Author: Ryan Byrne
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Florida Amendment 3 exceeds previous records for marijuana legalization campaign contributions
Marijuana has been a recurring trend for ballot measures since at least 2010, though there were a few before then. From 2010 to 2023, there were 24 ballot measures to legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana. More than $174.83 million was raised between supporters ($146.98 million) and opponents ($27.85 million) of these ballot…
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Statewide ballot measures in 2024: abortion, citizenship, electoral systems, criminal justice, and more trends across 41 states
In November, voters will decide on 147 statewide ballot measures in 41 states. Earlier in 2024, voters in five states decided on nine ballot measures. In December, voters in Louisiana will decide on four more. That’s a total of 160 statewide ballot measures for 2024. There is one ballot initiative still pending signature verification in…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: 12 new measures, two withdrawn, four pending signature verification
For 2024, 158 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which is four above the average (154) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. In 2022, 140 measures were…
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Judge issues injunction against Ohio HB 1 provision prohibiting ballot measure contributions by lawful permanent residents
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson issued an injunction on Aug. 31, 2024, against a provision of Ohio House Bill 1 (HB 1) that would have prohibited lawful permanent residents who are non-citizens from contributing to ballot measure campaigns. Watson said that while Ohio has a compelling interest in preventing foreign influence over state political…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: eight new measures, 16 pending signature verification
For 2024, 148 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which equals the average (148) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. In 2022, 140 measures were certified for…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: six new measures, 26 pending signature verification
For 2024, 140 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 39 states, two fewer measures than the average (142) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. In 2022, 140 measures were…
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Ohio redistricting initiative campaign, with $26.9 million, surpasses previous redistricting measure campaigns in contributions
Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. On July 23, the initiative was certified for the general election on Nov. 5. The campaign supporting the initiative, Citizens Not Politicians, raised $26.95…
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Michigan Supreme Court rules that the legislature cannot adopt and then amend indirect citizen-initiated measures during the same session
The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the state legislature cannot adopt-and-amend indirect initiated state statutes, and that such actions in 2018 violated the Michigan Constitution. An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of…
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2024 ballot initiatives address abortion, marijuana, electoral systems, wages, taxes, and more
As of July 11, 2024, 127 state ballot measures have been certified to appear on ballots this year. While most (103) are legislative referrals, 24 are citizen-initiated ballot measures, and there are 30 more initiatives pending signature verifications across 12 states. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of citizen-initiated ballot measures for an even-numbered…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: 10 new measures, 11 pending signature verification, and one removed from ballot
For 2024, 127 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 36 states, five more measures than the average (123) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. Here’s an update on the…