Welcome to the Tuesday, April 15, Brew.
By: Lara Bonatesta and Joseph Brusgard
Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- North Dakota could become the third state to require a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments
- It’s Election Day in Newark and Oakland. Newark 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for the first time, Oakland voters to elect new mayor after historic recall
- Nine members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026
North Dakota could become the third state to require a 60% threshold for constitutional amendments
North Dakota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the threshold for a constitutional amendment from a simple majority vote (50%+1) to a 60% supermajority requirement. The supermajority requirement would apply to both constitutional amendments proposed using the initiative process and those from the Legislature. This amendment will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026.
Right now, two states – Florida and Illinois – have a 60% threshold for all constitutional amendments.
In all states except Delaware, legislatures need voter approval to amend their state constitutions.
Along with North Dakota, two other states – South Dakota and Utah– will decide on similar amendments in 2026. If voters in all three states decide to pass these amendments, there would be a total of five states with 60% supermajority thresholds.
North Dakota State Sen. Jeff Barta (R-43) said, “It’s quite likely that we all agree that it should be possible to change our state’s foundational document, however it should be more difficult than it currently is.”
The League of Women Voters of North Dakota testified against the amendment, saying, “The citizen initiative process is a hallmark of direct democracy. It promotes civic engagement, increases government accountability, and provides a channel for North Dakotans to elevate an issue that might otherwise not be addressed.”
Supermajority requirements for constitutional amendments
Eleven states require either a supermajority vote or some other threshold for approval.
These include:
- New Hampshire: two-thirds (66.67%) requirement. This is the highest vote requirement in the nation.
- Florida: 60% supermajority requirement
- In 2006, Florida voters approved Amendment 3, which changed the supermajority requirement to approve constitutional amendments from a simple majority to a 60% supermajority. Since then, 13 constitutional amendments won a majority of the vote (50.01%) but were defeated because they did not achieve a 60% threshold for approval. In the 2024 general election, this included Amendment 3, which would have legalized marijuana for adult use in Florida, and Amendment 4, which would have established a state constitutional right to abortion. In 1996, Florida voters approved Amendment 1, which set a higher threshold for tax and fee amendments, 69.2% to 30.8%. The amendment requires that proposed new state taxes or fees must receive at least two-thirds (66.67%) of the vote.
- Illinois: Constitutional amendments must be approved by a supermajority vote of 60% of those voting on the question or a majority of those who cast a ballot for any office in that election.
- Colorado: 55% supermajority requirement.
- Hawaii, Minnesota, and Wyoming: A majority of the total ballots cast in an election is required rather than a majority of those voting on the question, meaning a blank vote has the same effect as a ‘no’ vote in these three states.
- Four other states — Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Tennessee – also have other requirements, such as requiring a simple majority vote on the ballot measure and a certain percentage of voter turnout or ballots cast.
In some states, supermajority requirements are applied to specific ballot measure topics, such as tax increases, lotteries, or changing vote requirements.
Ballot measures surrounding supermajority requirements
Here are some other ballot measures related to supermajority requirements that voters will decide in 2026:
- South Dakota voters will decide on an amendment that would require a 60% supermajority vote to adopt constitutional amendments.
- Utah voters will decide on an amendment that would require a 60% supermajority vote to approve initiatives that make certain tax-related changes.
- California voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would require citizen-initiated constitutional amendments that propose a higher vote threshold for future state or local ballot measures to meet the same higher threshold to pass (for example, a ballot initiative proposing a 60% requirement for certain other measures would itself require a 60% vote to pass).
Between 1912 and 2024, 26 measures related to supermajority requirements were on the ballot. Twelve were approved, and 14 were defeated.
The last time voters decided on a statewide measure to create a supermajority requirement was in 2023, when Ohio voters rejected Issue 1, which would have established a 60% supermajority requirement for new constitutional amendments.
In addition to this measure, North Dakota is considering other amendments that could affect the state’s ballot initiative process. To read more about these potential ballot measures, click here.
It’s Election Day in Newark and Oakland. Newark 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for the first time, Oakland voters to elect new mayor after historic recall
Today, the cities of Newark, New Jersey, and Oakland, California are holding elections. Here is a brief breakdown of notable races on the ballot.
In Newark:
Eleven candidates are running in the nonpartisan general election for three at-large Newark Public Schools school board seats.
As we mentioned in our April 7 edition of the Daily Brew, this is the first election in which 16- and 17-year-olds can vote. In January 2024, the Newark City Council voted to lower the voting age for local school board elections. According to § 21:1-2 of the Newark city charter, any citizen who is at least 16 or will be 16 on election day is eligible to vote in school board elections.
Of the 11 candidates, six are running on two slates of three candidates, and five candidates are independent.
Incumbent Kanileah Anderson is running for re-election, and incumbents Crystal Williams and Daniel Gonzalez are not. Anderson is running on the “Moving Newark Schools Forward” slate alongside Louis Maisonave Jr. and David Daughety. Chalkbeat Newark’s Jessie Gómez wrote the slate “garners support from state and local politicians, including Mayor Ras Baraka (D) and state Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz (D), every year.”
Ade’Kamil Kelly, Shana Melius, and Nathanael Barthelemy are running on the “Prioritizing Newark’s Children” slate. According to an official Facebook post, the slate is “dedicated to ensuring our schools put students first by improving resources, opportunities, and outcomes for every child.”
Elaine Asyah Aquil, DeWayne Bush, Latoya Jackson, Yolanda Johnson, and Jordy Nivar. Are running independently of a slate.
In Oakland:
Oakland is holding a special election for mayor. In November’s elections, voters recalled incumbent Sheng Thao, the first time a mayor has been recalled in the city’s history. To see our previous coverage of this election and the 2024 recall, check out our March 6, 2025, and Nov. 15, 2024 editions of the Daily Brew.
The election is nonpartisan, and the winner will complete the remainder of Thao’s term.
Nine candidates are running in the election. Interim mayor Kevin Jenkins is not running. Three candidates lead in media attention and endorsements: Barbara Lee, Loren Taylor, and Renia Webb.
Lee is a former U.S. Representative and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2024. On her website, Lee says her priorities include public safety, addressing homelessness, and improving government transparency.
Taylor is a former city council member and candidate for mayor in 2022. On his website, Taylor says his priorities include public safety, fixing the city’s budget, and revitalizing city businesses.
Webb was a teacher and a former chief of staff for Thao when she was on the city council. On her website, Webb says her priorities include public safety, economic revitalization, fiscal responsibility, affordable housing, and public health.
President Cristina Grappo, Peter Liu, Mindy Pechenuk, Suz Robinson, Eric Simpson, and Elizabeth Swaney are also running.
This election uses ranked-choice voting (RCV), which allows voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference.
Oakland is also holding a special election for District 2 of the city council. Six candidates are running in that election, three of whom have completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey.
Additionally, Oakland voters will also decide on Measure A, which would enact a 0.5% sales and use tax for 10 years to provide general government funding. Click here to learn more about the local ballot measure.
Newark and Oakland are among the 100 most populous cities in the United States. Ballotpedia provides in-depth coverage of elections in these cities.
Nine members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026
Since our March 19 update on congressional retirements, three members of the U.S. House of Representatives—one Democrat and two Republicans—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Those representatives include:
- Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) announced his candidacy for Tennessee governor on March 20.
- Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire on April 3.
- Rep. John James (R-Mich.) announced his candidacy for Michigan governor on April 7.
Additionally, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) announced his candidacy for Colorado governor on April 10. Because Bennet is not up for re-election until 2028, he is not included in this analysis.
Including the announcements above, nine members of Congress—four senators and five representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2024.
U.S. Senate
Four senators—three Democrats and one Republican—announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. They are Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).
Compared to the last four election cycles, there were two retirement announcements at this point in 2024, five in 2022, three in 2020, and none in 2018.
U.S. House of Representatives
Five representatives—one Democrat and four Republicans—announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Of the five representatives not seeking re-election:
- One Democrat is running for the U.S. Senate
- Four Republicans are running for governor.
Compared to the last four election cycles, there were eight retirement announcements at this point in 2024, 11 in 2022, five in 2020, and seven in 2018.
Between January 2011 and April 2025, Ballotpedia tracked 356 announcements from members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who announced they would not seek re-election. January had seen the highest number of announcements of any month at 69. The fewest announcements—12—happened in June.
Click here for a deep dive into congressional retirements.