Acadiana Voters Face 10 Constitutional Amendments on the Nov. 3 Ballot
LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana voters will decide 10 proposed amendments to the state constitution on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The proposals cover property taxes, bail, term limits for governors, state pension debt, drinking water lines and property rights.
Every voter in Lafayette Parish and across Acadiana will see all 10 on the statewide ballot. A yes vote adopts the change. A no vote keeps the constitution as it is now.
What Acadiana Voters Need to Know Before Nov. 3
The 10 measures are the most on a single Louisiana ballot since 2014. Lawmakers placed each one on the ballot with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. Each now needs a simple majority of votes cast statewide to pass.
In May, voters rejected all five amendments on that spring ballot. None of those five appear on the November ballot.
Early Voting, Registration and Election Day Hours
Early voting runs Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Tuesday, Oct. 27, excluding Sunday, Oct. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Polls on Election Day are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The deadline to register in person, by mail or at an OMV office is today, Monday, Oct. 5. Online registration through GeauxVote stays open until Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Voters who want a mail ballot have until Friday, Oct. 30 to request one. The registrar must receive the completed ballot by Monday, Nov. 2.
Amendment 1: One-Time Transfer of a Disabled Veteran’s Exemption
A veteran with a service-connected disability receives an extra property tax exemption on the home, beyond the standard homestead exemption. When the veteran dies, the surviving spouse keeps that exemption for as long as the spouse owns and lives in the same home.
Amendment 1 would let a surviving spouse move the exemption to a new home one time. The amount is capped at what the spouse claimed on the old home in its last year. The amendment also drops the requirement that the spouse keep living in and owning the original home. It would begin Jan. 1, 2027.
A yes vote allows the one-time transfer. A no vote keeps the exemption tied to the original home.
Amendment 2: Lower Millage Rates Without Losing the Old Maximum
Voters approve a maximum millage rate for each local taxing body, such as a parish council, school board, or fire district. A body can levy less than that maximum. Under current rules, a body that levies a lower rate can lose the ability to return to the higher authorized rate after a reassessment.
Amendment 2 would let the body keep that ability. Moving back up would still take a two-thirds vote of the governing body after a public hearing, with no new election. The Pelican Institute backs the change, saying local governments would no longer feel pressure to raise rates to the maximum just to keep it available. Opponents argue it could make future property tax increases easier.
A yes vote preserves the old maximum for bodies that lower their rates. A no vote keeps the current rules. The listed start date is Jan. 1, 2027.
Amendment 3: No Post-Conviction Bail for Aggravated Offenses Against Children
Under current law, bail after conviction is allowed when the maximum sentence is five years or less. A judge may grant it when the sentence is longer.
Amendment 3 would bar any bail after conviction for an aggravated offense, as defined in state law, committed against a victim who is a minor. The offenses include rape, sexual battery, molestation of a juvenile, and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. The House approved the measure 92-0 and the Senate 31-1.
Supporters point to protecting child victims and their families during the appeals process. Opponents of blanket rules say the amendment removes a judge’s discretion in cases where a conviction could later be overturned.
A yes vote means no post-conviction bail for those offenses. A no vote leaves bail decisions as they are now.
Amendment 4: Lifetime Term Limit for Louisiana Governors
The constitution now bars a governor who has served more than one and one-half terms in two consecutive terms from being elected to the next term. After sitting out, that person can run again. Former governors John Bel Edwards and Bobby Jindal each served two terms. Under current rules either could run again, and the amendment would prevent that.
Amendment 4 removes the consecutive-term language. Anyone who has served more than one and one-half terms as governor could never be elected governor again. Nine other states, including Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma, already use a lifetime limit.
The House approved the measure 73-25 and the Senate 28-10. Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, the amendment’s author, says it would bring new people and fresh perspective to the office. Opponents say voters should decide who they elect.
A yes vote creates the lifetime limit. A no vote keeps the limit on consecutive terms only.
Amendment 5: Flexibility to Pay Down State Pension Debt
When the state sends one-time money to a state retirement system, the constitution requires the system to apply it to its oldest unfunded liability first. Unfunded liability is the gap between what a pension system owes retirees and what it has set aside.
Amendment 5 would let a retirement system apply that one-time money to any of its unfunded liabilities. Supporters say a system could target the debt that costs the most. Opponents prefer a clear and predictable repayment order.
A yes vote lets each system choose which debt to pay down. A no vote keeps the oldest-first rule.
Amendment 6: New Local Property Tax Exemption for Homeowners 65 and Older
Louisiana already lets qualifying homeowners 65 and older freeze the assessed value of their home. The standard homestead exemption covers the first $7,500 of assessed value. Louisiana assesses homes at 10 percent of market value, so that is $75,000 of market value.
Amendment 6 would allow parishes and municipalities to add another exemption for homeowners 65 and older who qualify for the freeze. The next $6,000 of assessed value would be exempt for ages 65 through 68. The amounts rise to $12,000 for ages 69 through 72, $18,000 for 73 through 76, $24,000 for 77 through 80 and $30,000 for 81 and older.
The exemption would apply only where a majority of voters in the parish or municipality approve it at a separate local election. A surviving spouse who is not more than five years younger than the owner would keep it. The taxing body absorbs the lost revenue, which cannot be shifted to other taxpayers. The listed start date is Jan. 1, 2028.
A yes vote lets local governments offer the exemption if their voters agree. A no vote means no new exemption.
Amendment 7: Public Money for Lead and Similar Water Service Lines
A service line carries water from the main in the street to a home. The part on the customer’s property belongs to the customer. The state constitution generally bars governments from giving public money to private owners, so a water system cannot pay to replace that section.
Amendment 7 adds an exception. A parish, city or water system could spend public money to identify, inventory, remove or replace service lines on customers’ property that are made of or affected by materials covered by the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements of Oct. 30, 2024, or later versions.
A yes vote allows that spending. A no vote keeps the customer responsible for the line on the customer’s side of the property line.
Amendment 8: Ban on Property Seizures by Foreign Adversaries
Certain private companies, such as pipeline and utility companies, can take private property through expropriation. They must show a public and necessary purpose and pay just compensation, and a court decides.
Amendment 8 would bar a private entity that is a foreign adversary, or an agent of one, from taking or damaging property. State law defines a foreign adversary using the federal list, which names China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela. Supporters call it protection for property owners. Critics say regular state law could handle it and that such cases are uncommon.
A yes vote adds the ban to the constitution. A no vote leaves the current expropriation rules in place.
Amendment 9: Higher Income Limit for the Senior Property Tax Freeze
The special assessment level freezes the assessed value of a home so property taxes do not rise with home values. It is available to homeowners 65 and older, along with certain disabled residents and veterans. Eligibility now stops at $100,000 in adjusted gross income.
Amendment 9 would raise that limit to $150,000. The limit would adjust for inflation each year beginning with tax year 2028. Married people filing separately would combine both returns. Taxing bodies could not shift the lost revenue to other taxpayers. If approved, it begins Jan. 1, 2027.
Supporters say it helps older homeowners stay in their homes as values rise. Opponents argue expanded tax breaks mean less money for schools and local services.
A yes vote raises the limit to $150,000. A no vote keeps it at $100,000.
Amendment 10: Property Tax Exemption for Rehabilitated Blighted Properties
Amendment 10 would add an optional property tax exemption for blighted or derelict property that has been rehabilitated. The Legislature would have to pass laws defining blighted and derelict property, setting how long the exemption lasts and setting the rules a parish or city follows to grant it.
No exemption could be granted until those laws exist. The listed start date for the amendment is Jan. 1, 2027.
A yes vote allows the Legislature to create the exemption. A no vote leaves it off the table.
What Happens Next for Acadiana
If an amendment passes, the effective date printed on the ballot controls. Amendments 1, 2, 9, and 10 list Jan. 1, 2027. Amendment 6 lists Jan. 1, 2028, and needs a local vote before any parish or city can offer the exemption. Amendment 10 also needs new state laws.
Amendments 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 list no separate effective date on the ballot.
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