November 3, 2026 Ballot Questions: A Broward and Palm Beach Homeowner's Guide

Featured image: editorial illustration, not an official ballot or tax document.

A bigger homestead exemption, a school-tax renewal and a bond proposal can all appear in the same election. They do very different things to a homeowner's budget.

With the November 3, 2026 election approaching, here's the useful starting point for Broward and Palm Beach property owners: read each question separately, check the ballot for your address, and don't budget around a proposal as if it has already become law.

This is a neutral homeowner guide, not a recommendation to vote yes or no. It focuses on property-tax mechanics and a few local questions, not every candidate race or ballot item.

Three numbers that are not interchangeable

A home's purchase price, assessed value and taxable value are not the same thing. Exemptions and assessment limits can affect the value used to calculate a particular tax. Different taxing authorities can also use different taxable values.

That distinction matters when you hear a ballot proposal described as a tax cut or a tax renewal. You need to know which part of the bill changes, who qualifies, when it starts and which tax rates apply. The final bill can also include non-ad valorem assessments that are not calculated the same way.

Amendment 3: a proposal, not today's exemption

The official Volusia County Property Appraiser's explanation says Amendment 3 is on the November 3, 2026 ballot and requires approval by at least 60% of voters. Current Florida property-tax law remains in effect unless the amendment passes.

For qualifying homestead owners, the proposal would provide a non-school exemption of up to $150,000 beginning in 2027 and up to $250,000 beginning in 2028. The school-tax exemption would remain $25,000. The proposal also reduces the non-homestead assessment-growth limit for non-school taxes from 10% to 5%.

None of that means every homeowner gets the same dollar savings. An exemption reduces taxable value; it does not freeze the tax rate. A lower assessment-growth limit is not a cap on the tax bill itself. Local millage rates, existing exemptions and other charges still matter.

Residency and timing deserve a closer look

The property appraiser's FAQ describes different treatment for people who are permanent Florida residents by December 31, 2026 and those who become residents on or after January 1, 2027. Under the proposal, later arrivals begin with a different exemption structure and become eligible for the larger exemption after maintaining a Florida homestead exemption for four years, starting in the fifth year.

Implementation details may require legislation. If you're planning a move, get advice on your own eligibility instead of assuming an address change or closing date automatically qualifies you. The FAQ says exact future savings cannot be determined before implementing legislation and future tax rates are set.

The explanation also says Save Our Homes and portability remain in place. If approved, the amendment would take effect January 1, 2027 and first be reflected in the 2027 TRIM notices and tax bills. Don't substitute an estimated future benefit for a current-law tax budget.

Broward's school-tax renewal: read the taxable value

Broward County Public Schools publishes School Board Question 1 as a continuation of a one-mill property-tax levy from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2030. Its ballot language identifies school safety, mental-health services and compensation for teachers and school-based support staff in public and charter schools.

One mill means $1 for each $1,000 of taxable value, or $100 per $100,000. At $500,000 of School Board taxable value, one mill is $500. That's an illustration of this tax line, not an estimate of your entire bill and not a calculation based on a home's sale price.

The district describes the question as renewal at the existing one-mill rate. Keeping a rate the same does not guarantee that an individual owner's dollar amount stays unchanged. Taxable value can change. Check your own School Board taxable value and read the actual question rather than relying on a countywide average.

Palm Beach's school renewal has different dates

The School District of Palm Beach County publishes a proposal to continue its 1.00-mill levy beginning July 1, 2027 and ending June 30, 2031. The official ballot language lists school safety, school police, mental-health services, specified teaching programs and improved teacher pay, with independent oversight.

This is also described as renewal of an existing measure, not a new tax. The one-mill math is the same, but the authorization dates are not Broward's dates. Read the question for your county.

District pages explain what they say the funds support. That is useful source material, but it is not a substitute for weighing the proposal yourself. This guide does not adopt a district's recommendation or predict school quality, neighborhood desirability or home values from a vote.

Broward has other questions beyond property tax

The county's official charter page lists a proposed health-care sales surtax of one quarter of one percent for five years, with automatic repeal if a 1% infrastructure surtax is levied. That is a sales-tax proposal, not a change to your homestead exemption.

The page also describes an alternative process for approving plats. A yes vote would allow the commission to adopt an alternative process by ordinance; it would not itself approve a particular development or guarantee a construction timeline.

A separate auditor-selection proposal would have an independent board nominate three candidates instead of one, with the County Commission choosing among them by majority vote, subject to charter qualifications.

Coconut Creek's official city page lists five additional charter questions. These include a restriction on the mayor or commissioners serving as an officer of a local HOA or condominium board during their commission term, and changes to initiative, referendum and recall procedures. Those city questions do not appear everywhere in Broward.

Why the ballot for your address matters

County, city and special-district boundaries are not interchangeable. The Friendly Scoop's broader explainer includes Palm Beach parks and Library District bond questions as well as other municipal measures. Use your official sample ballot to see exactly which ones apply to you.

For any bond question, read the borrowing amount, repayment source and maximum term. A bond authorization is not the same as a homestead exemption. Don't treat a quoted per-home cost as your own bill without checking the district, taxable value and assumptions behind it.

Voting logistics: go to the election office

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. For ordinary domestic vote-by-mail requests, Florida's Division of Elections says the deadline to request a mailed ballot is 5 p.m. on the twelfth day before the election: Thursday, October 22, 2026. A returned domestic ballot generally must be received by the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day; a postmark alone is not enough. Military and overseas rules can differ.

Visit Broward's Supervisor of Elections or Palm Beach County's Supervisor of Elections for your sample ballot, registration status, early-voting details and polling location. Use the official lookup for your address rather than an old list of precincts.

Buying a home before the vote? Budget under current law

A seller's current tax bill is a starting document, not a promise of your future cost. Review the property's current assessment, the exemptions you can qualify for and a current-law estimate for your own situation. Ask the property appraiser or a qualified tax adviser about eligibility and timing.

Then separate today's estimated budget from any post-election scenario. You can compare possible outcomes without pretending the vote or future tax rates are settled.

Thinking about a move in Boca Raton, Parkland, Coral Springs or elsewhere in Broward and Palm Beach? Call or text Chris Cusimano with Homes by Cusi at (561) 289-9305. We can work through the property questions while the official sources handle election and tax-eligibility details.

Be friendly!

Sources and scope

Inspired by The Friendly Scoop's November 3 ballot explainer. Facts checked October 7, 2026. This is a selected homeowner guide, not a complete ballot, personal tax advice or political endorsement.

• Official property-appraiser Amendment 3 FAQ
• Broward school referendum and ballot language
• Palm Beach school referendum and ballot language
• Broward charter proposals
• Coconut Creek referendum page
• Broward new-homebuyer tax estimator and limits
• Broward explanation of taxable value and millage
• Florida Division of Elections vote-by-mail rules