Author: Nicole Fisher
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California voters will decide two constitutional amendments related to changing supermajority requirements for ballot measures
The California State Legislature passed two constitutional amendments on Sept. 14, 2023, that would change voter approval thresholds for certain ballot measures. Both of the constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot in Nov. 2024. The first constitutional amendment, ACA 1, would lower the voter approval threshold from two-thirds (66.67%) to 55% for local special…
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Atlanta city officials not processing petitions submitted for police training facility referendum
Atlanta city officials are not processing signatures for a referendum petition regarding the construction of a police training facility, saying they were legally barred from processing the submitted signatures following a stay on a federal court injunction. On Sep. 11, 2023, the Vote to Stop Cop City Coalition submitted more than 116,000 signatures in support…
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Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina approve recreational marijuana use
On Sep. 7, 2023, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), a federally recognized tribe in North Carolina, approved a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use by a vote of 70% to 30%. The measure allows for the possession and use of marijuana for adults 21 years of age and older within the Qualla…
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Eleventh Circuit Court issues order in favor of city in Atlanta police facility referendum case
On Sep. 1, 2023, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the City of Atlanta in a lawsuit regarding the constitutionality of non-Atlanta residents collecting signatures for a referendum petition regarding the construction of a police training facility. The court issued a stay on a federal district court’s preliminary injunction that provided…
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Ohio Ballot Board adopts language for abortion-related initiative on Nov. 2023 ballot
The Ohio Ballot Board approved the ballot title for a citizen-initiated measure to provide a state constitutional right to abortion and other reproductive matters. The initiated constitutional amendment will be on the ballot as Issue 1 on Nov. 7, 2023. The Ohio Ballot Board voted 3-2 to reject including the entire text of the amendment…
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Voters of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located within North Carolina, will decide on a marijuana legalization measure on Sep. 7
Two measures will appear on the ballot for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) voters on Sep. 7, 2023. One measure would allow mixed beverage permits for qualified establishments on tribal lands, and the other measure would legalize marijuana for adults who are at least 21 years old. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…
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Ohio voters defeat Issue 1 in special election
Ohio voters defeated Issue 1, which would have made changes to the laws governing citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, including increasing the vote requirement to 60% for constitutional amendments, on Aug. 8, 2023. With 95% reporting, election results show 57% of voters opposed and 43% of voters in favor. The One Person One Vote campaign, which led…
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Marijuana legalization campaign submits additional signatures for Nov. 2023 ballot; needs 10% to be found valid
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the campaign supporting a marijuana legalization initiative in Ohio, submitted an additional round of 6,545 signatures to the secretary of state on Aug. 3, 2023. If enough valid signatures are found, this would qualify the initiative for the Nov. 7, 2023, ballot in Ohio. The initiative needs at…
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Maine voters to decide on state flag ballot measure in Nov. 2024
Maine voters will decide on whether to change the design of the state flag on Nov. 5, 2024. This is the first certified statewide measure for the Maine 2024 ballot. The ballot measure would replace the current Maine state flag, which features the state’s coat of arms, with the first official state flag called the…
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Maine voters to decide on eight ballot measures in November—the most since 2010
During a special legislative session, the Maine State Legislature approved four constitutional amendments on July 25 that will appear on the November ballot. Maine voters will decide on these four amendments, as well as four citizen-initiated state statutes, on Nov. 7, 2023. This is the greatest amount of statewide measures to appear on the Maine…