Support for a proposed constitutional amendment that would phase out most property taxes on homesteaded homes drops substantially when Florida voters are informed about the measure’s projected effect on municipal budgets, according to a new University of North Florida (UNF) Public Opinion Research Lab poll.
The survey found that 61% of likely midterm voters initially supported the proposal, just exceeding the 60% approval required for amendments to the Florida Constitution. Thirty-two percent opposed it.
Respondents were initially told that the amendment would begin phasing out property taxes on homesteaded property, except for taxes collected for public schools, and would require local governments to use remaining property tax revenue only for core public services.
When respondents were subsequently told that estimates indicate the proposal would create an $11.8 billion shortfall in municipal budgets over two years, support fell 16 percentage points to 45%. Opposition increased to 47%, placing the measure below the constitutional threshold needed for passage.
Of note, The description of the amendment is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit centered on whether voters should be informed of the proposal’s projected fiscal effect on local governments.
Sean Freeder, faculty director of UNF’s Public Opinion Research Lab, said the results indicate that the information included in the ballot language could shape the amendment’s outcome.
The poll also showed Republicans holding narrow advantages in Florida’s two leading statewide races. Republican Byron Donalds led Democrat David Jolly 46% to 41% in the governor’s race, while 6% remained undecided. Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody received 50% in separate matchups against Democrats Alexander Vindman and Angie Nixon, with the poll showing both of her leads as single-digit margins.
Among Republican officials tested, Gov. Ron DeSantis recorded a 57% approval rating, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 56%. Vice President JD Vance received 49% approval, while President Donald Trump received 48% approval and 51% disapproval. The president’s foreign policy drew approval from 45% of respondents and disapproval from 53%.
Voters were evenly divided over the increased use of artificial intelligence, with 49% supporting it and 49% opposing it. Opposition was considerably stronger toward the infrastructure supporting the technology, as 68% said they would oppose construction of an AI data center in their community.
The poll surveyed 848 likely Florida midterm voters from July 8 through July 17 using telephone and online interviews. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
