Author: Ryan Byrne

  • New Jersey voters approve Question 1 to legalize marijuana

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    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)

  • California ballot measures top $700 million in contributions

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    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…

  • Oregon, Washington, D.C. to vote on ballot measures that address psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms

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    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…

  • Illinois Gov. Pritzker and Citadel CEO Griffin are funding the campaigns surrounding the state’s graduated income tax ballot measure

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    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…

  • Campaign contributions to California’s 12 November ballot measures exceed $500 million

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    In California, more than $525 million has been raised to support or oppose this year’s 12 general election ballot measures through September 19. The next campaign finance deadline—and the final one before the election—in California is October 24. So far, there are four ballot measures that have seen more than $50 million raised. Proposition 22,…

  • More than $80 million raised by campaigns surrounding Illinois graduated tax amendment

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    There is one state constitutional amendment on the ballot in Illinois for November 3, 2020. The constitutional amendment would repeal the requirement that the state’s personal income tax is a flat rate across income. Instead, the amendment would allow for legislation to enact a graduated income tax. Contributions to the campaigns surrounding the amendment have…

  • Where electoral systems are on the ballot in 2020

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    Voters in five states will decide ballot measures related to electoral systems on November 3, 2020. Policies that are on the ballot include ranked-choice voting, top-two and top-four primaries, the national popular vote interstate compact, and runoff elections. Most (4 of 5) of the ballot measures came through the citizen-initiated petition process.   In Colorado,…

  • Maine ballots will be printed with ranked-choice voting for president after court stays order

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    On September 8, Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap (D) announced that general election ballots will be printed with ranked-choice voting for president after the Maine Supreme Judicial Court stayed a lower court’s decision on a veto referendum. “Because of Federal deadlines regarding providing printed ballots to military and overseas citizens abroad, we must tell…

  • With funding from Uber, Lyft, and Doordash, campaign behind California Proposition 22 tops $180 million

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    California Proposition 22 has become one of the most expensive ballot measure contests to ever appear on a ballot in California. Based on campaign finance reports available on September 4, 2020, the campaign Yes on Proposition 22 received $181.4 million from five rideshare and app-based companies—Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, InstaCart, and Postmates. Proposition 22 would classify…

  • Court rules that Maine GOP-backed referendum on presidential ranked-choice voting will appear on ballot

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    On August 24, a Maine Superior Court ruled that voters will decide a veto referendum on a law that established ranked-choice voting (RCV) for presidential primaries and general elections. Maine was slated to use RCV for the presidential election on November 3, 2020. Since the veto referendum qualified for the ballot, however, the law is…