Florida Amendment 8, County Superintendents of Public Instruction Amendment (1956)

Florida Amendment 8
Election date November 6, 1956
Topic Local government organization
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Florida Amendment 8 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Florida on November 6, 1956. It was approved.

A “yes” vote supported allowing for the appointment of County Superintendents of Public Instruction in Duval, Sarasota, Dade, and Pinellas Counties.

A “no” vote opposed allowing for the appointment of County Superintendents of Public Instruction in Duval, Sarasota, Dade, and Pinellas Counties.

Election results

Florida Amendment 8
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		282,295	69.67%
No		122,897	30.33%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 8 was as follows:

“

No. 8 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XII A proposed Amendment to Article XII of the State Constitution by adding a new Section authorizing the appointment of County Superintendent in Duval, Sarasota, Dade and Pinellas Counties; subject to referendum or special act of the Legislature and providing for method of reinstatement of County Superintendent.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

Section __. (1) From and after January 1, 1957, the county superintendent of public instruction shall be appointed by the County board of public instruction in the counties of Duval, Sarasota, Dade and Pinellas wherein the proposition is affirmed by a majority vote of the qualified electors of any such county, or by a special act of the legislature making the office of County Superintendent of public instruction appointive. (2) To submit the proposition contained in subsection (1) above to the electors a special election shall be called by the county commissioners of such county upon the request of the county board of public instruction therein, which election shall be held within sixty (60) days after request and the result thereof shall determine whether subsection (1) shall be effective in such county. (3) Any county adopting the provisions of subsection (1) hereof may after four (4) years return to its former status and reject the provisions of this section by the same procedure outlined in subsection (2) hereof for adopting the provisions thereof in the beginning, or by a special act of the legislature.

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

1956 Measures

• 1956 Measures
• Local government organization on the ballot
• 1956 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"
• St. Petersburg Times, "SAMPLE BALLOT GENERAL ELECTION," November 6, 1956