Author: Ryan Byrne
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Voters approve Alaska Ballot Measure 2 which adopts top-four primaries, ranked-choice general elections
Alaska Ballot Measure 2 was approved with 50.5% of the vote reported as of November 17. Ballot Measure 2 was designed to make several changes to Alaska’s election policies, including: * replacing partisan primaries with open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices; * establishing ranked-choice voting for general elections, including the presidential election, in…
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California Proposition 15, which would have created a split roll property tax, defeated
California Proposition 15 was rejected 48.1%-51.9% based to votes tallied through November 12. Proposition 15 would have required commercial and industrial properties, except those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on their market value, rather than their purchase price. In California, the proposal to assess taxes on commercial and industrial properties at market…
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Puerto Ricans approve non-binding statehood referendum
Voters in Puerto Rico approved a non-binding referendum that asked: “Should Puerto Rico be immediately admitted into the Union as a state?” The “Yes” side received 623,053 or 52.3% as of votes recorded on November 9. While the ballot measure itself cannot compel the U.S. Congress to act on the issue of Puerto Rico’s political…
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Notable ballot measure results following the Nov. 3 elections
As of 10:50 AM Eastern Time on Nov. 4, Ballotpedia had called 82 statewide ballot measures, of which 65 were approved and 17 were defeated. The remaining 38 remained uncalled. Here are some notable results: Voters approved changes to state drug and criminal justice policies in several states. In Oregon, two ballot measures—Measure 109 and…
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Illinois voters reject constitutional amendment to allow for a graduated income tax
Illinois voters rejected a constitutional amendment to allow for a graduated income tax by a vote of 55% against to 45% in favor. The ballot measure would have repealed the state’s constitutional requirement that the state’s personal income tax is a flat rate across income. Instead, the ballot measure would have allowed the state to enact legislation for…
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Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota pass ballot measures to legalize marijuana
Ballot measures to legalize marijuana were passed by voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota, bringing the total number of states with laws providing for legal marijuana to 15. Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota are the only states besides Alaska that voted for Republican presidential candidates from 2000 to 2016 and that have…
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New Jersey voters approve Question 1 to legalize marijuana
In New Jersey, voters approved a constitutional amendment, Question 1, to legalize marijuana. New Jersey is the first Mid-Atlantic state to legalize marijuana. As of 11:45 PM EST, Question 1 led with 67.3% of the vote. Additional reading: New Jersey Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2020)
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California ballot measures top $700 million in contributions
In California, campaigns have raised more than $694 million through October 17 to support or oppose statewide ballot measures on the November 3 ballot. An additional $13 million was raised for Proposition 13, which was defeated on March 3, bringing the total for the year to $708 million. In 2018, campaigns for and against 16…
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Oregon, Washington, D.C. to vote on ballot measures that address psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms
In November, Oregon could be the first state to approve a ballot initiative, Measure 109, that legalizes psilocybin. Washington, D.C., is also voting on a measure related to psilocybin and other entheogenic plants and fungi. Currently, psilocybin, which is derived from certain species of fungi, is listed as a Schedule I controlled substance under the…
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Illinois Gov. Pritzker and Citadel CEO Griffin are funding the campaigns surrounding the state’s graduated income tax ballot measure
Over $107 million has been raised for and against a constitutional amendment that would allow for a graduated income tax in Illinois. On November 3, voters will decide the constitutional amendment, which wouldn’t require a graduated income tax itself. Rather, the amendment would repeal the state constitution’s requirement that the state personal income tax is…