ST. MARY PARISH — Voters in St. Mary Parish and across Louisiana will consider 10 proposed changes to the state constitution in the November 3, 2026, election. The proposals address property taxes, criminal bail, governor term limits, retirement debt and drinking water infrastructure.
All 10 amendments are statewide ballot questions, meaning eligible voters throughout St. Mary Parish can vote on each proposal, regardless of which city or community they live in.
Each amendment is decided separately. A “yes” vote supports the proposed change, while a “no” vote keeps the existing constitutional provisions. Each proposal needs a majority of votes cast statewide to pass, according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
Amendment 1 — Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Disabled Veterans
This proposal would allow an eligible surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-connected disability to transfer an additional property tax exemption to another qualifying home one time. Approval would let the spouse retain that benefit when moving.
Amendment 2 — Local Property Tax Rates
Local taxing authorities could continue charging a lower property tax rate without losing their ability to return to a previously authorized maximum rate before the tax expires. Currently, that authority can be lost at the next property reassessment. Raising the rate would still require a public hearing and a two-thirds vote of the taxing body.
Amendment 3 — Bail After Conviction for Certain Crimes Against Children
The amendment would prohibit post-conviction bail for defendants convicted of certain aggravated offenses against a minor child. It addresses release after a conviction, rather than the initial bail decision following an arrest.
Amendment 4 — Lifetime Limits for Governors
The proposal would prevent anyone who has served more than one and one-half terms as governor from being elected to another term. Current rules limit consecutive service but allow a former governor to seek office again after sitting out a term.
Amendment 5 — Paying State Retirement Debt
State retirement systems could apply one-time state funding they receive to any unfunded pension liability instead of being required to pay the oldest liability first. The change concerns how retirement debt is paid.
Amendment 6 — Additional Property Tax Relief for Seniors
Parishes and municipalities could offer additional property tax exemptions to qualifying homeowners age 65 and older. The benefit would increase with age. Statewide passage would not automatically provide the exemption in St. Mary Parish; local officials and local voters would also have to approve it. The earliest the additional relief could begin is 2028.
Amendment 7 — Drinking Water Lines on Private Property
The proposal would authorize local public funding to identify, inventory, remove or replace qualifying drinking water service lines on customers’ private property. It covers materials addressed by federal lead and copper rules.
Amendment 8 — Property Expropriation by Foreign Adversaries
This amendment would prohibit foreign adversaries or their agents from expropriating property. Expropriation is the compulsory taking of private property for an authorized public purpose, with compensation to the owner.
Amendment 9 — Income Eligibility for a Property Assessment Freeze
The proposal would raise the base income limit for qualifying homeowners to receive a special property assessment freeze from $100,000 to $150,000. Applicants would still have to meet other eligibility requirements. The freeze limits increases in a home’s assessed value; it does not guarantee an unchanged tax bill if tax rates change.
Amendment 10 — Tax Incentives for Rehabilitated Properties
The amendment would authorize an optional parish program offering property tax exemptions for rehabilitated properties that were previously blighted or derelict. The Legislature would be required to establish rules for administering the exemptions.
Early voting for the November 3 election is scheduled for October 20 through October 27, excluding Sunday, October 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters can review their sample ballot and polling information through sos.la.gov or the GeauxVote mobile app.
