Author: Ryan Byrne
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Court strikes down Washington Initiative 2066, related to natural gas, as violating state’s single-subject rule; ruling will be appealed to state supreme court
Washington Initiative 2066, approved on Nov. 5, 2024, was struck down on March 21 as violating the state constitution’s single-subject rule. A single-subject rule is a state law that requires ballot initiatives to address a single subject, topic, or issue. Judge Sandra Widlan wrote, “… the body of the initiative is so broad and free…
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First ranked-choice voting ballot measure of 2025 to be decided in Skokie, Illinois, on April 1
Voters in Skokie, Illinois, will decide on a ballot initiative to adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) for municipal elections on April 1. This will be the first RCV-related ballot measure decided in 2025. Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction…
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Update on 2025 and 2026 ballot measure certifications: Seven new measures in four states for 2026
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of March 18, 2025. For 2025, six statewide ballot measures have been certified in three states—Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six is one more than the average of five for this point in an odd-numbered-year election cycle since 2010. For…
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Wyoming is 10th state to enact a ban on foreign nationals contributing to ballot measure campaigns
Wyoming is the 10th state to enact restrictions on foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns. On March 6, Gov. Mark Gordon (R) signed House Bill 337 (HB 337), banning foreign nationals from donating directly or indirectly to ballot measure committees. The other nine states are California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,…
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Update on 2025 and 2026 ballot measure certifications: South Dakota certifies amendment to condition Medicaid expansion on federal funding
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of March 5, 2025. For 2025, six statewide ballot measures have been certified in three states—Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six is one measure more than the average of five for this point in an odd-numbered-year election cycle since 2010.…
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Thirty states have adopted English as an official language, 11 through ballot measures since 1920
President Donald Trump (R) issued an executive order “[designating] English as the official language of the United States” on March 1, 2025. While the federal government had never before provided for an official national language, 30 states have designated English as their official language. Three—Alaska, Hawaii, and South Dakota—also recognize some indigenous languages as co-official…
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Mosquitos, MADs, and a local ballot measure in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, on March 29
Voters in Louisiana will decide on 56 local ballot measures in 27 of the state’s 64 parishes, along with four state constitutional amendments, on March 29, 2025. The local ballot measures cover a range of jurisdictions, including parishes, cities, school districts, and special districts, such as the Tangipahoa Parish Mosquito Abatement District (MAD). The ballot…
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Voters in 30 states have decided on 42 constitutional amendments to create state initiative and referendum processes since 1898
In the U.S., 26 states have adopted constitutional amendments for citizen-initiated ballot measures. As state constitutional amendments require voter approval, except in Delaware, creating ballot initiative processes requires ballot measures, either from state legislatures or constitutional convention. Most of these amendments originated during the progressive and populist movements of the 1890s to 1920s. Beginning in…
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Update on 2025 and 2026 ballot measure certifications: Wisconsin certifies Voter ID Amendment for April 1
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of Jan. 21, 2025. For 2025, six statewide ballot measures have been certified in three states—Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six is three measures more than the average of three for this point in an odd-numbered-year election cycle since 2010.…
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Update on 2025 and 2026 ballot measure certifications: Ohio certifies one for 2025, Wyoming certifies one for 2026
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of Jan. 7, 2025. For 2025, five statewide ballot measures have been certified in two states—Louisiana and Ohio. Five is two measures above the average (three) for this point in an odd-numbered year election cycle since 2010. For 2026,…