Florida Amendment 3, Voter Approval of Casino Gambling Initiative (2018)

Elections in Florida, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
• Early voting: Oct. 27 - Nov. 3
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

Florida Amendment 3
Election date November 6, 2018
Topic Gambling
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens
List of Florida measuresFlorida Amendment 1Florida Amendment 2Florida Amendment 3Florida Amendment 4Florida Amendment 5Florida Amendment 6Florida Amendment 7Florida Amendment 9Florida Amendment 10Florida Amendment 11Florida Amendment 12Florida Amendment 13Submit

Florida Amendment 3, the Voter Approval of Casino Gambling Initiative, was on the ballot in Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this amendment to provide voters, through citizen-initiated ballot measures, with the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling in Florida.

A "no" vote opposed this amendment to provide voters, through citizen-initiated ballot measures, with the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling in Florida.

Supermajority requirement: A 60 percent supermajority vote was required for the approval of Amendment 3.

Election results

Florida Amendment 3
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		5,676,456	71.47%
No		2,266,516	28.53%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

Amendment design

The measure was designed to provide voters with the "exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling in the State of Florida." Amendment 3 made the citizen initiative process "the exclusive method of authorizing casino gambling," meaning the Florida State Legislature is not permitted to authorize casino gambling through statute or through referring a constitutional amendment to the ballot. In Florida, the number of signatures required for an initiative is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast in the preceding presidential election. Florida also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures equal to 8 percent of the district-wide vote in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts must be collected.

Under the measure, card games, casino games, and slot machines are considered casino gambling. Under the measure, pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, dog racing, or jai alai exhibitions is not considered to be casino gambling. The measure did not have any impact on the ability of Native American tribes to enter into compacts with the state concerning casino gambling on Native American tribal lands.

Status of casino gambling in Florida

As of 2018, card games, casino games, and slot machines were prohibited at non-tribal facilities in all but two counties in Florida. In 2004, voters passed an initiative, Amendment 4, to allow voters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to authorize slot machines at parimutuel facilities, such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and jai alai exhibititions, that existed and were licensed during the two years prior. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), negotiated a Class III gaming compact with Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in 2010. The compact allowed the Seminole Tribe to operate blackjack at five facilities through 2015 and required the tribe to share revenue with the state. In 2015, Gov. Rick Scott (R) formed a new 20-year compact with the Seminole Tribe, which added craps and roulette to the agreement and gave the tribe the exclusive right to blackjack.

Campaigns for and against Amendment 3

There was one ballot measure committee, Voters in Charge, registered in support of the measure. The committee had raised $46.15 million and expended $46.03 million. The top three contributors were Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. ($20.56 million), the Seminole Tribe of Florida ($24.35 million), and No Casinos Inc ($851,009).

Vote No on 3 PAC was registered to oppose the measure. The committee had raised $1.77 million and had spent $1.70 million. The top three contributors gave 99.95 percent of the donations to the committee. West Flagler Associates, LTD gave $1.63 million in cash and Hialeah Park gave $81,832 in in-kind services. The Public Education Defense Fund gave $62,160. West Flagler Associates, LTD owns and operates Magic City Casino and operates Flagler Greyhound Track, a dog and horse racing facility. Hialeah Park is a racing and casino gaming facility.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

Voter Control of Gambling in Florida

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary was as follows:

“

This amendment ensures that Florida voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling by requiring that in order for casino gambling to be authorized under Florida law, it must be approved by Florida voters pursuant to Article XI, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution. Affects articles X and XI. Defines casino gambling and clarifies that this amendment does not conflict with federal law regarding state/tribal compacts.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article X, Florida Constitution

The measure added a Section 29 to Article X of the Florida Constitution. The following text was added:

Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.

Voter Control of Gambling in Florida.

(a) This amendment ensures that Florida voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling in the State of Florida. This amendment requires a vote by citizens’ initiative pursuant to Article XI, section 3, in order for casino gambling to be authorized under Florida law. This section amends this Article; and also affects Article XI, by making citizens’ initiatives the exclusive method of authorizing casino gambling.

(b) As used in this section, “casino gambling” means any of the types of games typically found in casinos and that are within the definition of Class III gaming in the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq. (“IGRA”), and in 25 C.F.R. §502.4, upon adoption of this amendment, and any that are added to such definition of Class III gaming in the future. This includes, but is not limited to, any house banking game, including but not limited to card games such as baccarat, chemin de fer, blackjack (21), and pai gow (if played as house banking games); any player-banked game that simulates a house banking game, such as California black jack; casino games such as roulette, craps, and keno; any slot machines as defined in 15 U.S.C. 1171(a)(1); and any other game not authorized by Article X, section 15, whether or not defined as a slot machine, in which outcomes are determined by random number generator or are similarly assigned randomly, such as instant or historical racing. As used herein, “casino gambling” includes any electronic gambling devices, simulated gambling devices, video lottery devices, internet sweepstakes devices, and any other form of electronic or electromechanical facsimiles of any game of chance, slot machine, or casino-style game, regardless of how such devices are defined under IGRA. As used herein, “casino gambling” does not include pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, dog racing, or jai alai exhibitions. For purposes of this section, “gambling” and “gaming” are synonymous.

(c) Nothing herein shall be deemed to limit the right of the Legislature to exercise its authority through general law to restrict, regulate, or tax any gaming or gambling activities. In addition, nothing herein shall be construed to limit the ability of the state or Native American tribes to negotiate gaming compacts pursuant to the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act for the conduct of casino gambling on tribal lands, or to affect any existing gambling on tribal lands pursuant to compacts executed by the state and Native American tribes pursuant to IGRA.

(d) This section is effective upon approval by the voters, is self-executing, and no Legislative implementation is required.

(e) If any part of this section is held invalid for any reason, the remaining portion or portions shall be severed from the invalid portion and given the fullest possible force and effect.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018

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 initiative proponents wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 17, and the FRE is -9. The word count for the ballot title is 9, and the estimated reading time is 2 seconds. The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 24, and the FRE is 13. The word count for the ballot summary is 103, and the estimated reading time is 27 seconds. In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here.

Support

Voters In Charge led the campaign in support of the initiative.

Supporters

• Disney Worldwide Services, Inc.
• Seminole Tribe of Florida
• League of Women Voters of Florida
• Florida Chamber of Commerce
• Florida Restaurant and Lodging Assocation
• No Casinos Inc.
• Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida
• Florida Family Policy Council

Arguments

• The League of Women Voters of Florida argued, "[Amendment 3] restricts casino gambling and allows Florida voters to make any decisions regarding increases of casino gambling, consistent with League position against gambling."

• Voters In Charge chairman John Sowinski argued, "People will agree or disagree about casino gambling. But regardless of your position, given the stakes involved and the money that the gambling industry puts into campaigns and lobbying, the people of Florida should have the final say on whether or not to legalize casino-style gambling. Our state’s history shows that without this bright line, gambling will continue to spread through big money lobbying and clever lawyering. If the courts fail to do so, our amendment will put Florida voters back in charge of making such decisions."

• Voters In Charge argued, "Amendment 3 ensures that Florida voters, not Tallahassee politicians, control decisions about casino gambling in our state. For decades, approval of casino gambling was strictly left for Florida voters to decide. Only in the last few years have Tallahassee politicians decided they can legalize casinos without voter approval. Amendment 3 restores the system of requiring approval of casino gambling by Florida voters. Amendment 3 takes power from gambling lobbyists and gives it to Florida voters. Gambling interests don’t like that, so they are falsely attacking Amendment 3, saying it will hurt education. It won’t. All it does is give voters a say on any proposal that would expand gambling."

• Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said, "Keep in mind, Florida is creating one out of 11 new jobs in America. We don’t need the casino industry; it needs Florida. [...]vThe widespread introduction of Las Vegas-style casinos in Florida brings dubious benefits and potentially serious consequences for our state. Any decision to go in this direction should be made with due diligence, much caution and voter input."

Campaign advertisements

The following videos were released by Voters In Charge:

Title: "Read it"

Title: "Florida Amendment 3, Vote YES on 3"

Title: "Put Voters in Charge & Politicians Back to Work"

Title: "Vote YES on Amendment 3"

Opposition

• Vote No on 3 - Choose Me Not 3 and Don't Lose Your Control led the campaign in opposition to Amendment 3.

Opponents

• Sen. Bill Galvano (R-21)
• West Flagler Associates, LTD
• Hialeah Park
• American Legion of Florida
• Republican Party of Palm Beach County
• Libertarian Party of Florida
• Tampa Bay Young Republicans

Arguments

• Sen. Bill Galvano (R-21) stated, "It’s game over for the Legislature if that (constitutional) amendment gets on the ballot and passes. And at that point, we’ll just be spectators in the world of gaming, which will essentially be a monopoly for the Seminole Tribe."

• The American Legion of Florida said, "Vote no on Amendment 3. It is not in the interest of Florida but in the interest of the Seminoles and Disney!! The November election isn’t just about electing officials. It’s also about survival of every Legion, VFW, DAV and 501-3C in Florida! Your raffles, pull tabs, will be possibly be eliminated if this Amendment passes."

• Izzy Havenick, whose family owns dog racing tracks in Naples and Miami, said, "I think it will have a huge impact on our industry, because as opposed to the Legislature regulating us, we’ll need 60 percent of the residents of Florida to regulate us in the future. And, as the most regulated business in the state, that just makes anything we want to do to grow our business in the future more difficult."

• Donna Blevins, the state director for the Poker Alliance, said, "There is no bigger 'tell' about Amendment 3 than the decision by the Seminole Tribe and the Walt Disney Co. to dump tens of millions of dollars into supporting it. [...] I oppose it because Amendment 3 fundamentally changes the way our state makes important decisions about gaming. It removes our elected officials from the process of shaping public policy. It denies local voters the ability to approve casino gambling in their areas of the state. It eliminates the ability for voter-approved casinos in South Florida to offer new products. It forecloses on the opportunity for Florida to legalize sports betting and expand poker, in any form."

Campaign advertisements

The following videos were released by Choose Me Not 3 and No on Amendment 3 Don't Lose Your Control, Inc.:

Title: "Amendment 3 is ANTI-SCHOOLS and ANTI-FLORIDA"

Title: "Vote NO on Amendment 3, Don't Lose Your Control - 30 Sec Ad"

Title: "Vote NO on Amendment 3, Don't Lose Your Control - 5 Sec Ad"

Title: "Vote NO on Amendment 3, Don't Lose Your Control 15 Sec Ad"

Media editorials

See also: 2018 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

• The Herald-Tribune said: "The proposal seeks, in essence, to re-establish and codify the role of voters in the approval and expansion of gambling — long a hot topic in Florida. In recent decades, the Legislature and governor have asserted more influence over casino gambling. This amendment is intended, in part, to reverse that trend. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which operates casinos and offers various forms of gambling, and Disney, which has opposed expansion of gaming, have contributed heavily — in their self-interest — to the committee behind this initiative. Those contributions are enough to give voters pause but not enough to warrant opposition; after all, the tribe and Disney approach the issue from opposite sides. Preserving voter control of gambling is important. We recommend voting YES, for Amendment 3.
• The Florida Times-Union said: "After study and interviews, we are inclined to support the amendment for three reasons: (1) We’re not confident in the Legislature’s ability to tackle this issue, especially given all the money being thrown at it from all sides. (2) Both the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters support it, a rarity. (3) The proposal isn’t automatically anti-gambling or anti-casino. Between 1978 and 2004, voters approved two gambling initiatives and turned down three.
• The Daily Commercial said, "YES. This amendment ensures that only voters – not the Legislature – can decide if Florida should have gambling. Preserving voter control of gambling is important. It also important to protect the Florida brand, and as we have seen in other states that have legalized widespread casino gambling, it rarely leads to the positive things that are promised up front."
• The Independent Florida Alligator said, "Vote YES - Amendment 3 would grant voters sole discretion to authorize expansions of casino gambling in Florida. The proposal would empower corporations with the resources to gather lots of signatures on petitions. Although it allows for a monopoly of the industry, it would eliminate the incentive casino owners would have to contribute to political candidates."
• Orlando Sentinel said, "But the Legislature has made a complete, confusing hash of gambling policy in Florida. And gambling interests have vast sums of money to influence individual legislators. This at least would place such a consequential decision in the hands of voters, which is why we recommend voting yes on Amendment 3."
• The Miami Herald said, "In effect, this would prevent the Legislature from passing laws to expand gambling or put an amendment on the ballot to do so, putting the power of bringing more casino gambling on residents."

Opposition

• The Sun-Sentinel said: "We recommend NO. Entitled “voter control of gambling,” this is an initiative bankrolled by Disney and the Seminole Tribe of Florida that would require any extension of casino gambling to be approved by voters statewide. This amendment would protect the Tribe’s near-monopoly on casino-type games in Florida. It would prevent South Florida racinos from consolidating licenses to create a destination casino, as proposed two years ago. It would prohibit slot machines in eight counties — Palm Beach, Lee, Brevard, Duval, Gadsden, Hamilton, St. Lucie and Washington — whose voters have approved local referendums to allow slots. It would eliminate the industry’s incentive to contribute to political candidates, but that would be done better by a straightforward amendment barring campaign money from any regulated industry."

• The News-Press said: "No on Amendment 3: This amendment is literally a gamble. A "yes" vote means the voters decide who gets a a new gaming facility in Florida, not the Legislature. On the surface that seems like a great idea, allowing voters to decide who gets new gambling establishments in their communities. But it's complicated. In order to get a new casino, complete with card games, casino games and slot machines, a business would need to get hundreds of thousands of signatures to get it on the ballot and then hope for voter approval. This would make it more difficult for any parimutuel facility, like the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Racing and Poker facility, or horse track wishing to expand its gaming, to do so. This amendment would not keep the Bonita track from getting slot machines based on a referendum approved by voters in 2012. That issue remains tied up in the courts."

• The Tampa Bay Times said: "While it would be good to make it harder to expand gambling in Florida, this amendment is unfair. It would allow casino gambling in Florida only if voters — and only voters — proposed a constitutional amendment, which would then, of course, have to pass. That cuts out the other two means of placing amendments on the ballot, through the Legislature or the Constitution Revision Commission. On Amendment 3, the Tampa Bay Times recommends voting No."

• The Naples Daily News said: "Two important principles we embrace seemingly come into conflict in this amendment: home rule and the right of residents to decide their destiny by voting. A deeper look at the amendment, however, shows the tenets of home rule and voters’ rights are in alignment, so we urge a “no” vote on this amendment heavily lobbied by Disney and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Disney certainly has reasons to want to rein in where visitors’ entertainment dollars will go, and the tribe that operates a half-dozen Florida casinos, including one in Immokalee, has reasons to want to limit competition. To us, home rule means it’s a local decision. Where this amendment fails is that it doesn’t give local control over whether there are casinos to local voters."

• The Tallahassee Democrat said: "Amendment 3 purports to put citizens in charge of any expansion of gambling, but it’s mainly a sop to Disney, which opposes all casino gambling, and the Seminole Tribe, which doesn’t want any competition for its gambling operations."

• Your Observer said: "While this measure sounds like it will limit government power, which it will, and increase individual freedom (the freedom to approve casinos), in reality, it will restrict Floridians’ access and freedom to gamble. Follow the money. We recommend: Vote no."

• The Treasure Coast Newspapers said: "On the surface, Amendment 3 empowers voters. But because the amendment would be statewide, voters in one part of the state would decide whether a gaming facility could open somewhere else. This would benefit larger companies that have the resources to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures needed for a referendum."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Florida ballot measures

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$46,151,662.59
Opposition:	$1,769,842.00

There was one ballot measure committee, Voters in Charge, registered in support of the measure. The committee had raised $46.15 million and expended $46.03 million. The top three contributors were Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. ($20.56 million), the Seminole Tribe of Florida ($24.35 million), and No Casinos Inc ($851,009).

Vote No on 3 PAC was registered to oppose the measure. The committee had raised $1.77 million and had spent $1.70 million. The top three contributors gave 99.95 percent of the donations to the committee. West Flagler Associates, LTD gave $1.63 million in cash and Hialeah Park gave $81,832 in in-kind services. The Public Education Defense Fund gave $62,160. West Flagler Associates, LTD owns and operates Magic City Casino and operates Flagler Greyhound Track, a dog and horse racing facility. Hialeah Park is a racing and casino gaming facility.

Support

Committees in support of Amendment 3 Supporting committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures Voters in Charge $45,018,930.00 $1,132,732.59 $44,897,984.18 Total $45,018,930.00 $1,132,732.59 $44,687,251.13

Totals in support Total raised: $44,897,984.18 Total spent: $46,030,716.77

Donors

The following were the top three donors, which contributed 99.13 percent of the contributions to the support committee:

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
Seminole Tribe of Florida	$24,345,000.00	$0.00	$24,345,000.00
Disney Worldwide Services, Inc.	$20,555,000.00	$0.00	$20,555,000.00
No Casinos Inc.	$81,000.00	$770,008.46	$851,008.46

Opposition

Committees in opposition to Amendment 3 Opposing committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures Vote No on 3 PAC $1,687,160.00 $82,682.00 $1,616,475.56 Total $1,687,160.00 $82,682.00 $1,616,475.56

Totals in opposition Total raised: $1,769,842.00 Total spent: $1,699,157.56

Donors

The following were the top three donors contributed 100 percent of the contributions to the opposition committee:

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
West Flagler Associates, LTD	$1,500,000.00	$0.00	$1,500,000.00
Hialeah Park	$0.00	$81,832.00	$81,832.00
Public Education Defense Fund	$62,160.00	$.00	$62,160.00

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

See also: 2018 ballot measure polls

The following poll was conducted by Hill Research Consultants during January 2018 to gauge voter support and opposition toward Amendment 3.

Florida Amendment 3 (2018)
Poll	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Hill Research Consultants 1/24/2018 - 1/28/2018	76.0%	19.0%	5.0%	+/-2.9	1,235
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

The following poll was conducted by Cherry Communications and commissioned by the Florida Chamber of Commerce to gauge voter support and opposition toward the amendments on Florida's 2018 ballot. A total of 605 likely voters were polled, including 237 Republicans, 249 Democrats, and 119 others.

Support and Opposition for Amendment 3
Poll	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Florida Chamber of Commerce Poll 5/25/18 - 6/2/18	61%	23%	15%	+/-4.0	605
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Background

Gambling in Florida

Prior to 1931, gambling was outlawed in Florida. The Florida State Legislature passed a law to allow wagering on horseracing and dogracing, which Gov. Doyle Carlton (D) vetoed. Legislators voted to override the governor's veto, enacting the law on June 5, 1931. In 1935, the state legalized slot machines, but then repealed the law in 1937 following voters banning slot machines through ballot measures in multiple counties.

In 1987, the state launched the Florida State Lottery after voters approved an amendment the previous year. The vote was 63.57 percent to 36.43 percent.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida began operating a bingo hall in 1979. In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), allowing tribes to establish casino gambling on tribal land. The act permitted states to form compacts with tribes to regulate Class III gaming, but not to regulate Class I and Class II gaming. Class I and Class II gaming were defined to include traditional tribal gaming with minimal prizes, bingo, and card games. Class III was defined to include all other games not considered Class I or Class II, such as roulette, craps, keno, slot machines, parimutual wagering, and lotteries. In 1991, the Seminole Tribe sued Gov. Lawton Chiles (D), arguing that the state government failed to negotiate in good faith a compact to allow the tribe to establish a Class III gaming. The case was brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in the state's favor, in 1996. In 2010, the Seminole Tribe negotiated a Class III gaming compact with Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. The compact allowed the Seminole Tribe to operate blackjack at five facilities through 2015 and required the tribe to share revenue with the state. In 2015, Gov. Rick Scott (R) formed a new 20-year compact with the Seminole Tribe, which added craps and roulette to the agreement and gave the tribe the exclusive right to blackjack.

Initiatives

Voting on Gambling
Ballot Measures
By state
By year
Not on ballot
Local Measures

In 1978, an initiative, featured as Amendment 9, was on the ballot to authorize private casinos along the oceanfront in Dade and Broward counties. Voters rejected the measure, with 28.55 percent in favor and 71.45 percent opposed. The Let’s Help Florida Committee, which received funds from hotel companies, sponsored the ballot initiative. No Casinos, Inc., which provided funds to the campaign supporting the Voter Approval of Casino Gambling Initiative, was active in opposing Amendment 9 in 1978. Gov. Reuben Askew, a Democrat, founded the organization and opposed Amendment 9.

In 1986, Floridians addressed a second initiative, Amendment 2, to authorize casinos in counties where voters approved initiatives to allow casino gambling. Voters rejected the initiative, with 31.65 percent voting "yes" and 68.35 percent voting "no." Democratic Gov. Bob Graham opposed the initiative.

The status of casino gambling was featured on the ballot again in 1994. Voters rejected the initiative, Amendment 8, with 38.71 voting "yes" and 61.29 percent voting "no."

On November 2, 2004, 50.83 percent of statewide voters supported an initiative, Amendment 4, to allow voters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to authorize slot machines at parimutuel facilities, such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and jai alai exhibititions, that existed and were licensed during the two years prior. On May 18, 2017, the Florida Supreme Court struck down a local law allowing slot machines in Gadsden County, concluding that the state constitution only allowed slot machines in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Florida

In Florida, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast in the preceding presidential election. Florida also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures equal to 8 percent of the district-wide vote in at least half (14) of the state's 27 congressional districts must be collected. Signatures are valid for two years and must be submitted before the verification deadline on Feb. 1 of the year that proponents want the initiative on the ballot.

The requirements to get an initiative certified for the ballot in 2018:

• Signatures: 766,200 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was February 1, 2018. As local officials had 30 days to check signatures, proponents had to file signatures at least 30 days before the deadline on February 1, 2018.

The Voter Approval of Casino Gambling Initiative was filed in October 2015. The initiative was sent to the Florida Supreme Court on May 6, 2016, and the court determined the initiative met the state's single-subject rule on April 20, 2017. Justices Ricky Polston and Fred Lewis dissented.

On December 6, 2017, the committee Voters in Charge reported collecting more than 1 million unverified signatures. On of January 17, 2018, the Florida Division of Elections reported that 817,766 signatures had been validated in 14 of the state's 27 congressional districts, which meant the initiative qualified for the ballot as Amendment 3. Secretary of State Ken Detzner released a statement saying his office "issued a certificate of ballot position (Amendment #3) for the Voter Control of Gambling in Florida constitutional amendment proposed by initiative petition for the 2018 election."

Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired National Voter Outreach, Inc. to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $5,282,534.31 was spent to collect the 766,200 valid signatures required to put this measure before voters, resulting in a total cost per required signature (CPRS) of $6.89. Sponsors spent $108,385.79 (2.05 percent) of the total cost on verifying petitions.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting 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 requirements

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

2018 measures

• 2018 ballot measures
• Gambling on the ballot
• Direct democracy measures on the ballot

Florida

• Florida ballot measures
• Florida ballot measure laws

News and analysis

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

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Florida heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Florida.
• Republicans held 16 of 27 U.S. House seats in Florida.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Republicans held six out of nine state executive positions. The other three positions were held by nonpartisan officials.
• The governor of Florida was Republican Rick Scott. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled both chambers of the Florida State Legislature. They had a 22-16 majority in the state Senate and a 75-41 majority in the state House.

Trifecta status

• Florida was under Republican trifecta control since the governor was a Republican and both chambers of the Florida State Legislature were under Republican control.

2018 elections

See also: Florida elections, 2018

Florida held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One U.S. Senate seat
• 27 U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• Three other state executive offices
• 20 out of 40 state Senate seats
• 120 state House seats
• Four of seven state Supreme Court seats
• Municipal elections in Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, and Pinellas counties and the city of Jacksonville

Demographics

Demographic data for Florida
	Florida	U.S.
Total population:	20,244,914	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	53,625	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	76%	73.6%
Black/African American:	16.1%	12.6%
Asian:	2.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.4%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	23.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.3%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$47,507	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Florida. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Florida's three largest cities were Jacksonville (pop. est. 860,000), Miami (pop. est. 430,000), and Tampa (pop. est. 360,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Florida from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Florida Department of State.

Historical elections

Presidential elections

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Florida every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Florida 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	49.0%	Hillary Clinton	47.8%	1.2%
2012	Barack Obama	50.0%	Mitt Romney	49.1%	0.9%
2008	Barack Obama	51.0%	John McCain	48.2%	2.8%
2004	George W. Bush	52.10%	John Kerry	47.09%	5.01%
2000	George W. Bush	48.847%	Al Gore	48.838%	0.009%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Florida from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Florida 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Marco Rubio	52.0%	Patrick Murphy	44.3%	7.7%
2012	Bill Nelson	55.2%	Connie Mack	42.2%	13.0%
2010	Marco Rubio	48.9%	Charlie Crist	29.7%	19.2%
2006	Bill Nelson	60.3%	Katherine Harris	38.1%	22.2%
2004	Mel Martinez	49.4%	Betty Castor	48.3%	1.1%
2000	Bill Nelson	51.0%	Bill McCollum	46.2%	4.8%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Florida.

Election results (Governor/Lt. Governor), Florida 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Rick Scott/Carlos Lopez-Cantera	48.1%	Charlie Crist/Annette Taddeo-Goldstein	47.1%	1%
2010	Rick Scott/Jennifer Carroll	48.9%	Alex Sink/Rod Smith	47.7%	1.2%
2006	Charlie Crist/Jeff Kottkamp	52.2%	Jim Davis/Daryl Jones	45.1%	7.1%
2002	Jeb Bush/Frank Brogan	56.0%	Bill McBride/Tom Rossin	43.2%	12.8%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Florida in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Florida 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	17	62.9%	10	37.0%	R+7
2014	17	62.9%	10	37.0%	R+7
2012	17	62.9%	10	37.0%	R+7
2010	19	76.0%	6	24.0%	R+13
2008	15	60.0%	10	40.0%	R+5
2006	16	64.0%	9	36.0%	R+7
2004	18	66.7%	7	33.3%	R+11
2002	17	66.7%	8	33.3%	R+9
2000	15	57.9%	8	42.1%	R+7

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Florida Party Control: 1992-2024
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	I	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
Senate	D	S	S	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

External links

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Support

• Voters In Charge/Yes on 3 website
• Voters In Charge/Yes on 3 Facebook
• Voters In Charge/Yes on 3 Twitter

Opposition

• Choose Me Not 3 and Don't Lose Your Control websites
• Choose Me Not 3 and Don't Lose Your Control Facebook pages
• Choose Me Not 3 and Don't Lose Your Control Twitter pages
• Don't Lose Your Control YouTube