When you vote in Tipton County on Tuesday, Nov. 3, you’ll see three yes-or-no questions right after the governor’s race. They’re proposed changes to the Tennessee Constitution, and every voter in the state gets the same three, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State.

The quick version:

  • Amendment 1: lets judges deny bail before trial for a longer list of serious crimes.
  • Amendment 2: bans a state tax on property.
  • Amendment 3: rewrites and expands the rights of crime victims.

A yes vote means you want to change the Constitution and adopt the new language. A no vote means you want to keep the current language as it is.

Amendment 1: Bail for serious crimes

What it does: Right now, the Constitution says all prisoners can get bail except for capital offenses (crimes that can carry the death penalty) when “the proof is evident, or the presumption great.”

This amendment widens that list. A judge could hold someone without bail before trial, when the proof is evident or the presumption great, if they’re accused of:

  • a capital offense
  • an act of terrorism
  • second degree murder
  • aggravated rape of a child
  • aggravated rape
  • grave torture
  • any other crime where, as of Nov. 3, 2026, a person convicted would have to serve at least 85% of the sentence before release

It also requires judges or magistrates to put their reasons on the record whenever they grant or deny bail in those cases. The existing protection for habeas corpus stays in.

  • Yes: Judges could deny bail for the crimes on the expanded list and would have to explain their bail decisions in those cases on the record.
  • No: The current rule stays. Only capital offenses can be denied bail on these grounds.

Amendment 2: No state property tax

What it does: It adds a line to Article II, Section 28, the part of the Constitution that covers taxes. The new line says the Legislature “shall not levy, authorize, or otherwise permit any state tax” on real, personal or mixed property. The ban covers a state tax on property.

  • Yes: The Constitution would forbid the Legislature from imposing a state property tax.
  • No: The current language stays, with no such ban written in.

Amendment 3: Crime victims’ rights

What it does: The Constitution already lists rights for crime victims in Article I, Section 35. This amendment replaces that section with a new list of 13 rights. According to the Attorney General’s summary, it clarifies existing rights and adds new ones.

New rights in the summary include:

  • being treated fairly
  • being told about and taking part in the parole process
  • being protected from harassment, intimidation and abuse
  • being told the minimum sentence the offender will serve and the scheduled release date
  • having the safety of victims, their families and the public considered before a parole or other release decision

Rights it keeps or clarifies include:

  • notice of court proceedings and the right to attend them
  • notice of any release, transfer or escape
  • talking with prosecutors
  • being heard at release, plea and sentencing
  • a speedy resolution of the case
  • restitution from the offender

The amendment says it doesn’t limit the powers of district attorneys or courts. It can’t be used to throw out a conviction, and it doesn’t let anyone sue the state for damages.

  • Yes: The new, longer list of victims’ rights replaces the current section.
  • No: The current victims’ rights section stays as written.

How an amendment passes

Passing takes more than winning the yes-or-no vote. According to the Secretary of State, two things both have to happen:

  1. The amendment gets more “yes” votes than “no” votes.
  2. The “yes” votes add up to more than half of all votes cast in the governor’s race.

To find that second number, officials add up the votes for every candidate for governor and divide by two. If an amendment misses either test, it fails and the Constitution doesn’t change.

So if you vote for governor but skip an amendment, your governor vote still counts toward the number of “yes” votes that amendment needs.

Voting in Tipton County

  • When: Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the Tipton County Election Commission.
  • Where: You have to vote at your assigned polling place. Our Election Day guide lists all nine locations. You can also look up yours on GoVoteTN.gov or the GoVoteTN app.
  • Bring: A federal or Tennessee state government-issued photo ID, unless an exception applies.
  • Questions? Call the Tipton County Election Commission at 901-476-0223.

You can read the full ballot text for all three amendments on the Secretary of State’s site.

Sources: Tennessee Secretary of State, “Proposed Constitutional Amendments” (ballot language and Attorney General summaries); Tipton County Election Commission, Polling Locations; Tipton County Election Commission, What to Expect When Voting; Tipton County, “Election Day Polling Locations”.

Photo: Tennessee State Capitol, Nashville. w_lemay / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.