Author: Nicole Fisher
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Maine initiative on voter ID, absentee ballots, and dropboxes certified to legislature; will appear on the November 2025 ballot unless lawmakers enact it
In Maine, signatures for a citizen initiative to require photo voter identification, among other changes, were verified on Feb. 19, 2025. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) announced that the campaign submitted 86,904 valid signatures. A minimum of 67,682 valid signatures was required. The proposed initiative will now go to the state legislature for consideration.…
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Vermont towns to vote on ballot measures related to the Israel-Palestine conflict
Voters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and five Vermont towns will decide on ballot measures related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in the coming months. On May 20, Pittsburgh voters will decide on two charter amendments passed by the city council in response to a proposed citizen initiative that may also appear on the ballot. The potential citizen…
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Arizona voters have decided 476 ballot measures since 1911
Ballotpedia completed an inventory of all Arizona ballot measures since 1911, the year before statehood, and when voters adopted the initiative and referendum process. Between 1911 and 2024, Arizonans voted on 476 ballot measures. Two hundred and fifty-one (251) measures were approved, and 225 measures were defeated. In Arizona, measures can be placed on the…
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Nevada initiative to exempt teachers from strike ban moves to legislature, could appear on 2026 ballot
In Nevada, voters may decide on an initiative that would exempt public school teachers from the state’s prohibition on strikes. Petitioners submitted signatures on Nov. 18, 2024, and enough valid signatures were found to certify the measure to the legislature on Dec. 11, 2024. If the legislature does not act on the measure or rejects…
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Virginia’s two-session rule for constitutional amendment: House of Delegates election could affect the future of proposed amendments on abortion, marriage, and voting
Virginia voters may decide on constitutional amendments related to abortion, same-sex marriage, and voting rights restoration for persons convicted of felonies in 2026. However, their placement on the 2026 ballot may depend on a Democratic majority in the state legislature following the state legislature elections later this year. In Virginia, for a constitutional amendment to…
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Signatures submitted for Maine initiative to establish extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), a type of firearms regulation
Signatures have been submitted in Maine for a ballot initiative to establish a process for extreme risk protection orders, a policy related to firearms regulation. The ballot initiative, unless approved by the legislature, would appear on the ballot for Nov. 4, 2025. The Maine Gun Safety Coalition reported submitting more than 80,000 signatures to the…
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Alaska voters may decide on campaign finance and ranked-choice voting repeal ballot initiatives in 2026
Alaska voters may decide on two citizen-initiated measures in 2026—one measure that would enact new campaign finance limits, and another that would repeal top-four ranked choice voting in the state. Both measures are citizen-initiated ballot measures, meaning they were proposed by citizens rather than the state legislature. In Alaska, citizens have the power to initiate…
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Signatures submitted for Maine voter photo ID ballot initiative, which could appear on Nov. 2025 ballot
In Maine, a campaign advocating for a citizen initiative to require photo voter identification submitted more than 170,000 signatures to the secretary of state’s office on Jan. 6, 2025. If enough signatures are verified, the initiative could appear on the statewide ballot for voters on Nov. 4, 2025. Maine has an indirect initiative process, meaning…
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California voters decided on the highest number of local ballot measures in more than a decade
In 2024, California voters decided on 842 local ballot measures on five different election dates. This is the greatest number of local ballot measures decided in California from 2014 to 2024. Voters decided most of the ballot measures during the general election on Nov. 5, 2024, when 697 local measures were on the ballot. However,…
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Campaigns for abortion rights measures raised eight times more than opposing campaigns in 2024
In 2024, voters in ten states—Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota—decided on 11 abortion-related ballot measures in Nov. 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Ten addressed state constitutional rights to abortion. Voters approved seven of them in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New…