Author: Victoria Antram
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Californians decided on 1,306 ballot measures between 1910 and 2024
Ballotpedia completed an inventory of all California ballot measures since 1910, the year before the state adopted the initiative and referendum process. Californians decided on 1,306 ballot measures between 1910 and 2024. Seven hundred fifty-two (752) measures were approved, and five hundred fifty-four (554) were defeated. Of the 1,306 ballot measures, 27 were decided by…
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Approval rate for constitutional amendments in 2024 hits lowest level since 2005
In 2024, voters in 35 states decided on 96 constitutional amendments, approving 60 (63%) and rejecting 36 (38%). The approval rate was the lowest since 2005, when voters approved 14 (54%) of the 26 amendments appearing on statewide ballots. From 2003 through 2024, odd-year election cycles featured a higher average approval rate for proposed constitutional…
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Five states reject ranked-choice voting measures, Alaska retains system after recount
In 2024, voters decided on seven ballot measures related to ranked-choice voting, the most ever in a single year. While voters in one state—Alaska—retained RCV, five measures to adopt the system were rejected in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. In Missouri, voters approved a constitutional amendment to prohibit RCV. Voters in five localities, including…
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Thirteen states feature a higher-than-average number of ballot initiatives in 2024, leading to the most initiated measures since 2016
Of the 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures, 18 states will feature citizen initiatives on the ballot this year. Thirteen of these states had a higher-than-average number of initiatives certified for their respective statewide ballots this year as compared to even-year election cycles between 2010 and 2022. A total of 931 ballot initiatives…
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Nebraska voters to decide on a pair of initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana
The Nebraska Secretary of State announced on Sept. 13 that two ballot initiatives to legalize and regulate medical marijuana were certified for the November ballot. The measures are initiated state statutes that needed valid signatures from 5% of the registered voters (86,499 signatures) in each of two-fifths (38) of Nebraska’s 93 counties. The secretary of state…
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California voters will decide on amendment to eliminate successor election at state officer recall elections in 2026
The California State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot before adjourning on Aug. 31. The amendment makes changes to the recall process for state officers by eliminating the simultaneous successor election when a state officer is recalled, thereby leaving the office vacant until it is filled according to state law…
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Five, possibly six, states will vote on ranked-choice voting measures this fall—the most ever in a single year
Five states—Alaska, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Oregon—have certified ballot measures for Nov. 5 related to adopting, repealing, or pre-empting ranked-choice voting. This is the most RCV-related statewide ballot measures being featured in any year. There is one potential citizen initiative pending signature verification in Colorado that could bring the total number this year to six.…
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Nebraskans to vote on competing abortion ballot initiatives in November, bringing the total of abortion-related measures in 2024 to 11
Voters in Nebraska will decide on two abortion-related ballot measures on Nov. 5. The ballot initiatives would contradict. One, the Right to Abortion Initiative, would amend the Nebraska Constitution to provide for a state constitutional right to abortion until fetal viability. The other ballot measure, the Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Initiative, would prohibit…
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Nebraska voters will decide on paid sick leave ballot initiative in November
A ballot initiative in Nebraska to require employers to provide earned paid sick leave to employees was certified for the ballot by the secretary of state on Aug. 13. Businesses with 20 or more employees would be required to provide seven days of paid sick leave annually, and businesses with fewer than 20 employees would…
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D.C. voters will decide on ranked-choice voting initiative in November
The D.C. Board of Elections voted unanimously on Aug. 2 to send Initiative 83 to the Nov. 5 ballot to allow voters to decide on whether to create a semi-open primary system allowing voters who are unaffiliated with a political party to vote in a party primary election and establish ranked-choice voting for elections in…