Voters in seven states, including Kansas, where a measure is already certified, may consider election-related ballot measures in 2026. The certified and potential measures are detailed by status below.
On the ballot
The Kansas State Legislature voted earlier this year to send a constitutional amendment to the Aug. 6, 2026, primary ballot that would provide for the direct election of state supreme court justices at staggered elections and abolish the state nominating commission.
Currently, the seven justices are selected through an assisted appointment method. The nominating commission is responsible for providing the governor with the names of nominees, who must then choose a justice from that list. The commission is composed of nine members: one lawyer and one non-lawyer from each congressional district, and one additional lawyer who serves as chairperson.
Nonpartisan elections for Supreme Court justices are held in 13 states, while eight states hold partisan elections. The assisted appointment method, currently used in Kansas, is also used by 20 other states. Five states use the gubernatorial appointment method, and two states provide for legislative election.
Signatures pending verification
A campaign behind an initiative in Alaska that would repeal the top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting general elections, which were adopted in 2020, and establish a party primary system submitted signatures on Nov. 6. In Alaska, the initiative process is indirect, which means the legislature can pass the measure outright if enough signatures are valid. The number of signatures required for an indirect initiated state statute is equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last general election (34,098 signatures). Proponents must also collect signatures in each of three-fourths (30) of Alaska's 40 state House districts. Signatures from each district must equal 7% of the districtwide vote in the last general election.
Repeal Now, the campaign behind the initiative, reported submitting 48,000 signatures. If the initiative makes the ballot, it will be the second attempt to qualify for the ballot to repeal RCV in the state. A 2024 initiative to do so was defeated, with 50.1% opposing the repeal.
In Massachusetts, which also uses an indirect process for initiating state statutes, signatures were filed by a campaign sponsoring a measure to eliminate partisan primaries for state elections and establish a top-two primary system. Signatures equal to 3% of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election (74,574 signatures) were due by Dec. 3. If it is certified to the state legislature, it has until May 6 to act on the initiative. If it is not passed, the campaign must collect a second round of signatures equal to 0.5% of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election (12,429 signatures).
Cleared for signature gathering
A campaign behind a ranked-choice voting initiative in Michigan is currently collecting signatures. The initiative would also require that candidates for major offices receive a majority of votes to be elected, require timely notices of changes to polling places or voting procedures, authorize voters to cast a ballot if in line at the time the polls close, permit the use of paper ballots in all elections, allow voting for write-in candidates not listed on the ballot, and require primary elections held at least 140 days before the general election.
The campaign must collect signatures equal to 10% of votes cast in the last gubernatorial election (446,198 signatures) by July 6, 2026, to qualify the constitutional amendment for the ballot.
Two ballot initiatives in Montana are collecting signatures for measures that would provide for nonpartisan judicial elections in the state constitution. Montana statute currently requires nonpartisan elections. By adding it to the state constitution, the threshold for changing the elections from nonpartisan to partisan would require another constitutional amendment. To qualify an initiated constitutional amendment, campaigns need to collect signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election (60,241 signatures). The deadline to submit signatures to county clerks is June 19.
In Nevada, an initiated constitutional amendment that would establish a right for voters to participate in publicly funded elections and not require a voter to affiliate with a political party to participate in a publicly funded primary election is currently being circulated. The campaign needs to collect signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election (148,789 signatures). The deadline is June 24.
Oklahoma voters could also see a top-two primary initiative on the ballot in 2026. The campaign needs to collect signatures equal to 15% of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election (172,993 signatures). Signatures are due Jan. 26.
2024 electoral system ballot measures
In 2024, voters decided on a record number of statewide ballot measures on ranked-choice voting (RCV), all of which were rejected. In Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon, voters rejected measures to adopt RCV. In Alaska, voters decided on an initiative to repeal RCV, which was adopted in 2020. In Missouri, voters approved a constitutional amendment that would preempt RCV.
There were other electoral system changes on the ballot, some of which could have led to the adoption of RCV. In Arizona, Proposition 140 would have replaced partisan primaries with primaries in which candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, appear on a single ballot and a certain number advance to the general election, such as top-two or top-four primaries. Arizona Proposition 133, on the other hand, would have prohibited systems like top-two and top-four primaries, meaning Proposition 133 and Proposition 140 were competing measures. Both were rejected. In Montana, voters rejected two electoral system measures, one to adopt top-four primaries and another to require a majoritarian vote system for general elections, such as runoff elections or RCV.
In South Dakota, voters defeated Amendment H, which would have replaced partisan primaries with top-two primaries.