What Georgia voters need to know about 3 constitutional amendments on the November ballot

Georgians voting in the midterm elections will have three amendments to decide Yes or No on, which will determine if any are added to the Georgia Constitution.

Here are the three amendments and what they will actually do if passed:

Amendment 1

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia,for the purpose of protecting family farmland, be amended so as to increase the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation as a bona fide conservation use property from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres?”

Amendment 1 relates to the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment, a tax relief program for farmers. If approved, the amendment would expand the program to increase the eligible acreage from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres of farmland. 

The program allows for farmers to be taxed based on the land’s productivity rather than the fair market value of the land, which could be much higher.

Supporters of the amendment argue that it will help family farms while critics argue that it will only benefit large, industrial farms.

According to the Georgia Farm Bureau, the average farm in Georgia was 235 acres in 2022. However, some family farms in Georgia have more than 2,000 acres of land.

Amendment 2

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to require that all probate court judges be elected in nonpartisan elections?”

Although most judicial roles in Georgia are nonpartisan, 53 of the state’s 159 county probate judges are partisan positions. If enough people vote Yes on this amendment, it would make all county probate judge races nonpartisan.

Supporters of the amendment say that removing partisan labels will increase confidence in the judicial system while critics say the move will take information away from voters and make it harder to make a decision at the polls.

Amendment 3

“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate certain existing revenues, including revenues allocated by law, to a nonlapsing fund to be used exclusively for the expansion, maintenance, and operation of emergency 9-1-1 systems in this state?”

The amendment, known as the Next Generation 911 Amendment, would allow lawmakers to use the $1.50 monthly 911 fee that Georgians already pay on their cell phone bills toward a special fund. 

The fund would be designated to help the state transition to Next Generation 911, an internet-based emergency communications system that supports voice, text, images and video streaming during an emergency.

Critics of the amendment have expressed concern that the funds could be used for other law enforcement purposes.

Early voting has already begun, and it will end Friday, Oct. 30. After that, voters must cast their ballots on Election Day on Nov. 3. Absentee ballot applications are due Oct. 23.