How are constitutional amendments adopted in Georgia?

• A. They are proposed by a simple majority in one session and approved by the governor.
• B. They must be proposed by two-thirds vote of both houses in two successive sessions, then approved by a statewide referendum.
• C. They require unanimous approval of both houses and the governor.
• D. They are proposed by citizen initiative with a simple majority vote in a statewide election.

Answer: (B)

Georgia requires broad and deliberate consensus before changing its fundamental law. A proposed amendment must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to and serving in both the Senate and the House in two consecutive legislative sessions. After passing the second time, the amendment goes to the people in a statewide referendum, and a simple majority of voters statewide approves it for inclusion in the Constitution. This setup ensures that amendments aren’t pushed through quickly and that both chambers, across more than one session, and the electorate, all buy in. The other options don’t fit because they rely on only a single session, or on unanimous support, or on citizen initiative, none of which align with Georgia’s two-session, two-thirds legislative threshold followed by a statewide vote.