchise millions of Florida voters. Since Florida is a 'closed' primary state, only voters registered with a designated party can vote in that party’s primary. Independent voters would lose the ability they have now to shape the future of their local school systems. Aside from being undemocratic, that change is out-of-sync with an electorate in Florida (and nationwide) that increasingly identifies as independent of either major political party."
• The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board: "But the last thing Florida's 67 school boards need is an extra dose of partisanship, which left unchecked could wreak havoc in both school board campaigns and educational policies. The Post urges voters reject Amendment 1 by voting 'no.' Florida's public schools have enough challenges. Whether it's aging infrastructure, declining enrollment, underpaid staff or undue state interference, the pressure on local school board members is intense and is growing. Political hacks hostile to public education need not apply."
• Palm Beach Post Editorial Board: "Florida's public schools have enough challenges. Whether it's aging infrastructure, declining enrollment, underpaid staff or undue state interference, the pressure on local school board members is intense and is growing. Political hacks hostile to public education need not apply. By requiring candidates to disclose their party affiliations, the amendment opens the process in a way that would reduce the influence of the voter and the local community."
• Miami Herald Editorial Board: "Florida and the country need less partisan divide — not more of it — especially when it comes to public education. That's why Florida voters should reject constitutional Amendment 1 … (It) would 'require members of a district school board to be elected in a partisan election rather than a nonpartisan election,' as they are now. If at least 60% of voters approve Amendment 1, candidates will have to run as Democrats or Republicans starting in 2026 and parties will nominate their own candidates for these elections. As the U.S. becomes more polarized, so have nonpartisan school boards."
• TCPalm Editorial Board: "School board elections should be grassroots affairs, with the needs of parents, teachers, school administrators, taxpayers and, most importantly, students taking priority. We don't need one more type of election overrun with dark money spending, attack ads and agendas that have little to do with what's best for our children. Partisan school board elections would become even more nasty and divisive, pitting neighbors against one another."
• Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board: "Few things have torn Florida apart in recent years as the politicization of local schools. But the warfare over book bans, gender identity and lessons about race would go into overdrive if Floridians approved this measure to make school board races partisan elections. School board elections in Florida are currently nonpartisan. That means all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, have a say in who controls their local schools."
• Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board: "Amendment 1 would shut voters out of school board races. It always seems strange when lawmakers turn to voters and ask 'Are you sure?' about something they settled a quarter-century ago. Amendment 1 would turn back the clock and make all school board elections partisan, reversing a decision by voters in 1998, when they voted to make school board elections nonpartisan."
• South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board: "Save our schools: Floridians voted to make school board elections nonpartisan in 1998. Going back to the bad old days would disenfranchise millions of voters, make school board races more expensive, increase the power of special interests and further polarize our politics."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Florida ballot measures

If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this measure, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Polls

See also: 2024 ballot measure polls

Are you aware of a poll on this ballot measure that should be included below? You can share ballot measure polls, along with source links, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Florida Amendment 1, Partisan School Board Elections Amendment (2024)
Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided

Suffolk University Poll	8/7/2024-8/11/2024	500 LV	± 4.6%	33.20%	48.40%	18.40%
	Question: "Florida Amendment 1, the Partisan School Board Elections Amendment, is on the ballot this November. A YES vote supports making school board elections partisan beginning in the 2026 elections. A NO vote opposes making school board elections partisan and would keep current procedures where school board members are elected in a nonpartisan election. At this point, will you vote yes or no?"

Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Background

Florida school board members

See also: Florida school board and Party labels in Florida school board elections

School board members in Florida are elected by the voters of the county and serve four-year terms. Voters elect five or more members in a nonpartisan election. Each county makes up a school district unless two neighboring counties have voted to combine school districts.

The school board controls school property, establishes, organizes, and operates the schools of the district, including establishing schools, adopting enrollment plans, providing for school elimination and consolidation, cooperating with school boards of adjoining districts in maintaining schools, maintaining the school year schedule, and other more specific duties as outlined in Florida statutes.

There were 67 public school districts in Florida with a total of 358 school board member seats as of 2022. Those school districts operated a total of 4,200 schools serving 2,838,569 students.

Examples of how school board candidates appear on the ballot in Florida

Below are excerpts from a sample ballot that shows both school board members listed without any party affiliation label along with candidates for other types of offices that do have party affiliation displayed:

Excerpt from the Orange County November 8, 2022 sample ballot

School board partisanship

See also: Analysis of school district and board member characteristics, 2022 and Party labels in Florida school board elections

Information below is based on original research by Ballotpedia on the state laws and policies governing school board elections in all 50 states.

Across the country, there are 13,187 public school districts governed by a total of 83,183 school board members. They are elected directly by voters except for a small handful of exceptions who are appointed.

As of July 2025, over 85% of school boards are elected without any party labels on the ballot identifying the candidates' affiliation with a political party. State laws in five states containing 1,169 school districts (9%) provide for party labels on the ballot for school board elections. In five states containing 554 districts (4%), state laws effectively provide for both the option of including or not including party labels on the ballot for school board elections. In the remaining states with elected local school board members, state law provides for school board elections without the inclusion of party labels on the ballot.

Elections in which party labels are included on the ballot are referred to as partisan elections. Elections in which party labels are not included on the ballot are referred to as nonpartisan elections.

The state laws of 40 states containing 11,472 school districts provide for school board elections without party labels identifying the affiliation of candidates listed on the ballot (nonpartisan elections).

State laws of five states provide for school board elections with party labels identifying the affiliation of candidates listed on the ballot (partisan elections):

• Alabama
• Connecticut
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Pennyslvania

State laws of five states containing 554 school districts effectively provide both options depending on the district. The details and the number of districts that fall in each category vary among the states. Those five states are:

• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Florida Constitution

To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a 60 percent vote is required in both the Florida State Senate and the Florida House of Representatives.

The Florida State Senate gave final approval to House Joint Resolution 31, a constitutional amendment to make school board elections partisan. The Senate voted 29-11 in favor of the bill with all 28 Republican senators voting in favor and 11 of the 12 Democratic senators voting against. Sen. Linda Stewart (D-17) was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the bill. The Florida House of Representatives approved HJR 31 on March 31 by a vote of 79-34 along partisan lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed. There was one vacancy in the House at the time of the vote.

Vote in the Florida House of Representatives March 31, 2023
Requirement: Three-fifths (60 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 72  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	79	34	6
Total percent	66.38%	28.57%	5.04%
Democrat	0	34	1
Republican	79	0	5

Vote in the Florida State Senate April 19, 2023
Requirement: Three-fifths (60 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 24  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	29	11	0
Total percent	72.50%	27.50%	0.00%
Democrat	1	11	0
Republican	28	0	0

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Florida

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Florida.

How to vote in Florida

Poll times

In Florida, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Florida is divided between the Eastern and Central time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Florida, one must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and a legal resident of Florida and the county in which he or she intends to vote. Pre-registration is available beginning at 16 years of age.

Voters may retrieve registration applications at the following locations:

• Local elections offices
• Public assistance agencies
• Disability services agencies
• Independent living centers
• Military recruitment offices
• Public libraries
• Drivers license office
• Tax collector's office
• The office of any entity authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to issue fishing, hunting, or trapping permits

A registration form is also available online. The form can be printed and submitted via mail.

Click here to find your county Supervisor of Elections.

Automatic registration

Florida does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Florida has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Voters may also apply for or modify their voter registration status while renewing their driver's license through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ online renewal system here.

Same-day registration

Florida does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Florida, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Florida does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "it is a 3rd degree felony to submit false information."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The page Voter Information Lookup, run by the Florida Department of State, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Florida requires voters to present photo identification with a signature while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2024. Click here for the Florida Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Florida driver’s license
• Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• United States passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military identification
• Student identification
• Retirement center identification
• Neighborhood association identification
• Public assistance identification
• Veteran health identification card issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• License to carry a concealed weapon or firearm issued pursuant to s. 790.06
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the federal government, the state, a county, or a municipality

A voter who presents an ID without a signature must show a second form of identification that includes the voter’s signature.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Elections and campaigns on the ballot

Florida

• Florida ballot measures
• Florida ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• House Joint Resolution 31 (2023)