Author: Jackie Mitchell
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Fourteen bills that could make the initiative process more difficult were passed in 2024, tying with 2021 for the highest total since 2018
In the 2024 legislative sessions, 40 bills and resolutions concerning direct democracy—such as ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall petitions—were passed. This exceeded the annual average of 34 bills enacted between 2018 and 2023. In 2024, state legislatures passed 14 bills that could make the initiative process more difficult and four bills that could make it…
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Legislatures considered 334 proposals related to initiative, referendum, and recall in 2024 and passed 40 of them
Twenty-six states provide for an initiative or referendum process that allows citizens to collect signatures to place an initiative on the ballot to propose a new law, amend an existing law, or reject a law passed by their state legislature. State constitutions and statutes provide the frameworks that govern a state’s direct democracy process, including…
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Wyoming voters to decide on ballot initiative to exempt 50% of home property value from taxes, the first initiative to appear on the state’s ballot in 30 years
Wyoming voters will decide on a ballot initiative at the Nov. 3, 2026, election—the first initiative to reach the ballot in 30 years. The ballot initiative would create a homeowner’s property tax exemption. This would exempt 50% of a primary residence’s assessed value. To qualify, homeowners must have lived in the state for at least…
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Number of local ballot measures in the 100 largest cities and state capitals has increased every election cycle since 2018
In 2024, Ballotpedia covered local measures that appeared on the ballot for voters within the top 100 largest cities in the U.S. and in the state capitals not among the 100 largest cities. There were 502 local measures across 37 states on the ballot for voters in the top 100 largest cities and state capitals…
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North Carolina legislature sends constitutional amendment to 2026 ballot requiring photo ID to vote, including by mail
The North Carolina State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment to require photo identification to vote by mail or by other means, rather than only for voters voting in person. The amendment will appear on the Nov. 2026 ballot. In North Carolina, voter ID is currently required for those voting in person but is not required…
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Minimum wage set to increase in 23 states and D.C. in 2025 by an average of $0.75
In 2025, the minimum wage will increase in 23 states and Washington, D.C. The increases range from $0.25 in Montana and Ohio to $2.15 in Michigan. The 2025 increases come from state laws adopted in the past that provided for incremental increases and inflation adjustments as well as voter approval of minimum wage increase ballot…
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Louisiana voters to decide on four constitutional amendments addressing taxes, courts, and criminal justice on March 29, 2025
The Louisiana State Legislature approved bills for four constitutional amendments on Nov. 22, 2024. Voters will decide them on March 29, 2025. The constitutional amendments address the state’s tax structure, state courts, judicial elections for vacant seats, and juvenile criminal justice policies. Changes to state tax policy and government budget House Bill 7 would revise…
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Louisiana voters to decide on four constitutional amendments on Dec. 7
Voters in Louisiana will decide on four constitutional amendments on Dec. 7. The amendments address topics related to state courts, state legislative procedures, and property tax sales. They each received support from a majority of legislative Republicans and Democrats. Amendment 1 would make changes to the judiciary commission and discipline of judges, including: Amendment 2…
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California, Massachusetts become first states to reject minimum wage increase ballot measures since 1996
Ballot measures to increase the minimum wage were consistently approved from 1998 to 2023, with 24 measures passing during this period. In 2024, voters in California and Massachusetts broke the trend by rejecting proposals to increase minimum wages, the first such defeats since 1996. In California, voters rejected Proposition 32, which would have increased the…