How You Shape Tennessee’s Constitution

Originally published in the Highlands Insider, October 16, 2026

Changing Tennessee’s Constitution isn’t easy, and that’s on purpose. Other states let citizens put amendments on the ballot themselves. Tennessee doesn’t. Every proposal has to go through the legislature twice before voters ever see it. This approach only works if you stay involved. You have real chances to have a say by who you elect, by showing up along the way, and ultimately with your vote.

A Multi-Year Process

A proposed amendment has to pass two different General Assemblies, with an election between them. Each General Assembly lasts two years, so the calendar alone stretches the process out.

The proposal can initially pass with a simple majority in both the House and Senate during the first two-year term. After the next legislative election, the new General Assembly has to pass it again during a separate two-year term, this time by a two-thirds vote. Only then does it go on the ballot, and only in a November election in which the governor is also running.

That election in the middle matters. You get to decide who will serve in the next two-year General Assembly and cast the final vote before the amendment ever reaches the public.

Legal Review by Constitutional Experts

These proposals are reviewed by lawyers familiar with both the Tennessee Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. Staff attorneys in the Office of Legal Services help draft the resolution and check for conflicts with the state constitution or federal issues. As it moves through committees, the same legislative legal staff review it for problems with state law or either constitution. Once it clears both assemblies, the Attorney General prepares the neutral summary that appears on the ballot and defends the amendment if it is challenged in court.

Three Ways You Can Weigh In

First Two Chances: Speak Up in Committee and Contact Your Legislators
When the resolution is heard in the House and Senate, committees have comment periods. You can ask to speak and talk directly to the lawmakers while the measure is being considered. Hearings are also broadcast live and recorded so you can watch later. Outside those meetings, there’s still time across more than one legislative term and an election to contact your House member and state senator before the final vote.

Third Chance: Vote on the Ballot
Once on the ballot, getting a simple majority of “yes” votes is not enough. The yes votes also have to be more than half of all the votes cast in that year’s governor’s race. If you skip the question, it works the same as a no. If the measure doesn’t clear that high bar, the amendment fails and nothing changes. Legislators have to go back to the drawing board and start the whole multi-year process over if they want to try again.

It’s Up to YOU

You have chances to speak in committee, years to reach your legislators, and a tough final vote. Changing the Constitution depends on you staying engaged and informed, and showing up from the beginning all the way to the ballot box.