When Louisiana voters head to the polls on May 16, they will be asked to decide more than just candidates. The ballot will also include five proposed constitutional amendments, each dealing with a different issue ranging from education and taxes to state jobs and the courts. These proposals have already passed through the Legislature, but they cannot become law unless voters across the state approve them.

One of the amendments would deal with state civil service, giving the Legislature more authority to add or remove certain positions in the unclassified state civil service by law. Another amendment focuses on the St. George community school system in East Baton Rouge Parish and would give it the same constitutional authority as a parish school system in areas such as funding and school operations.

A third amendment may get a lot of attention from school employees and families. It would direct money connected to savings in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana to help fund pay raises of $2,250 for certificated school employees and $1,125 for support staff, along with related changes to certain education funds.

Another proposed amendment deals with business inventory property taxes. If approved, it would allow parishes more flexibility when it comes to reducing or exempting those taxes, while also making related changes to how some public service property is classified for tax purposes. The fifth proposal would raise the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75, though judges would still be allowed to finish the terms they are serving.

For local voters, the amendments may not all sound equally familiar, but each one could affect how parts of state and local government operate in the future. Because constitutional amendments are harder to change later than regular laws, election officials encourage voters to read them carefully before casting a ballot.

Election Day is May 16, and early voting runs from May 2 through May 9, excluding Sunday, May 3.