PAR Guide to Constitutional Amendments: What does a vote ‘for’ or ‘against’ mean?

The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana 2022 Guide covers the potential impact of 11 constitutional amendments the public will consider on the Nov. 8 and Dec. 10 ballots. This nonpartisan, educational review helps you understand the issues and the proposed changes so you can develop your own positions on each proposition.

The 11 amendments include five passed by lawmakers in the 2021 regular legislative session and six passed in the regular legislative session earlier this year. Each proposal had to receive a two-thirds favorable vote in the House and Senate to reach the ballot. Now, each amendment needs a majority vote at the polls to get enacted.

A constitution should offer the fundamental guiding principles of law, containing the essential elements of government organization, the basic principles of government powers and the enumeration of citizen rights. Statutory law should get into the weeds, providing the details of government operations and offering easier opportunities for change by lawmakers.

Since voters ratified the Louisiana Constitution in 1974, they have been asked to decide 297 amendments, a number growing to 308 this year with the current crop of proposals. That averages seven proposed amendments since the first round hit the ballot. So far, 203 changes have won approval from voters.

Year after year, lawmakers most frequently seek to amend Article VII, the money section. This year is no different. Six of the proposed amendments on the November ballot would tweak that section of the document.

PAR’s website (parlouisiana.org) contains more information about the constitutional amendments, including the longer version of what is presented here. 

Early Voting: October 25 – November 1, 2022 (closed Sundays) hours: 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Election Day: November 8, 2022