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They may not be top of mind when it comes to next month’s midterm elections – but Georgia has three ballot measures up for vote that every Georgian will be asked to vote on when they head to the ballot box. 

The trio of potential Constitutional Amendments had to pass the legislature by a two-thirds margin in both the House and Senate, meaning all three have broad legislative support.  But they still must now be approved by voters in order to be permanently enshrined in the State Constitution. 

Historically, ballot measures have performed well in Georgia.  Between 1985 and 2024, 139 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots, with 112 (80%) passing. 

A look at the ballot measures up for vote this year: 

Georgia Amendment 1, Increase Acre Limit for Agriculture and Timber Conservation Use Property Tax Classification Measure (2026) 

This amendment would Increase the maximum acreage of agricultural and timber property that can be classified as bona fide conservation use property, which is taxed at 40% of the land’s value, from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres. 

Bona fide conservation use property refers to land used in good faith for the production of agricultural products or timber, including farming, forestry, livestock management, and wildlife habitat maintenance.  This amendment would allow farmers to classify more of their land into this category, allowing them to pay less taxes on it (40% of the land’s value rather than full market value). 

Supporters say it would help family farmers, especially since family farms have been getting larger over the years. 

Georgia Amendment 2, Require Nonpartisan Elections for Probate Judges Measure (2026) 

This amendment would require that all probate judges in the state be elected on a nonpartisan basis. 

Probate judges oversee civil court cases dealing with administering the estates of deceased individuals – wills, property, guardianships, etc… 

Justices of the Georgia Supreme Court and the judges of the Court of Appeals are already elected on a nonpartisan basis, so this would include probate judges in that category.  Supporters argue that probate judges, by nature, aren’t inherently political positions, so there’s no need to have them elected in a partisan manner.  Opponents have pushed back saying party affiliation is important to know where candidates stand on certain positions. 

Georgia Amendment 3, Authorize Creation of Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund Measure (2026) 

This amendment would allow the state to create a ‘Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund,’ and dedicate revenue to the fund by passing laws that specify exactly what sources can and must be dedicated to the fund and how they can be deposited. 

Georgia’s 911 system has been harshly criticized for being outdated and in some cases, unusable.  This amendment seeks to provide funding to totally update it into a new, IP-based network system. 

This amendment received rare, unanimous support from the legislature, passing 162-0 in the House and 49-0 in the Senate. 

Why does this measure require a constitutional amendment?  Normally state finance rules prevent locking in specific funding for specific projects, leaving them vulnerable to being swept into the general state budget.  This amendment would lock in a dedicated, non-lapsing state fund for Next Generation 9-1-1, meaning unspent money would carry over year-to-year and smooth out the creation of a statewide network.