Florida Amendment 3, County Home Rule Amendment (1952)

Florida Amendment 3
Election date November 4, 1952
Topic Local government organization
Status Defeated
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Florida Amendment 3 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Florida on November 4, 1952. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote supported allowing for county home rule.

A “no” vote opposed allowing for county home rule.

Election results

Florida Amendment 3
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		175,117	42.94%
No		232,741	57.06%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 3 was as follows:

“

No. 3 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 1 Proposing an amendment to Article VIII, Section 1 relating to counties as political subdivisions of state and providing that the Legislature shall have the power to grant to any county a charter under which it may regulate and govern itself in respect to its local and internal affairs not directly related to any state function or responsibility as established by the Legislature, and under which may be designated and regulated the duties, jurisdiction, classes, terms and compensation of all county officials except judges of courts created by the Constitution and the members of the county boards of public instruction.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

Section 1. Counties as Political Subdivisions of State. The state shall be divided into political subdivisions to be called counties. The legislature shall have the power to grant to any county a charter under which it may regulate and govern itself in respect to its local and internal affairs not directly related to any state function or responsibility as established by the Legislature. Such charter shall become effective upon its ratification by a majority of the qualified electors of the county at a special election duly called for that purpose by the board of county commissioners or at any primary or general election. The Legislature may provide, by general or special law, the manner in which any county may form its own charter. Any county charter may designate the name of the county, regulate the powers, duties and jurisdiction of all county officers, and designate their classes, terms and jurisdiction, and provide the manner of their selection and compensation; provided, however, that no such charter shall impair the powers and jurisdiction of any court created by the Constitution or the judge or judges thereof, or the County Board of Public Instruction. No county charter shall affect the levy, imposition or collection of any taxes prescribed by general law for state purposes. The Legislature may authorize the adoption of charters by the several counties at a primary, general or special election, which charters may be altered or amended only by the method by which they were adopted, notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Florida Constitution

A 60% vote was required during one legislative session for the Florida State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounted to a minimum of 51 votes in the Florida House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Florida State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments did not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. Amendments on the ballot required a simple majority vote in this year.

See also

1952 Measures

• 1952 Measures
• Local government organization on the ballot
• 1952 legislative sessions

Florida

• Florida ballot measures
• Florida ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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

External links

• Florida Constitution Revision Commission, "Florida's Constitutions: The Documentary History"
• Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "SAMPLE BALLOT GENERAL ELECTION," November 4, 1952