Author: Ryan Byrne
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Voters in San Mateo County, California, to decide on charter amendment to allow supervisors to remove elected sheriff for cause
Voters in San Mateo County, California, will decide on a charter amendment to allow the County Board of Supervisors to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus from office for cause through a four-fifths (4 of 5) vote. The charter amendment would expire on December 31, 2028. Voters will decide on the charter amendment at a special election…
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State ballot measure update: Four ballot measures certified for 2025, one for 2026, during the past two weeks
Four statewide measures are certified for the 2025 ballot in one state—Louisiana—as of Nov. 26, 2024. For 2026, eight statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in six states. 2025 ballot measures During the past two weeks, four constitutional amendments were certified in Louisiana for a special election on March 29, 2025: 2026 ballot…
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Massachusetts voters to decide on firearm regulations veto referendum in 2026, which is the state’s second ballot measure, first veto referendum on firearms
Voters in Massachusetts will decide on a veto referendum to repeal House Bill 4855 (H. 4855), also known as Acts of 2024 Chapter 135, An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws. H. 4855 is an omnibus-style bill that made several changes to the state’s firearm regulations. On Nov. 22, the veto referendum was certified for the general…
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When legislative party control changes, 81% of constitutional amendments failed in legislatures with two-session vote requirements
Amending a state constitution requires voter approval, except in Delaware. There are various ways a constitutional amendment can reach the ballot for voter consideration. States have different rules and procedures for how legislatures can place constitutional amendments on the ballot. There are two main differences for legislative actions: (a) the number of legislative sessions that…
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Voters have addressed ballot measures on religion in public schools at least nine times during the past 100 years
Voters have decided on at least nine ballot measures related to religion in public schools during the past 100 years. The decade with the highest number was in the 1970s, when voters decided on four between 1970 and 1972. Topics included the Ten Commandments, the Bible, prayer and contemplation, religious clothing, excused absence for religious…
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Arizona voters to consider competing measures, Propositions 133 and 140, on election systems
Voters in Arizona will decide on competing measures related to electoral systems—the methods used to conduct elections and count votes to determine winners. Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature voted to place Proposition 133 on the ballot, while Proposition 140 is a citizen-initiated ballot measure from the Make Elections Fair PAC. Proposition 133 would add…
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Ballot measure campaign contributions top $1.12 billion for 2024
For 2024, 159 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot, including 146 for Nov. 5. As of October 30, Ballotpedia identified $1.12 billion in contributions to support or oppose this year’s statewide measures. In 2022, for comparison, $1.10 billion was raised through December 31, 2022, to support or oppose 140 state ballot measures. This…
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2024 statewide ballot measures written at college reading level, a three-year decline from last cycle
The language for the 159 statewide ballot measures in 41 states in 2024 is written at an average reading level of 16, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. This is a decrease from the average reading level of 19 in 2023 and 2022. Sixty-nine (69) of the ballot measures included additional information, known as a ballot summary,…
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Voters in Amarillo, Texas, and San Francisco, California, to decide on abortion-related local ballot measures
Abortion isn’t just an issue for state ballot measures. Voters in at least two cities, Amarillo, Texas, and San Francisco, California, will decide on abortion-related local ballot initiatives on Nov. 5. Both address an issue that the state ballot measures do not—how governments address abortion beyond their jurisdictions. In Amarillo, voters will decide on Proposition…
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Over the past decade, courts have disqualified 16 state ballot measures after certification, including two this year
After a ballot measure is certified to appear before voters, state courts can still invalidate the measure for various reasons, even after officials have printed the ballots. Lawsuits against ballot measures are common and often result in several being disqualified after certification during each election cycle. Since 2014, state courts removed or disqualified 16 state…