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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…