Author: Brandon McCauley
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Ballot measure campaigns raised more than $1.2 billion so far in 2026 and spent a record-high $193 million on signature drives
Campaigns supporting and opposing the 164 statewide ballot measures in 2026 raised more than $1.2 billion. Initiative campaigns spent a record $193 million on signature gathering. Campaign finance Here's a look at the five states whose ballot measures raised the most as of Oct. 26, 2026: In 2024, the top three states were California (29.5%),…
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California voters will decide on 462 local ballot measures in November, the second-lowest number since 2018
Voters across California will decide on 462 local ballot measures during the general election on Nov. 3, 2026 — the lowest number since 2018. The even-numbered year with the fewest local ballot measures in California during the general election was 2020, at 413. Los Angeles County has the most measures on the ballot, with 68,…
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Washington voters will decide on three ballot measures in 2026, including topics on public education, school sports and sex, and income taxes
On Nov. 3, Washington voters will decide on three ballot measures — all of which are initiated state statutes — with topics covering certain parental rights in public schools, LGBTQ issues, and income taxes. Initiative 1 The first initiative that voters in Washington will decide on — Initiative 1 — would reenact an indirect initiated…
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Washington Supreme Court overturns natural gas initiative approved by voters in 2024
On Sept. 17, 2026, the Washington Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved initiative on natural gas regulations, ruling it violated the state constitution's single-subject rule. The measure — known as Initiative 2066 — was approved on Nov. 5, 2024, and concerned natural gas regulations, prohibiting legal restrictions or penalties on access to natural gas and requiring…
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Colorado voters will decide on 14 ballot measures in 2026
On Nov. 3, Colorado voters will decide on 14 ballot measures, including seven state statutes, six constitutional amendments, and one combined constitutional amendment and state statute. Of the proposed state statutes, six were led by citizen initiatives, and one was a legislative referral and would require a simple majority vote to be approved: Of the…
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Colorado voters will decide on a graduated income tax initiative that competes with an income tax cap measure in November
On Nov. 3, 2026, voters in Colorado will decide on a ballot initiative that would establish a graduated income tax. Initiative 195 The measure, Initiative 195, would establish a six-tier structure for state income taxes, ranging from 3.7% to 8.4%, and remove the uniform tax rate requirement from the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR). Currently,…
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Colorado voters to decide on constitutional amendment that would require approval from an independent commission and the state supreme court for mid-decade redistricting maps
Voters in Colorado will decide on a ballot measure related to mid-decade redistricting on Nov. 3, 2026. The initiated constitutional amendment — known as Initiative 256 — would require any mid-decade redistricting plan to be approved by both the state's independent redistricting commission and the Colorado Supreme Court. The Colorado secretary of state's office certified…
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Colorado voters to decide on constitutional amendment requiring ballot questions at an eighth-grade reading level and limiting conflicting language requirements
Voters in Colorado will decide on an initiated constitutional amendment related to the readability of ballot measure questions. Initiative 234 The initiative — known as Initiative 234 — would require ballot questions to be in plain language, at no more than an eighth-grade reading level. It would also prohibit the enforcement of any state law…
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Colorado mail ballot voter ID initiative becomes seventh voter ID measure certified for 2026—the most in a single year
Voters in Colorado will decide on an initiated constitutional amendment related to voter ID for mail-in ballots — the seventh measure to cover this topic in 2026, and the most to appear on statewide ballots in a single year. Initiative 362 The initiated constitutional amendment — known as Initiative 362 — would add a new…
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Colorado voters to decide on the first citizen initiative establishing a constitutional right to hunt and fish
Voters in Colorado will decide on a ballot measure related to the right to hunt and fish on Nov. 3, 2026. Initiative 302 The initiated constitutional amendment — Initiative 302 — would establish the right of the people to hunt, fish, and otherwise take fish and wildlife, including by traditional methods. It would also specify…