Author: Alexis Thacker
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Massachusetts initiative would require local voter approval and other conditions for data center permits, the second statewide proposal following Ohio
A Massachusetts citizen filed an initiative petition with the state Election Division that would prohibit local permitting agencies from issuing a data center permit until certain conditions are met and the data center is approved by two-thirds of the local electorate. The conditions include: A data center is a physical facility that houses computer systems…
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Two referred ballot measures were ruled unconstitutional and blocked from the Arizona ballot by Maricopa County Judges
Arizona voters will not decide Proposition 143 or Proposition 145 after two separate Maricopa County Superior judges ruled they violated the state’s separate amendment rule and were unconstitutional. Proposition 143 On July 24, Judge Gregory Como issued a ruling stating that Proposition 143 was unconstitutional. Proposition 143, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, would have prohibited…
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Massachusetts voters will decide on nine ballot measures in 2026, tying the year for the most measures on a Massachusetts ballot since 1918
Massachusetts voters will decide nine statewide ballot measures in November 2026, tying 1972, 1976, and 1994 for the second-highest number in state history. Secretary of State William Galvin (D) announced on July 17 that campaigns for eight initiative petitions had collected enough valid signatures to qualify their measures for the ballot. A previously certified veto…
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Idaho initiative to create a statutory right to abortion becomes the fourth abortion-related measure on 2026 ballots
The Idaho secretary of state announced on July 13, 2026, that Idahoans United for Women and Families submitted enough valid signatures to place an initiative on the ballot to create a right to reproductive freedom and privacy in state law. The initiative would provide that “Every person has the right to reproductive freedom and privacy."…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado initiative proposing a constitutional right to hunt and fish; 24 states currently have such provisions
In Colorado, the International Order of T. Roosevelt submitted signatures to the secretary of state on July 8, 2026, to qualify an initiative for the ballot to create a constitutional amendment protecting the right to hunt and fish. The initiated constitutional amendment — Initiative 302 — would establish the right of the people to hunt,…
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Arizona campaign submits 421,451 signatures for initiative to limit Empowerment Scholarship Account eligibility and spending
In Arizona, the Protect Education, Accountability Now campaign submitted 421,451 signatures to the Arizona secretary of state on July 2 for its initiative. It was the only campaign among the six initiatives filed for the November 2026 election to submit signatures for review. Of the six initiatives, two were initiated constitutional amendments, and four were…
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Arizona legislature adds seven measures to the November ballot, bringing the total to 10 ballot measures for voters to decide
The Arizona State Legislature approved seven ballot measures for the Nov. 2026 ballot before adjourning in the early morning hours on June 13, 2026. To place a measure on the statewide ballot, both chambers of the state legislature must approve the bill by a simple majority vote. The bill does not need to be signed…
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Rhode Island voters will weigh in on five bond issues in Nov. 2026 included in the state's budget
Rhode Island voters will decide on five bond issues in the November 2026 election. The five bond measures would approve a total of $600 million in general obligation bonds. The bond issues would fund housing development, higher education facilities, economic infrastructure development, environmental protection, and historical preservation. A general obligation bond is a debt backed…
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Minnesota voters to decide on a constitutional amendment that would allow more state funds to be distributed to school districts each year
Minnesota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the policies surrounding the investment and distribution of the Minnesota Permanent School Fund. On May 16, 2026, the Minnesota state legislature approved House File 3900 (HF 3900), which placed the constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. On March 2,…
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Virginia Supreme Court voids election results for Virginia redistricting referendum, blocking implementation of a map that would have shifted four congressional seats towards Democrats
The Virginia Supreme Court voided and nullified the election results for the April 21 Virginia redistricting amendment on May 8, 2026. The court issued a ruling that stated that the Virginia General Assembly violated procedural requirements when placing the Virginia redistricting amendment on the April 2026 ballot. Voter approved the amendment at the April 21…