Whether you head to the polls Nov. 6 to cast your vote or you’re planning on voting early, you can count on having to decipher a very long ballot. In addition to national, state and local candidates, this year’s ballot also includes a number of proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution.

To help speed up the process at the polls, Clearwater Patch has created a guide on each of the amendments. Let’s take a look at Amendment 4 and what a yes vote on it means at the polls.

Amendment 4: Property Tax Limitation; Property Value Decline; Reduction for Non-Homestead Assessment Increases; Delay of Scheduled Repeal

This amendment would limit the allowable growth in the assessments on certain non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent. It would also prohibit increases in assessed value on homestead properties and some non-homestead properties when market values decrease. It also intends to give first-time homesteaders an extra exemption. The amendment also provides homestead tax exemption benefits to out-of-state residents.

Opponents, including the League of Women Voters of Florida, say the amendment would cost the state $1 billion over its first three years of implementation.

Supporters say the measure would make Florida’s property taxes more fair and that the amendment might stimulate the real estate market.

What a Yes Vote Means

A vote of yes on this amendment is a show of support for its passage.

For complete wording of the amendment, visit the Florida Division of Elections online.

See Also:

Florida’s Constitutional Amendments: What Yes Votes Mean