Poll: Low support for Amendment 3 on Florida ballot
ORLANDO, Fla. —
If the election was held tomorrow, Amendment 3 on the November ballot would fail, according to results of a St. Pete Polls voter survey conducted between Sept. 15 through the 17th with 913 voters. The poll was conducted with automated phone calling and peer-to-peer SMS text messaging, meaning real people interacted with voters.
Backed by the Florida Realtors, who believe raising the property tax exemption will spur home sales, Amendment 3 would benefit existing homestead property owners by lowering their tax bill. It would also, by year five, eliminate roughly $12 billion a year in revenue to local governments, who say they need it to maintain public safety and services.
To pass the measure, 60% of voters will have to vote “yes.” So far, it doesn’t look likely to pass.
The St. Pete Polls voter survey, which had a 3.2% margin of error, was commissioned by Florida Politics. It showed 44.9% of likely voters support Amendment 3 to reduce non-school property taxes. 30.4% oppose it, and 24.8% are undecided.
Age barriers are significant. Among those 18 to 29 years old, just 36% support Amendment 3. For ages 30 to 49, support rises to 40%, and among those 50 to 69, half support the measure.
The Florida Realtors point to savings like this: the owner of a home costing the median price of $378,000, and currently paying $3,000 in annual property taxes, will gain new exemptions, saving them $550 in 2027 with a $150,000 exemption, and saving $1,100 in 2028 with a $250,000 homestead exemption.
Opposing the amendment is the legion of sheriffs, police and fire chiefs who say your public safety depends on a “no” vote on Amendment 3.