The Texas constitutional amendment process runs on two votes: a two-thirds supermajority in each chamber of the state legislature, followed by a simple majority of Texans voting on the proposition at a statewide election. The governor does not sign the amendment into law, and citizens cannot place one on the ballot by petition. Since the current constitution took effect in 1876, the legislature has proposed 714 amendments and voters have adopted 530 of them.
The Legislature Starts Every Amendment
Texas reserves the amendment power entirely for its legislature. There is no initiative or referendum process. If you want language added to, removed from, or rewritten in the Texas Constitution, you have to persuade a state representative or senator to file a joint resolution.
Resolutions can be filed during regular sessions, which meet every two years starting in January of odd-numbered years for 140 days, or during special sessions called by the governor. In a special session, the amendment topic has to fall within the purposes the governor specified in the call.1Texas Legislative Reference Library. Frequently Asked Questions About Special Sessions Special-session amendments are rarer in practice.
Two-Thirds of Each Chamber Must Approve
A joint resolution advances only if two-thirds of all members elected to each chamber vote for it, with every vote recorded by name in the journals.2State of Texas. Texas Constitution Article 17 – Mode of Amending the Constitution of This State The Texas House has 150 members and the Senate has 31, so the working thresholds are 100 votes in the House and 21 in the Senate.3Justia Law. Texas Constitution Art 3 – Sec 2 Ordinary bills pass with a simple majority, so an amendment demands substantially broader agreement among lawmakers.
Both chambers must approve identical resolution language. The text of the resolution becomes the actual amendment added to the constitution and also shapes the ballot language voters see, so phrasing is often debated at length.
The Governor Has No Role at This Stage
Once a joint resolution clears both chambers with the required supermajority, it does not go to the governor’s desk. The governor cannot veto, amend, or delay a proposed constitutional amendment.2State of Texas. Texas Constitution Article 17 – Mode of Amending the Constitution of This State The amendment process runs directly from the legislature to the voters, and the executive branch is cut out of that decision.
Public Notice Before the Election
After a resolution passes, the Secretary of State prepares an explanatory statement for each proposed amendment describing its purpose and effect in plain terms.4Texas Secretary of State. Explanatory Statements for the November 4, 2025 Constitutional Amendment Election The Texas Legislative Council publishes a longer analysis of each proposal, laying out current law and what would change if voters approve.5Texas Legislative Council. Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments 2025
The constitution also requires that proposed amendments be published in newspapers across the state before the election, and the Secretary of State coordinates with county election officials so the ballot language is distributed uniformly.
Voters Decide Each Proposition Separately
Each proposed amendment appears as its own numbered proposition on the ballot. You vote “For” or “Against” on each one independently, so you can support Proposition 2 and reject Proposition 5 in the same election. Ratification takes a simple majority of the votes cast on that specific proposition.2State of Texas. Texas Constitution Article 17 – Mode of Amending the Constitution of This State Overall turnout does not matter; only the yes-to-no ratio on the proposition itself.
Amendment elections typically fall on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Because the legislature meets in odd-numbered years, most amendment votes also happen in odd-numbered years, when no major statewide offices are on the ballot. The November 2025 election put 17 propositions to voters, and all 17 were approved, on topics ranging from property tax exemptions for elderly homeowners to a dementia research institute funded at $3 billion.
Canvass and Gubernatorial Proclamation
After the election, county returns go through a canvassing period, and the Secretary of State reviews them to confirm which propositions received majority support.6Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Effective Dates of Constitutional Amendments The governor then issues a proclamation declaring each successful amendment adopted.7Office of the Texas Governor. Governor Abbott Issues Proclamation Certifying Two Constitutional Amendments
The proclamation is ministerial. The governor cannot refuse to sign or use it as leverage. Unless the joint resolution set a delayed effective date, the amendment becomes part of the Texas Constitution as soon as the governor signs the proclamation, and it carries the same legal authority as every other provision in the document.
Federal Law Still Sits Above the Result
Clearing the legislature and winning at the polls does not make a Texas amendment untouchable. The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution makes federal law the “supreme Law of the Land” and binds state judges to it regardless of what a state constitution says.8Legal Information Institute. Current Doctrine on the Supremacy Clause If a Texas amendment conflicts with a federal statute or the U.S. Constitution, federal courts can strike it down under preemption doctrine.
The amendment process itself contains no built-in check for federal compatibility. Conflicts typically surface only after adoption, when someone challenges the provision in court.
Why Texas Amends So Often
The 1876 constitution was written with narrow, specific provisions rather than broad grants of authority. Matters that other states handle through ordinary legislation often require a formal amendment in Texas, which is why the running total sits at 714 proposals and 530 adoptions. Fewer than 200 proposals have been voted down since 1876. That near-75-percent approval rate suggests the two-thirds legislative threshold does most of the filtering, and proposals that survive it tend to have enough appeal to pass with voters as well.