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CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN. (WLAF)- In November, there will be three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. Voters will only need to cast a “yes” or “no” ballot on each one.
Constitutional Amendment #1
Voters will decide if they are in favor of making people charged with certain crimes ineligible for bail. A yes vote would change the constitution so a court could hold a defendant without bail before trial when that defendant is accused of: an offense punishable by the death penalty, an act of terrorism, second degree murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated rape, grave torture, or any crime for which a convicted person would be required to serve eighty-five percent of their sentence. This amendment requires courts to state on the record the reasons for their decision to grant or deny bail in those cases.
☐ Yes
☐ No
Constitutional Amendment #2
This amendment adds language to the Tennessee Constitution that prohibits the Legislature from imposing a State property tax on real, personal, or mixed property. A yes vote would stop lawmakers from imposing this type of tax.
☐ Yes
☐ No
Constitutional Amendment #3
This amendment clarifies existing rights for crime victims and adds new rights.
The amendment gives victims new rights: to fair treatment; to be informed about and participate in the parole process; to be protected from harassment, intimidation, and abuse; to be informed of the minimum sentence the convicted criminal will serve, as well as their scheduled release date; and to have their safety, their family’s safety, and the public’s safety taken into account before any decision is made to release the convicted criminal.
The amendment also maintains or clarifies victims’ existing rights: to be informed about legal proceedings involving the accused or convicted criminal; to be present at public criminal proceedings; to be informed of any release, transfer, or escape of the accused or convicted criminal; to talk to prosecutors; to make statements about conviction, sentencing, or release of the accused person; to a speedy resolution of the case; to restitution from the convicted criminal; and to be informed of their rights. The amendment does not restrict the powers of prosecutors or courts and does not create a cause of action or claim for damages against the State of Tennessee.
By voting yes crime victims will have new rights and current rights will be maintained.
☐ Yes
☐ No
What to know before you vote
Voters will find the proposed amendments listed directly after the candidates for governor. Each proposed amendment is a yes-or-no question:
A “yes” vote is a vote to amend the Constitution and adopt the language in the proposed amendment.
A “no” vote is a vote to keep the current language in the Constitution unchanged.
An amendment will pass and become part of the Constitution, if both of the following happen:
The amendment must receive more “yes” votes than “no” votes; and the number of “yes” votes must be more than half of all votes cast in the governor’s race.
To find out how many votes are needed to pass a proposed amendment, all votes cast for all candidates for governor are added together and divided by two. An amendment passes if it gets more “yes” votes than “no” votes and if the number of “yes” votes is more than half of all votes cast for governor. If either of these requirements is not met, the amendment does not pass and the Constitution remains unchanged.
The current Constitution language is available HERE. The Attorney General will provide a short summary of each amendment on the ballot. CLICK HERE to view the summary.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 9/11/2026-6AM)