The Georgia General Assembly voted to place two constitutional amendments on the November 2026 statewide ballot. The measures address restricted-use funds and the state’s judicial selection process.
9-1-1 Fund
The first measure would allow the General Assembly to create and allocate revenue to the Georgia Next Generation 9-1-1 Fund. Money allocated to the fund could only be used to expand, maintain, and operate the state’s 9-1-1 emergency response system. The state Senate and House unanimously approved the constitutional amendment.
State Sen. Harold Jones (D-22) said the fund could support necessary improvements to the state’s emergency response system. He said, “We hear many stories: They call 911, a person may not answer. It’s not quite up to the quality level. This is what we’re hoping to actually change.”
State Rep. Chuck Martin (R-49) said there were improvements the fund could make possible. “Imagine you’re a first responder being able to see videos of what you’re rolling into, whether it be a terrible situation of an active shooter scene or a crime that just happened, or a firefighter rolling up on a hot fire situation,” he said. “It makes the first responders safer and gives them the ability to react to the situation and get to the people that need help.”
Probate Judges
The second measure would require that all probate judges in the state be elected on a nonpartisan basis. The measure had bipartisan support in the general assembly, with 94.3% of Republicans and 85.4% of Democrats voting ‘yes’ on the amendment.
As of 2026, judges from all other courts in Georgia are required to be elected on a nonpartisan basis; only probate judges are excluded from that requirement. In Georgia, each probate court covers one county. Each court has one elected probate judge that is elected for a term of four years.
When the measure was introduced at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, then-Chief Justice Michael Boggs said the measure had the state judiciary’s support. Additionally, former Govs. Nathan Deal (R) and Roy Barnes (D) both announced their support for the constitutional amendment.
Other November 2026 ballot measures
The two constitutional amendments were added to the November 2026 ballot, bringing the total number of ballot measures in that election to three. Since 2000, the average number of measures on the ballot in an even-numbered year is five.
Already on the ballot is a constitutional amendment that would increase the maximum amount of land that a single owner can enroll in Georgia’s Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) program from 2,000 to 4,000 acres.
Under the CUVA program, land used for farming, timber production, or conservation, such as protecting wildlife habitats, is taxed at 40% of its assessed use value instead of its full market value. The CUVA program was originally established following voter approval of a constitutional amendment in 1990. It was approved with 61.9% of voters in favor and 38.1% opposed.