Author: Brandon McCauley
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Indiana becomes the third state, after Alabama and Tennessee, to advance a bail-related constitutional amendment to voters in 2026
The Indiana General Assembly approved a constitutional amendment related to bail for the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Lawmakers passed the amendment on Feb. 17, 2026. Introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR 1), the constitutional amendment would provide that offenses, other than murder or treason, are bailable "unless the accused poses a…
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Voters to decide 12 ballot measures at March 3 Town Meeting Day in Montpelier, Vermont
Voters in Montpelier, Vermont, will decide on 12 measures on the Town Meeting Day ballot on March 3, including a measure that would advise the mayor and city council to adopt a pledge to "join others in working to end all support to Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation." Town Meeting Day is…
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Nevada voters approved an amendment to ban duel participants from holding office and allow women to serve on school boards 137 years ago, on Feb. 11, 1889
On this day, Feb. 11, 1889, Nevada voters amended their state constitution to prohibit duel participants from holding office and voting, as well as to allow women who meet certain age and residency requirements to hold specific school offices. The amendment, which appeared on the ballot as State Question 19 at the time, prohibited anyone…
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Colorado voters to decide on initiative requiring law enforcement to notify DHS when individuals charged with certain crimes lack verified legal immigration status
Voters in Colorado will decide on a constitutional amendment that would establish law enforcement reporting requirements based on the type of crime an individual is charged with, their prior criminal history, and their immigration status on Nov. 3, 2026. The measure—known as Initiative 95—would add a new section to Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution…
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Wisconsin Legislature places two constitutional amendments on the ballot, addressing emergency closure of places of worship and preferential treatment by government entities
The Wisconsin State Legislature advanced two proposed constitutional amendments on Jan. 21, 2026, for the statewide general election ballot for Nov. 3, 2026. Both amendments were also approved during the previous legislative session. In Wisconsin, a proposed constitutional amendment must receive majority approval in each legislative chamber during two consecutive sessions before it can be…
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Signatures filed for two Washington ballot initiatives on school sports eligibility based on biological sex and certain parental rights in public schools
Signatures were submitted in Washington on Jan. 2, 2026, for two Initiatives to the Legislature that address school sports eligibility requirements based on biological sex and certain parental rights in public schools. At least 308,911 signatures must be verified for each initiative. According to Let's Go Washington, which sponsors the initiatives, 416,201 signatures were filed…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado Initiative 95 on law enforcement notification to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security based on criminal charges and immigration status
In Colorado, signatures were submitted to the secretary of state on Dec. 26, 2025, for a ballot initiative related to law enforcement reporting requirements based on the type of crime an individual is charged with, their previous criminal history, and their immigration status. More specifically, the measure—referred to as Initiative 95—would amend the Colorado Constitution…
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Colorado voters to decide ballot initiative increasing penalties for the sale and possession of fentanyl
Voters in Colorado are set to decide on an initiated state statute that would establish higher felony classifications and mandatory penalties for the manufacturing, dispensing, sale, and possession of fentanyl and certain synthetic opioids. The measure, referred to as Initiative 85, would also require court-ordered treatment for certain low-level fentanyl possession felony offenses, as well…
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California voters decided on 42 local ballot measures in 2025, the lowest total for an odd-numbered year in at least a decade
In 2025, voters in California decided on 42 ballot measures across eight elections and 17 counties. The total number of local ballot measures in California in 2025 was the lowest in at least a decade, with three fewer measures than in 2023, even as the number of local ballot measures in the nation’s largest cities…
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Five states certify measures on vote thresholds for ballot initiatives and amendments; one additional measure is pending
Voters in up to six states could decide on ballot measures establishing or changing vote requirements for initiatives and amendments in 2026. Five states have already certified their respective measures for the ballot, and one is a proposed legislative referral that requires additional votes for certification. Measures certified for the ballot Five states have ballot…