The Louisiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to gubernatorial term limits to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 26, 2026.
In Louisiana, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming there are no vacancies.
House Bill 225
Introduced as House Bill 225 (HB 225) on Feb. 19, 2026, the constitutional amendment would establish a lifetime term limit for the governor, with a maximum of two terms.
Article IV, Section 3(B) of the Louisiana state constitution prohibits governors from serving more than two consecutive terms — meaning they can serve two terms, leave office for one term, and then be eligible for another two terms.
The amendment was first approved by the state House on May 5, 2026, by a vote of 73-25. Support for HB 225 was largely split along party lines, with 67 Republicans and six Democrats voting in support of it, while three Republicans and 22 Democrats voted against it. Three Republicans and four Democrats did not vote.
The state Senate approved HB 225 on May 26, 2026, by a vote of 28-10. All 28 votes in support of the amendment were from Republicans, and all 10 votes against it were from Democrats. One Democrat did not vote.
Speaking in support of HB 225, state Rep. Michael Bayham (R-103), who sponsored the amendment, said, "[HB 225] would guarantee the opportunity for new blood and fresh perspective. The amendment will put distance between the political past that has defined us. It's an opportunity to move beyond personality cults."
State Rep. Mark Wright (R-77), who voted against HB 225, said, "The author said publicly that it was about preventing John Bel Edwards from becoming governor again. If we were really worried about incumbents abusing power, we would include all the other statewide offices where we've seen incumbents abuse power as much as [the] governor."
Since 2020, two states — Missouri and North Dakota — have decided on constitutional amendments related to term limits for state executive officials.
In 2020, Missouri voters considered Amendment 1, which would have placed a two-term limit on the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state auditor, and state treasurer. Amendment 1 was defeated by voters, with 52.84% of the vote cast against it.
In 2022, North Dakota voters weighed in on Constitutional Measure 1, which imposed a term limit of two four-year terms for the governor and limited state legislators to serving eight years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate. Constitutional Measure 1 was approved by voters, receiving 63.43% of the vote.
Voters in Louisiana will decide on seven other ballot measures on Nov. 3, 2026, regarding homestead tax exemptions for the surviving spouses of deceased veterans, property tax rate limits, income limits to qualify for property tax special assessments, property tax exemptions for seniors, tax exemptions for rehabilitated properties, post-conviction bail for individuals convicted of assault against minors, and the expropriation of property by foreign adversaries.
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