Florida Amendment 2, $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (2020)

Florida Amendment 2
Election date November 3, 2020
Topic Minimum wage
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens
List of Florida measuresAmendment 1Amendment 2Amendment 3Amendment 4Amendment 5Amendment 6Submit

Florida Amendment 2, the $15 Minimum Wage Initiative, was on the ballot in Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported the initiative to increase the state's minimum wage incrementally until reaching $15 per hour in September 2026.

A "no" vote opposed the initiative to increase the state's minimum wage incrementally until reaching $15 in September 2026, thereby keeping the existing minimum wage of $8.56 per hour as of 2020 and adjusted annually.

Supermajority requirement: A 60 percent supermajority vote was required for the approval of Amendment 2.

Aftermath

Republican Senator Jeff Brandes introduced Senate Joint Resolution 854 on January 27, 2021, which was designed to amend the constitution to reduce the minimum wage for prisoners, employees with felony convictions, and for employees under age 21. To become a part of the constitution, the resolution would need to be passed by both houses of the Florida State Legislature and be approved by voters at the 2022 general election. Republicans have a 78-42 majority in the Florida House of Representatives and a 24-16 majority in the Florida State Senate.

Election results

Florida Amendment 2
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		6,391,753	60.82%
No		4,117,815	39.18%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Reactions

The following is a list of reactions to the approval of Amendment 2:

• U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted, "Florida passed a $15 minimum wage; Montana, South Dakota, Arizona & New Jersey legalized marijuana; Colorado passed 12 weeks of paid family leave; Arizona increased taxes on the rich to fund education... All over America, voters approved a progressive agenda. Now, Congress must act."

• Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, said, "Given the devastating impacts Covid-19 has already had on Florida's economy, we are extremely worried about the job losses and business closures that will accompany this mandate. We have seen too many places across the country that have implemented this wage hike, only to see workers who were promised more money instead lose their jobs altogether."

• The Palm Beach Post wrote, "Something significant happened on the way to the polls on Election Day in Florida: Voters decided that they are in favor of paying people a living wage. ... And as tempted as state Republican leaders will be to once again thwart the will of the voters, they should abstain."

• Veronica Menin and Diego Tosoni, owners of Love Life Cafe, said, "Raising the minimum wage will also increase consumer spending — and that helps our business and the businesses around us. Increasing the buying power of local customers by increasing their wages is a win-win for everyone. By voting for amendment No. 2, Floridians said yes to living wages and widely shared economic recovery. Florida will come out of this pandemic with a stronger minimum wage and a healthier foundation for progress."

• Fight for $15 activist Terrence Wise said, "If we can get it in the Deep South, you know, down there in Florida, it's bringing all workers closer to $15 an hour minimum wage on a national level."

Overview

How did Amendment 2 change the minimum wage in Florida?

See also: Ballot language and constitutional changes

Amendment 2 was designed to increase the state minimum wage from $8.56 in 2020 to $15.00 in 2026. Under Amendment 2, the state minimum wage was set to increase each year as follows:

• $10.00 on September 30, 2021;
• $11.00 on September 30, 2022;
• $12.00 on September 30, 2023;
• $13.00 on September 30, 2024;
• $14.00 on September 30, 2025; and
• $15.00 on September 30, 2026.

The measure requires an annual adjustment to the state minimum wage based on increases to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) beginning on September 30, 2027.

What is the history of minimum wage ballot measures in Florida?

See also: Background

Florida last voted on a minimum wage ballot measure in 2004. Florida Amendment 5 of 2004, approved by a vote of 71% to 28%, provided for a $6.15 per hour minimum wage set to increase each year based on changes in the CPI-W.

From 1996 to 2018, there were 26 minimum wage increase measures on the ballot. Two of the measures, both in 1996, were defeated. The other 24 measures were approved. On average, the 24 approved measures received 60% of the vote.

As of 2020, seven states had passed bills providing for a $15 minimum wage to become effective incrementally. If Amendment 2 is approved, Florida would become the first state to increase the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour through a ballot measure. Amendment 2 would implement the highest minimum wage rate of any ballot measure as of 2020. The highest rate implemented through ballot measure before Amendment 2 was Washington Initiative 1433 of 2016, which raised the state's minimum wage from $9.47 to $13.50 by 2020.

Who was behind the campaigns surrounding the ballot measure?

See also: Campaign finance, Support, and Opposition

Florida For a Fair Wage led the campaign in support of Amendment 2. The committee reported $6.27 million in contributions and $6.26 million in expenditures. Florida For a Fair Wage wrote, "Florida needs to pass the Fair Wage Amendment to ensure that all hard-working Floridians can receive a living wage. The 'living wage' is the minimum cost that covers the basic needs of an individual and the needs of their family without government assistance." John Morgan, Amendment 2 sponsor and chair of Florida for a Fair Wage, said, "Years ago in the south they said the economy will not work if we don’t have slaves. They were so adamant about it they went to war over it. They fought each other to own people. What’s going on in America today is we’re paying people slave wages and I’m ready to go to war for that."

Ballotpedia identified one committee registered to oppose Amendment 2: Save Florida Jobs, Inc. The committee reported $698,166 in contributions and $724,538 in expenditures. The top donors were the National Restaurant Association and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association's CEO, Carol Dover, said, "An increase like this would have disastrous impacts on businesses and individuals alike. Business owners will be forced to find solutions to control costs... the most obvious solutions include reducing the number of employees, reducing the number of hours remaining employees work, and seeking labor alternatives like automation."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title was as follows:

“

Raising Florida’s Minimum Wage

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary was as follows:

“

Raises minimum wage to $10.00 per hour effective September 30th, 2021. Each September 30th thereafter, minimum wage shall increase by $1.00 per hour until the minimum wage reaches $15.00 per hour on September 30th, 2026. From that point forward, future minimum wage increases shall revert to being adjusted annually for inflation starting September 30th, 2027.

”

Fiscal impact statement

The fiscal impact statement for the amendment appeared on the ballot as follows:

“

State and local government costs will increase to comply with the new minimum wage levels. Additional annual wage costs will be approximately $16 million in 2022, increasing to about $540 million in 2027 and thereafter. Government actions to mitigate these costs are unlikely to produce material savings. Other government costs and revenue impacts, both positive and negative, are not quantifiable. THIS PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE A NET NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE STATE BUDGET. THIS IMPACT MAY RESULT IN HIGHER TAXES OR A LOSS OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED STATE BUDGET AS REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article X, Florida Constitution

The measure amended Section 24 of Article X of the Florida Constitution. The following underlined text was added and struck-through text was deleted:

(c) MINIMUM WAGE. Employers shall pay Employees Wages no less than the Minimum Wage for all hours worked in Florida. Six months after enactment, the Minimum Wage shall be established at an hourly rate of $6.15. Effective September 30th, 2021, the existing state Minimum Wage shall increase to $10.00 per hour, and then increase each September 30th thereafter by $1.00 per hour, until the Minimum Wage reaches $15.00 per hour on September 30th, 2026. On September 30th of 2027 that year and on each following September 30th, the state Agency for Workforce Innovation shall calculate an adjusted Minimum Wage rate by increasing the current Minimum Wage rate by the rate of inflation during the twelve months prior to each September 1st using the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, CPI-W, or a successor index as calculated by the United States Department of Labor. Each adjusted Minimum Wage rate calculated shall be published and take effect on the following January 1st. For tipped Employees meeting eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the FLSA, Employers may credit towards satisfaction of the Minimum Wage tips up to the amount of the allowable FLSA tip credit in 2003.

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020

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 13, and the FRE is 12. The word count for the ballot title is 4, and the estimated reading time is 1 second. The FKGL for the ballot summary is grade level 12, and the FRE is 42. The word count for the ballot summary is 49, and the estimated reading time is 13 seconds.

Support

Florida For A Fair Wage led the campaign in support of the initiative. John Morgan was chairperson of the campaign. Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage provided a list of businesses and business owners in favor of Amendment 2, which is available here.

Supporters

Political Parties

• Miami Dade Democratic Party

Unions

• SEIU Florida

Organizations

• Democracy for America
• Florida AFL-CIO
• Florida Business for a Fair Minimum Wage
• League of Women Voters of Florida
• Organize Florida

Individuals

• John Morgan - Florida For A Fair Wage chair

Arguments

• Florida For a Fair Wage: "Florida needs to pass the Fair Wage Amendment to ensure that all hard-working Floridians can receive a living wage. The 'living wage' is the minimum cost that covers the basic needs of an individual and the needs of their family without government assistance. Florida’s minimum wage of $8.46 – or $17,600 per year – for a full-time employee is not a livable wage for many of the 200,000 hard-working Floridians that earn it, especially those working to support a family."
• John Morgan: "Years ago in the south they said the economy will not work if we don’t have slaves. They were so adamant about it they went to war over it. They fought each other to own people. What’s going on in America today is we’re paying people slave wages and I’m ready to go to war for that." Morgan also said a higher wage is good for businesses because it increases individuals' spending power and that a higher wage would result in less dependence on public assistance.
• League of Women Voters of Florida: "The League supports secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all, and promotes social and economic justice for all Americans. Florida’s present minimum wage yields $17,800 a year for a full-time worker, which doesn’t come close to a living wage for a family of four."

Opposition

Save Florida Jobs, Inc. (Amendment 2 Hurts You) led the campaign in opposition to the initiative. The group provided a full list of endorsements that is available here.

Opponents

Political Parties

• Miami Dade Republican Party

Organizations

• Americans for Tax Reform
• Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida
• Associated Industries of Florida
• Florida Farm Bureau
• Florida Home Builders Association
• Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association

Arguments

• Carol Dover, the CEO and president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association: "The proposed ballot initiative to raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 an hour has a lot of feel-good appeal, but behind all the warm and fuzzies lie a plethora of unintended consequences. An increase like this would have disastrous impacts on businesses and individuals alike. Business owners will be forced to find solutions to control costs, and these solutions will have a direct impact on our state’s 1.4 million hospitality workers. The most obvious solutions include reducing the number of employees, reducing the number of hours remaining employees work and seeking labor alternatives like automation."
• Daniel Samess, CEO of the Greater Marathon Chamber of Commerce: "A lot of consumers may not understand the impact that this will have on their pockets and the industry. This is a trickle-down effect that starts with the business owner, then the employees and it gets passed on to the consumer."
• Amendment 2 Hurts You: "If we force local businesses to raise wages to $15 per hour, they will be forced to cut jobs, slash benefits, and reduce hours for the remaining workers. Amendment 2 results in less opportunity for young workers just getting their start or immigrant workers trying to build a new life here in Florida. Worse, Amendment 2 will cause prices to rise sharply, driving up the cost of living for middle-class families who already earn over $15 an hour and seniors on a fixed income. Finally, Amendment 2 is a bad solution for a big state like Florida."
• Skylar Zande, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida: "The best way to help workers is to grow the economy so businesses succeed, productivity increases, and employees are rewarded for those gains. Giving a few workers a raise while forcing others to work fewer hours or lose their jobs entirely is no way to achieve that."

Media editorials

See also: 2020 ballot measure media endorsements

Support

• Sun Sentinel Editorial Board: "Florida’s present minimum wage yields $17,800 a year for a full-time worker, which doesn’t come close to a living wage for a family of four. ... The heart of the issue, it seems to us, is less about economics than morality. It simply isn’t right that some people earn less than they need to live no matter how hard they work. Bear in mind that it’s often the lowest-paid people who are deemed essential in the face of the coronavirus."
• Miami Herald Editorial Board: "The people who change diapers in daycare centers and nursing homes; wash dishes at five-star resorts; and stock shelves at grocery stores already know what life is like on the poverty wages that so many Florida jobs pay. ... Amendment 2 would bring the minimum wage up to $15 by 2026. Vote YES on Amendment 2."
• Palm Beach Post Editorial Board: "Opponents say raising the wage would suffocate small businesses. That’s misleading. The wage would rise in stages: to $10 next Sept. 30, then by a dollar each year until reaching $15 an hour in 2026, then be adjusted according to inflation. During the pandemic, Americans deemed low-skill workers who stayed on the job as 'essential.' Simply saying 'thank you' rings hollow if we can’t ensure they earn a living wage."

Opposition

• Naples Daily News Editorial Board: "Businesses, especially restaurants, operate on thin margins. Raising the cost of operating might not just cause some to hire fewer people. It can be expected to drive some out of business completely. ... Let’s get as many Floridians back to work as soon as possible and support a robust economic recovery that will allow workers to command higher wages under market conditions."
• Herald-Tribune Editorial Board: "Income disparity, particularly in Florida's punishing housing market, is a social inequity that falls disproportionately on children and thus threatens our future. [...] The idea is that this entry-level wage 'floor' would, in rising, lift the earnings of other workers as well, and when the effort to sponsor this amendment got underway it looked like an enlightened, reasonable endeavor in a thriving economy. But the COVID-19 pandemic has changed that math. We recommend voting no."
• Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board: "Raising the base wage by so much so quickly will increase costs for businesses. In turn, prices will rise, shifting some burden onto regular Floridians. The ones struggling to make ends meet — even with a $15 minimum wage — will feel more of the pinch. So will unskilled workers who lose their jobs when businesses cut expenses to make up for the higher cost of wages. ... On Amendment 2, the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board recommends voting No."

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Florida ballot measures

The campaign finance information on this page reflects the most recently scheduled reports processed by Ballotpedia, which covered through December 31, 2020.

Ballotpedia identified one committee registered to support Amendment 2: Florida For a Fair Wage. The committee reported $6.27 million in contributions and $6.26 million in expenditures. The top donors were The Morgan Firm PA, SPLC Action Fund, and SEIU Florida. The committee paid $4 million to petition gathering company BH-AP Petitioning Partners for signature gathering.

Ballotpedia identified one committee registered to oppose Amendment 2: Save Florida Jobs, Inc. The committee reported $698,166 in contributions and $724,538 in expenditures. The top donors were the National Restaurant Association, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Caldwell Trust Company, and Florida Petroleum Marketers' Association.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$4,842,279.41	$1,428,209.37	$6,270,488.78	$4,830,550.51	$6,258,759.88
Oppose	$617,860.00	$80,305.88	$698,165.88	$644,231.89	$724,537.77

Support

Committees in support of Amendment 2
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Florida for a Fair Wage	$4,842,279.41	$1,428,209.37	$6,270,488.78	$4,830,550.51	$6,258,759.88
Total	$4,842,279.41	$1,428,209.37	$6,270,488.78	$4,830,550.51	$6,258,759.88

Top donors

The top four donors provided 98.64% of the contributions to the support campaign.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
The Morgan Firm PA	$4,199,553.28	$0.00	$4,199,553.28
SEIU Florida State Council	$0.00	$1,369,731.44	$1,369,731.44
SEIU Florida	$350,000.00	$0.00	$350,000.00
SPLC Action Fund	$250,000.00	$15,977.93	$265,977.93

Opposition

Committees in opposition to Amendment 2
Committee	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Save Florida Jobs, Inc.	$617,860.00	$80,305.88	$698,165.88	$644,231.89	$724,537.77
Total	$617,860.00	$80,305.88	$698,165.88	$644,231.89	$724,537.77

Top donors

The following are donors who gave $25,000 or more to the opposition committee.

Donor	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions
Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association	$125,000.00	$77,470.19	$202,470.19
National Restaurant Association	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
Caldwell Trust Company	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00
McClure Properties LTD	$30,000.00	$0.00	$30,000.00
Florida Petroleum Marketers' Association	$25,000.00	$0.00	$25,000.00
Florida Racetrac Petroleum, Inc	$25,000.00	$0.00	$25,000.00

Methodology

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

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls and 2020 ballot measure polls

Poll results regarding the measure are detailed below.

Florida $15 Minimum Wage Initiative
Poll	Support	Oppose	Unsure	Margin of error	Sample size
Civiqs/Daily Kos poll 10/17/20 - 10/20/20	57.0%	38.0%	4.0%	+/-3.5	863
University of North Florida poll 10/1/20 - 10/4/20	60.0%	37.0%	3.0%	+/-1.8	3,055
Monmouth University 9/10/20 - 9/13/20	67%	26%	6%	+/-4.7	428
St. Pete Polls 5/26/20 - 5/27/20	63.8%	24.2%	12.1%	+/-4	4,763
St. Leo University Polling Institute 11/13/19 - 11/18/19	63.2%	26.2%	10.6%	+/-4.5	500
St. Pete Polls 5/6/19 - 6/1/19	58.2%	35.3%	6.5%	+/-1.6	3,790
AVERAGES	61.53%	31.12%	7.03%	+/-3.35	2,233.17
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

Minimum wage in Florida

From 2000 to 2004, Florida's minimum wage was the federal minimum wage: $5.15. The following chart shows the minimum wage in Florida from 2005 to 2019.

Florida minimum wage (2005-2019)
Year	Florida min. wage	Increase	Effective start date	Effective end date	Federal min. wage
2005	$6.15	$1.00	5/2/2005	12/31/2005	$5.15
2006	$6.40	$0.25	1/1/2006	12/31/2006	$5.15
2007	$6.67	$0.27	1/1/2007	12/31/2007	$5.85
2008	$6.79	$0.12	1/1/2008	12/31/2008	$6.55
2009	$7.21	$0.42	1/1/2009	7/23/2009	$6.55
2009	$7.25	$0.04	7/24/2009	12/31/2009	$7.25
2010	$7.25	$0.00	1/1/2010	12/31/2010	$7.25
2011	$7.25	$0.00	1/1/2011	5/31/2011	$7.25
2011	$7.31	$0.06	6/1/2011	12/31/2011	$7.25
2012	$7.67	$0.36	1/1/2012	12/31/2012	$7.25
2013	$7.79	$0.12	1/1/2013	12/31/2013	$7.25
2014	$7.93	$0.14	1/1/2014	12/31/2014	$7.25
2015	$8.05	$0.12	1/1/2015	12/31/2015	$7.25
2016	$8.05	$0.00	1/1/2016	12/31/2016	$7.25
2017	$8.10	$0.05	1/1/2017	12/31/2017	$7.25
2018	$8.25	$0.15	1/1/2018	12/31/2018	$7.25
2019	$8.46	$0.21	1/1/2019	12/31/2019	$7.25

Florida minimum wage projections

The following chart shows the projected increases in the state minimum wage based on the average inflation rate over the past 20 years (1998-2018), which was 2.16%, compared to the increases proposed by Amendment 2.

Florida Amendment 5 of 2004

Amendment 5 was on the ballot as a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment in 2004 and was approved by voters in a vote of 71% to 28%. The measure provided for a minimum wage starting at $6.15 and indexed to inflation each year. The initiative was sponsored by the Floridians for All PAC and supported by groups such as MoveOn.org, AFSCME, Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, the National Education Association, and others. Groups that opposed the initiative included the Florida Restaurant Association, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Retail Federation, and the National Restaurant Association. Businesses that opposed the initiative included Publix Supermarkets, Outback Steakhouse, Burger King, Walt Disney, CVS, and Walgreens.

2019 minimum wages

As of 2019, the federal minimum wage was $7.25. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. States can set their own minimum wage to be higher than the federal minimum wage but cannot set their wages to be lower. If the state's wages set by law are below the federal minimum, they must use the federal minimum, such as in the case of Georgia and Wyoming.

Excluding D.C., which has the highest minimum wage of $14.00, the average state minimum wage in 2020 is around $9.17, up from $8.68 in 2019. The highest statewide minimum wages are $13.50 in Washington and $13.00 in California. The lowest minimum wages based on state law are $5.15 in Georgia and Wyoming, which is lower than the federal government's requirement, therefore, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 supersedes state law for most types of employees. A total of 21 states use the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25.

Minimum wage on the ballot

See also: Minimum wage on the ballot

From 1996 to 2022, there were 28 minimum wage increase measures on the ballot. Voters approved 26 (92.86%) and rejected two (7.14%).

As of 2022, the last time that voters rejected a minimum wage increase measure was in 1996, when measures were defeated in Missouri and Montana.

The following chart shows election outcomes for minimum wage increase ballot measures from 1996 to 2022.

Measures to increase state minimum wages (1996-2022)
Year	State	Measure	Wage	Type	Yes votes (%)	No votes (%)	Outcome
2022	Nebraska	Nebraska Initiative 433	$15.00 (2026)	Initiative	58.66%	41.34%	a
2022	Nevada	Amendment 2	$12.00 (2024)	Referral	55.18%	44.82%	a
2020	Florida	Amendment 2	$15.00 (2026)	Initiative	60.82%	39.18%	a
2018	Arkansas	Issue 5	$11.00 (2021)	Initiative	68.46%	31.54%	a
2018	Missouri	Proposition B	$12.00 (2023)	Initiative	62.34%	37.66%	a
2016	Arizona	Proposition 206	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	58.33%	41.67%	a
2016	Colorado	Amendment 70	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	55.36%	44.64%	a
2016	Maine	Question 4	$12.00 (2020)	Initiative	55.50%	44.50%	a
2016	Washington	Initiative 1433	$13.50 (2020)	Initiative	57.42%	42.58%	a
2014	Alaska	Measure 3	$9.75 (2016)	Initiative	69.35%	30.65%	a
2014	Arkansas	Issue 5	$8.50 (2017)	Initiative	65.94%	34.06%	a
2014	Nebraska	Initiative 425	$9.00 (2016)	Initiative	59.47%	40.53%	a
2014	South Dakota	Measure 18	$8.50 (2015)	Initiative	55.05%	44.95%	a
2013	New Jerseu	Question 2	$8.25 (2014)	Referral	61.26%	38.74%	a
2006	Arizona	Proposition 2022	$6.75 (2007)	Initiative	65.37%	34.63%	a
2006	Colorado	Initiative 42	$6.85 (2007)	Initiative	53.30%	46.70%	a
2006	Missouri	Proposition B	$6.50 (2007)	Initiative	75.94%	24.06%	a
2006	Montana	I-151	$6.50 (2007)	Initiative	72.69%	27.31%	a
2006	Nevada	Question 6	$6.15 (2006)	Initiative	68.71%	31.29%	a
2006	Ohio	Amendment 2	$6.85 (2007)	Initiative	56.65%	43.35%	a
2004	Florida	Amendment 5	$6.15 (2005)	Initiative	71.25%	28.75%	a
2004	Nevada	Question 6	$6.15 (2006)	Initiative	68.4%	31.6%	a
2002	Oregon	Measure 25	$6.90 (2003)	Initiative	51.3%	48.7%	a
1998	Washington	Initiative 688	$6.50 (2000)	Initiative	66.1%	33.9%	a
1996	California	Proposition 210	$5.75 (1998)	Initiative	61.45%	38.55%	a
1996	Missouri	Proposition A	$6.75 (1999)	Initiative	28.70%	71.30%	d
1996	Montana	I-121	$6.25 (2000)	Initiative	43.53%	56.47%	d
1996	Oregon	Measure 36	$6.50 (1999)	Initiative	56.85%	43.15%	a

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Florida

The state process

In Florida, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast in the preceding presidential election. Florida also has a signature distribution requirement, which requires that signatures equaling at least 8% of the district-wide vote in the last presidential election be collected from at least half (14) of the state's 28 congressional districts. Signatures remain valid until February 1 of an even-numbered year. Signatures must be verified by February 1 of the general election year the initiative aims to appear on the ballot.

Proposed measures are reviewed by the state attorney general and state supreme court after proponents collect 25% of the required signatures across the state in each of one-half of the state's congressional districts (222,898 signatures for 2024 ballot measures). After these preliminary signatures have been collected, the secretary of state must submit the proposal to the Florida Attorney General and the Financial Impact Estimating Conference (FIEC). The attorney general is required to petition the Florida Supreme Court for an advisory opinion on the measure's compliance with the single-subject rule, the appropriateness of the title and summary, and whether or not the measure "is facially invalid under the United States Constitution."

The requirements to get an initiative certified for the 2020 ballot:

• Signatures: 766,200 valid signatures
• Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was February 1, 2020. As election officials have 30 days to check signatures, petitions should be submitted at least one month before the verification deadline.

In Florida, proponents of an initiative file signatures with local elections supervisors, who are responsible for verifying signatures. Supervisors are permitted to use random sampling if the process can estimate the number of valid signatures with 99.5% accuracy. Enough signatures are considered valid if the random sample estimates that at least 115% of the required number of signatures are valid.

Details about the initiative

• The initiative was filed by John Morgan. It was approved for circulation on January 10, 2018.
• On March 8, 2019, proponents had collected 87,528 valid signatures, triggering a ballot language review by the state supreme court. To qualify for the ballot language review, 76,632 signatures were required.
• The measure qualified for the ballot on November 8, 2019. Proponents submitted 770,458 valid signatures.
• The Florida Supreme Court ruled the measure was constitutional on December 19, 2019.

Cost of signature collection:
Sponsors of the measure hired BH-AP Petitioning Partners to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot. A total of $4,007,182.47 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 $5.23.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Florida

Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Florida.

How to cast a vote in Florida

The information below covers regular voting policies in the state. Information may have not applied to the election on November 3, 2020, because of temporary changes in response to coronavirus. Click here to read about changes made for the 2020 elections. Poll times In Florida, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Florida is split between Eastern and Central time zones. 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 A registration form is also available online. The form can be printed and submitted via mail. 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. 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. 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 April 2023. 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

2020 measures

• 2020 ballot measures
• Minimum wage on the ballot
• 2020 legislative sessions

Florida

• Florida ballot measures
• Florida ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Minimum wage increases in 2019

External links

• Florida Division of Elections Booklet: Proposed Constitutional Amendments 2020 General Election
• Initiative information

Support

• Florida for a Fair Wage campaign website
• Florida for a Fair Wage Facebook page
• Florida for a Fair Wage Twitter page

Opposition

• Amendment 2 Hurts You campaign website
• Amendment 2 Hurts You Facebook page
• Amendment 2 Hurts You Twitter page