Texans are gearing up for a pivotal moment in the state’s political and policy landscape as 17 constitutional amendments—covering everything from property tax relief to water infrastructure and voting requirements—are set to appear on the statewide ballot this November. The upcoming election, scheduled for November 4, 2025, will give voters the final say on a sweeping set of measures that could reshape the state’s finances, public services, and even the rules of democracy itself.
According to The Texas Tribune, these amendments are the result of a two-thirds majority in the Texas Legislature earlier this year, which passed a series of joint resolutions alongside the state’s $51 billion budget for the next two years. The budget, buoyed by inflation and temporary federal stimulus dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic, is funding billions in property tax cuts for homeowners and businesses—a move that Governor Greg Abbott and other proponents say will keep Texas competitive and business-friendly, spurring economic growth.
But not everyone is convinced that the state can have its cake and eat it too. Shannon Halbrook, a fiscal policy director for the nonpartisan group Every Texan, cautioned, “We always have to kind of balance giving folks tax relief versus making sure that we still preserve revenue for those public services.” Halbrook and other budget analysts worry that the deluge of tax cuts—especially those affecting school district taxes, which the state helps pay for—could end up being unsustainable, potentially putting education, healthcare, and infrastructure at risk if economic circumstances change.
Among the most high-profile amendments is one that would explicitly clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote in Texas elections, a move championed by Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson. On September 19, 2025, Nelson announced that Texas had entered into memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with nine other states—Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia—to share voter registration data. The goal, she said, is to prevent duplicate voter registrations and potential voter fraud by securely comparing registration records across state lines. "These agreements are a significant step in our ongoing commitment to maintain accurate voter registration lists and upholding the integrity of our elections. By working together, we are demonstrating how states can responsibly share information while protecting voter data," Nelson stated, as reported by The Center Square.
The MOUs outline strict confidentiality and cybersecurity protocols. Any detected duplicate registrations or potential fraud are to be referred to appropriate authorities for further investigation. Nelson indicated that Texas plans to expand these agreements to additional states, further enhancing election security by allowing states to work together to identify cross-state duplicate registrations and prevent voting in multiple jurisdictions. “Texans expect fair and transparent elections,” she added. “These agreements provide an effective framework for safeguarding our voter rolls, and we look forward to expanding this initiative with other states in the near future.”
This push for election integrity follows several other measures: Texas recently launched an election security grant program to help all 254 counties comply with new requirements, such as paper audit trails, updated electronic pollbooks, improved video surveillance, and IT security upgrades. Earlier this year, Nelson’s office referred 33 potential noncitizens to the Office of Attorney General for investigation after gaining access to a federal database to verify citizenship status. In 2024, Texas removed 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls and has requested more information about nearly half a million registered voters whose citizenship remains unverified.
On the tax front, the November ballot is loaded with measures designed to provide relief to a wide range of Texans. According to The Texas Tribune, amendments would lower property taxes for homeowners, businesses, elderly and disabled residents, spouses of veterans, and even homeowners who lost their homes to fire. One measure would allow the state to exempt up to $125,000 of business inventory or equipment from property taxes—an increase from the current $2,500 threshold—with the state covering the resulting losses for school districts. Another would temporarily exempt the value of homes destroyed by fire, helping affected homeowners recover financially.
There are also amendments to prohibit new state taxes on capital gains, securities transactions, and inheritances, reflecting a desire to keep Texas tax-competitive and avoid the pitfalls seen in other states. For instance, the capital gains tax ban aims to reinforce the state’s existing income tax prohibition, while the securities transaction tax ban is intended to protect the state’s burgeoning financial sector and retirement savers. Critics, however, argue that such prohibitions could limit the state’s fiscal flexibility in the future.
Beyond taxes, the ballot includes proposals with far-reaching implications for public policy and state infrastructure. Voters will decide whether to dedicate up to $1 billion annually from sales tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund, addressing urgent needs for water supply, infrastructure repairs, and drought mitigation. This comes as Texas faces mounting challenges from population growth, aging infrastructure, and climate change-induced droughts. A Texas 2036 report estimated the state will need nearly $154 billion for water projects by 2050, underscoring the stakes of this amendment.
Education and research are also on the ballot. One amendment would create an endowment for the Texas State Technical College, which currently lacks taxing authority to issue bonds for capital improvements. Supporters say the endowment would help upgrade campuses and close the state’s growing skills gap in fields like plumbing and welding. Another measure would provide $3 billion to establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, modeled after the state’s successful Cancer Research and Prevention Institute, to fund research on dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
Public safety and judicial accountability are addressed as well. One proposition would require judges to deny bail in certain felony cases, such as murder and aggravated assault, if the state can show that bail would not ensure public safety or prevent flight. While Republican leaders argue this will reduce violent crimes by keeping dangerous defendants behind bars, civil rights groups warn it could worsen jail overcrowding without meaningfully improving safety. Another amendment would overhaul the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, increasing citizen representation and changing disciplinary processes for judges—a move proponents say will improve transparency and accountability, though critics fear it could politicize the commission.
Other notable amendments would enshrine parental rights in the state constitution, authorize property tax exemptions for animal feed inventory and border security infrastructure, and increase homestead exemptions for elderly and disabled Texans. Local governments, facing their own budget pressures, are asking voters in some cities (such as Austin) to approve local property tax hikes to compensate for state-imposed limits and rising costs.
To participate in these decisions, Texans must register to vote by October 6, 2025. Early voting runs from October 20 to 31, and mail-in ballot applications are due by October 24. The constitutional amendments will appear at the top of the ballot, above any local races or measures.
As Texas voters prepare to weigh these consequential measures, the debate continues over how best to balance tax relief, public investment, and the integrity of the state’s democratic processes. The choices made this November will reverberate for years to come, shaping the future of the Lone Star State in ways both seen and unseen.
