As we all know from the 280,694 texts we received since this time last year, we just had an election.

In fact, 280,694 is also the amount of people who voted in Sarasota out of 333,464 registered voters. That is an 84% voter turnout.

Comparatively, in the last General (Presidential) Election, there was an 80.09% turn out with 272,368 people voting in Sarasota…so I guess you could say people were more motivated than ever?

I wonder why.

But I digress.

I see a gap between registered voters, actual voters, and actual residents – so I thought I would share some of the results to hopefully further motivate people.

None of these are complete surprises (except for one, in my opinion), so let’s move on because my opinion isn’t important after these decisions have been made. Remind me not to sleep on those opinions in advance of the 2026 Election though because…yeah.

This election also had 6 amendments to our constitution. You can read an old, but still correct, blog post on Constitutional Amendments should you be so inclined.

Whether you understand or don’t is also not a current concern, so let’s move on to what our updated state Constitution includes – and what it doesn’t:

Amendment 1: Would have made School Board Elections partisan, but alas, it did not pass. Looks like School Board elections will have to remain unofficially partisan instead of officially partisan.

RESULT: Did not pass, with 55% of voters in favor of it.

Amendment 2: Confirmed that hunters have more rights than people with a uterus in the state of FL. I can’t tell if that is a joke or not. ANYWAY, the people of Florida have confirmed a universal right to hunting and fishing as the primary means of wildlife control. I can’t decide if it matters or not…that is for a future blog post.

RESULT: Passed, with 67% of voters in favor of it.

Amendment 3: Would have legalized marijuana for recreational use across the state, resulting in a huge and positive fiscal impact for our budget, but alas….

RESULT: Did not pass, with 56% of voters in favor of it.

Amendment 4: Showed us that prefer with government interference with abortion (the bill’s language, not mine…basically).

RESULT: Did not pass, with 58% of voters in favor of it.

Amendment 5: Allows the homestead exemption tax of 1 of 2 exemptions for homeowners to be influenced by inflation. Also can’t decide if it matters or not. Time will tell. Or it won’t.

RESULT: Passed, with 66% of voters in favor of it.

Amendment 6: was about using state funds to support some specific campaigns in our state. It’s actually pretty interesting to us policy wonks given it’s history, but either way…

RESULT: Did not pass, with 50% of voters in favor of it. We will continue to cap and use state funds for specific statewide elections for valiant reasons.

Lastly, an overwhelming 84% of voters decided to continue the School District Millage Referendum, putting additional dollars in out Sarasota County School District to support teacher salaries, additional school time, and enrichment education for our students.

Like you, I have big feelings about this election that I am channeling with information sharing and escaping into fantasy books and away from real life. This page was never about my opinions, but I will share one:

I am so curious to see how a Trump administration, Republican Senate, and likely Republican House will interact with a majority Republican Governor-led country. This is a fascinating time to explore what happens when one party has the decision making power, and who they prioritize, care about, and care for.

Pretty sure our Founding Fathers kind of tried to stop that with the throwing of the tea and the balance of power intentionally designed into our system, but let’s be real. There were no Founding Mothers or Founding People of Color, so its not a shock that it happens from time to time. The beauty of our country, however, ensures that power is never in place for too long so…let’s just hold on to that…and refuse to let it go.

Comment below with your opinions, because even though mine don’t matter to the finalized election…yours always matters to me.