Property Tax Measures on the Nov. 3, 2026 Ballot: What Homeowners Are Deciding

When voters go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, property taxes will be on the ballot in seven states. Ballotpedia counts 12 statewide property tax measures still pending this fall in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming. The largest by far is Florida's Amendment 3, which would exempt up to $250,000 of a primary home's value from city, county and special district taxes. Two campaigns that set out to abolish property taxes altogether, in Ohio and Michigan, did not qualify for 2026.

None of these measures removes every property tax bill. Most raise exemptions, tighten assessment caps or limit future levies. The details decide who saves money, who pays more and how local services are funded.

Florida Amendment 3: a $250,000 homestead exemption

The Florida Legislature placed the measure on the ballot in a June 2026 special session. The House approved the joint resolution, HJR 1-F, 75 to 26, and the Senate passed it 30 to 9 on June 2. Constitutional amendments in Florida do not go to the governor; they need at least 60 percent of the vote to pass. The Florida Division of Elections lists it as Amendment 3, "Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments", with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027.

According to the House's final bill analysis, the amendment would:

• Exempt the first $150,000 of a homestead's assessed value from non-school property taxes in 2027, rising to $250,000 in 2028 and indexed to inflation from 2029.
• Leave school district taxes out of the new exemption, so homeowners would still receive a school tax bill.
• Give owners who are not permanent Florida residents as of Dec. 31, 2026 the existing $50,000 exemption at first, with the larger exemption starting in their fifth year of homestead status.
• Lower the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property, including second homes, rentals and commercial buildings, from 10 percent to 5 percent for non-school taxes.
• Limit what counties and cities can spend property tax revenue on, including public safety, schools, infrastructure, flood control, debt service, employee retirement and government operations.
• Direct the Legislature to set a uniform process that would let local governments raise their own exemptions further, up to full value.

Senate leaders described the plan in June as a $250,000 exemption that "creates a framework for full exemption over time." For a home assessed at $250,000, the 2028 exemption would cover the full value for non-school levies. For a home assessed at $400,000, $150,000 would remain taxable by cities and counties.

The cost to local governments

The state's Revenue Estimating Conference projected that local non-school property tax revenue would fall by about $4.95 billion in fiscal year 2027-28 and $8.78 billion in 2028-29, settling at roughly $11.86 billion a year once fully phased in. The amendment does not name a replacement revenue source.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who pushed for property tax cuts, has argued that local governments can adjust after years of rising collections. "You vote for it, you'll pay less. End of story," he said in September, according to reporting by WPTV. He has also said he would support state funding to help rural counties with small tax bases absorb the losses, which would require approval from lawmakers. Florida Realtors and the Republican candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, Byron Donalds and Bryan Avila, also back the measure, according to WUWF.

Opposition has grown since the summer. Senate President Ben Albritton, who supported putting the measure on the ballot, said in October that he will vote no, warning that it "would eliminate up to 30% of resources for Florida's rural counties" and arguing that the state's Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, scheduled to meet in 2027, is a better place to work out reform. The Florida Sheriffs Association, firefighter groups, Florida TaxWatch and Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also oppose it. Levine Cava has said it would leave residents "paying more while getting less," with the cost shifting to renters and businesses through higher fees or reduced services.

Wyoming Initiative 1: half of a home's value exempt

Wyoming's measure is the only citizen initiative among this year's property tax questions. According to the Wyoming Secretary of State's official ballot language, it would exempt 50 percent of the assessed value of a homeowner's primary residence. To qualify, an owner must have lived in Wyoming for at least one year and in the home for at least six months of the prior tax year, and must file a sworn claim with the county assessor by the fourth Monday in May.

The official fiscal note estimates a revenue loss of about $92.6 million in fiscal year 2028 and $95.9 million in 2029. That estimate covers the state only and does not include counties, cities or school districts. If the measure passes, the earliest tax year affected would be 2027. Wyoming already adopted a 25 percent exemption on the first $1 million of value for owner-occupied homes in 2025, and the Tax Foundation says eligible owners could claim both exemptions.

The other property tax questions on Nov. 3

The remaining measures are narrower. The summaries below come from the Tax Foundation's 2026 state ballot measure tracker:

In North Carolina, the ballot question reads "Constitutional amendment requiring limits on property tax increases by local governments." Because the actual cap would come in later legislation, the legislature's fiscal staff said it could not estimate the effect.

Ohio and Michigan: abolition drives fell short

The more sweeping proposals did not make it onto a ballot this year. In Ohio, the Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes needed 413,487 valid signatures by July 1, 2026, to make the November ballot. Its leader, Brian Massie, announced in June that the group would not file this year and would keep collecting signatures for a possible November 2027 vote, according to the Statehouse News Bureau. A coalition of more than 65 groups, including local officials, libraries and unions representing first responders and teachers, opposes the effort, saying it would wipe out about $24 billion in locally approved funding.

In Michigan, the AxMITax campaign announced in May 2026 that it had fallen short of the 446,198 valid signatures needed for a constitutional amendment, its second failed attempt since 2024, according to Bridge Michigan.

What homeowners and buyers should watch

For current owners, the biggest effects come in Florida and Wyoming, and in both states the exemption applies only to a primary residence. Second homes, rentals and commercial property get nothing from either homestead exemption. In Florida, those properties would instead get the lower 5 percent assessment cap. Opponents argue that if local budgets stay the same, more of the cost would fall on those properties or come back as fees.

Buyers relocating to Florida should note the residency rule. Under Amendment 3, someone who becomes a permanent resident after Dec. 31, 2026, would start with the existing $50,000 exemption and receive the larger one only from the fifth year of homestead status. A neighbor's tax bill on an identical house could look very different from a newcomer's. In any state, the tax figure on a listing reflects the current owner's exemptions, not what a new owner will pay.

School taxes, special assessments and HOA dues stay in place under every measure on the ballot, so a "zero property tax" home is not on offer anywhere this year. For comparison, some states already limit how fast tax bills can rise without exempting value. Nevada, for example, caps yearly increases on a primary residence through a statutory abatement.

Results will be official only after each state certifies its vote. Changes approved on Nov. 3 would generally reach tax bills in 2027 or later. More housing and tax coverage is available at Homes For Sale In Mesquite Nevada.