Medical marijuana will expand in Florida after voters approved Amendment 2 Tuesday night.

Meanwhile Amendment 1, the controversial solar energy amendment, was defeated.

Amendment 3 and 5 also were approved Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, several local referendums won. We take a look at some of the biggest initiatives in Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

Florida Constitutional Amendments

  • REMINDER: Any amendment to the Florida Constitution must garner 60 percent of the vote in order to be successful.

AMENDMENT 1

A late attempt to pull this solar energy amendment from the ballot and nullify any votes already cast was rejected by the Florida Supreme Court.

It turns out that effort was not needed as Amendment 1 failed Tuesday night to reach 60 percent of the vote needed.

Amendment 1 supporters (backed strongly by utility companies) say the measure will guarantee the right of Floridians to have solar energy, while keeping government in control and making sure non-solar customers are not “subsidizing” solar users by paying for upkeep of the power grid.

Audio leaked from a summit earlier this year, however, includes a policy expert boasting that Amendment 1 was crafted to deceive the public into putting up barriers to solar energy growth in Florida.

AMENDMENT 2

Medical marijuana will be expanded in Florida with the passage of Amendment 2 Tuesday night.

The amendment makes medical marijuana available through doctor authorization to people suffering from a wide-array of ailments. They have to get a special statewide issued card to get the drug, and then buy from state-regulated treatment centers responsible for processing marijuana.

Attorney John Morgan, one of the biggest backers of the amendment, was effusive on Twitter:

AMENDMENT 3

Currently widows of fallen law enforcement officers see some property tax relief. This amendment will allow law enforcement officers who are permanently disabled because of injuries or ailments suffered in the line of duty to get property tax relief.

AMENDMENT 5

This amendment updates an earlier amendment to the Florida Constitution regarding homestead exemptions. That amendment gave extra benefits to longtime Florida seniors on low income. This amendment makes it so that these seniors do not lose their homestead exemption once the value of their home goes over $250,000.

County and City Amendments

Central Florida ballot measures

There are dozens of local and county-level ballot measures throughout Central Florida. Here are some of the biggest. For a full list of ballot measures in your county, head to the Florida Decides Voting Guide.

BREVARD COUNTY

Brevard County voters approved a half cent sales tax Tuesday to restore the Indian River Lagoon.

Problems with pollution in the Indian River Lagoon led to a toxic algae bloom earlier this year and the deaths of thousands of fish and marine life.

The money will be used to improve water quality, removing muck and reducing pollution. The sales tax lasts for 10 years.

LAKE COUNTY

In Lake County, a special property tax helping the Lake County North Hospital District will remain.

The tax helps Florida Hospital Waterman and Leesburg Regional Medical Center with indigent care, along with funding five clinics.

The tax will last another 10 years.

ORANGE COUNTY

Orange County residents passed all three changes to the county charter.

The first amendment, which promised “to provide clarity, accountability, and transparency, and ensure equal treatment of voters,” was approved Tuesday night.

The amendment was meant to make it tougher for citizens to petition local government.

  • CORRECTION: Due to an inputting error, our results previously said that the charter amendment had failed. The charter amendment in fact passed. The article and results have been updated to reflect the correction.

Voters also approved two amendments that will make changes to several political offices, including the sheriff,  tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, clerk of court and comptroller.

Currently, these positions are all political positions. This amendment makes them non-partisan elections. The amendment also sets term limits for these positions.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

Voters approved a half-cent sales tax for the school district Tuesday. The school district said the tax will generate $25 million a year for 20 years, allowing them to make upgrades to 30 schools and help pay the district’s $500 million deficit.

SEMINOLE COUNTY: Oviedo

The city of Oviedo will get the funds needed for a new police station. Voters approved a measure to raise taxes to fund the project. The project would cost the average homeowner after $50 more a year.   

SUMTER COUNTY: Bushnell

Residents in Bushnell approved a charter amendment that requires voter approval to sell, lease, trade or giveaway utilities systems and other public facilities.

This new amendment also requires the city disclose the sale price, major contract terms, and other major impacts.

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Volusia County voters rejected a change that would make the county council's at-large council member the vice-chair.  

Right now the council members appoint the vice chair, and it can be any member of the council. That procedure will stay.

VOLUSIA COUNTY: Edgewater

Edgewater rejected an amendment to increase annual compensation for the mayor and for council members. has several amendments related to the city’s council on the ballot for Edgewater residents.

Tampa area ballot measures

There are several local and county-level ballot measures throughout Tampa area. Here are some of the biggest. For a full list of ballot measures in your county, head to the Florida Decides Voting Guide.

MANATEE COUNTY

Manatee County residents approved two sales tax referendums Tuesday.

One levies a half-cent sales tax over the next 15 years. It helps pay for roadways, sidewalks, intersections, streetlights, infrastructure for law enforcement and other public facilities.

The other referendum extends a current half-cent sales tax for school construction and upkeep. The measure extends the tax for another 15 years, from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2032. The measure is meant to renovate existing schools, build current schools, reduce overcrowding and purchase technology.

PINELLAS COUNTY

Among Pinellas county’s charter amendments are three worth paying attention to:

One would actually make it easier for citizens to petition for changes to the county charter. But right now the amendment is too close to call.

The amendment, if approved, would lower the number of signed petitions necessary to propose a charter amendment from 10 percent of registered Pinellas County voters to 8 percent. It also will give groups more time to gather those petition signatures, extending the time period from 180 days to 240 days.

An amendment to create a new board to handle redrawing county commission districts was approved overwhelmingly.

A county redistricting board would be appointed by the commission every 10 years, once the Census results are released, and give recommendations on redrawing county commission districts. The amendment would include rules against favoring political parties or incumbents, not denying racial or language minorities equal opportunity for political participation, and considering unincorporated areas and municipal boundaries.

Voters also approved a referendum to extend the county’s ad valorem tax to help the school district through June 30, 2021. The money is being used to recruit and retain teachers, preserve programs for reading, music and art, and update textbooks and technology.

POLK COUNTY

Polk County has a charter amendment on the ballot to continue its one-half cent sales tax for health care. The county currently has a sales tax which funds its Indigent HealthCare Division.

The program works with doctors and clinics to provide health care for those who need it, including the elderly and children. The amendment would extend the sales tax for another 25 years.

The sales tax enjoys wide support from area business groups, not to mention the Lakeland City Commission.