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Early voting for the Tennessee State and Federal General Election & Municipal Election is open October 14 to October 29. See the Shelby County Election Commission for location and hours. Reminder: The General Assembly adopted revised Congressional districts: check your voter registration for changes.

While our attention is rightly focused on key races and local leadership – hidden at the end of the ballot are three proposed constitutional amendments.

Ballot measures often sound simple at first glance, but amending our state constitution is a high-stakes decision. Once enshrined in our foundational document, bad policy becomes extraordinarily difficult to fix. A careful look at the three proposed amendments reveals unintended consequences, potential threats to due process, and unnecessary constitutional rigidity that hurts the people of Shelby County.

Here is why Tennesseans should vote NO on proposed Amendments 1, 2, and 3

Constitutional Amendment #1: Expanding Pretrial Detention & Restricting Bail

• What it does: Expands the categories of criminal offenses where judges can deny bail prior to trial.
• Why vote “No”:
  
  • Undermines the Presumption of Innocence: The bedrock of our justice system is that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Broadening the categories where citizens can be locked away indefinitely before trial weakens this fundamental constitutional protection.
  • Worsens Jail Overcrowding and Costs: Pretrial detention centers across the state are already severely strained. Automatically locking up more individuals prior to trial increases county expenses and exacerbates severe jail overcapacity issues without necessarily improving community safety.
  • Discretion vs. Mandates: Elected Shelby County Judges already possess the discretion to hold dangerous defendants when appropriate. Sweeping constitutional change removes this authority from the people of Shelby County and consolidates power with lawmakers in Nashville

Constitutional Amendment #2: Permanently Banning State Property Taxes

• What it does: Amends the state constitution to explicitly prohibit the Tennessee Legislature from levying, authorizing, or permitting any state-level property tax on real, personal, or mixed property.
• Why vote “No”:
  
  • Constitutional Rigidity: While a tax ban sounds popular on the surface, the state constitution is meant to establish the framework of government—not act as an inflexible economic policy tool. Freezing specific tax structures permanently into the constitution ties the hands of future generations and legislatures when facing unforeseen economic crises or necessary structural tax reforms.
  • Shifting the Burden: Restricting revenue options at the state level often forces lawmakers to rely more heavily on regressive taxes—such as higher sales taxes—which disproportionately impact high population counties like Shelby County, working-class and lower-income Tennesseans.

Constitutional Amendment #3: Overhauling Crime Victims’ Rights in the Constitution

• What it does: Repeals and replaces Article I, Section 35 of the Tennessee Constitution to introduce new and expanded rights for crime victims throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
• Why vote “No”:
  
  • Cluttering the Constitution: Constitutions are meant to be concise documents outlining core principles of governance and fundamental rights. Detailed, statutory-level procedural mandates belong in the Tennessee Code, where lawmakers should carefully refine them over time and practice, rather than permanently locking complex administrative rules into the state constitution.
  • Unintended Procedural Gridlock: This will bog down court dockets even further, delay closure for victims, and strain already overburdened court clerks and prosecutors.
  • Balancing Due Process: The highest Constitutional right is the presumption of innocence. No party or entity has higher rights than those subject to prosecution by the State. While the criminal justice system must balance the rights of victims with the constitutional due process rights of the accused, this amendment creates nothing by false promises for victims.

Make Your Voice Heard: Vote “NO” on the Amendments

When you head to the polls this election season, don’t vote on autopilot when you reach the bottom of the ballot. Take a stand for constitutional integrity, fiscal flexibility, and the preservation of foundational due process rights. Vote NO on Amendments 1, 2, and 3.