Author: Victoria Antram
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California initiative to require a personal finance course in high school qualifies for the ballot
The California Secretary of State announced on May 8 that Californians for Financial Education had submitted 693,676 valid signatures—surpassing the signature requirement of 546,651 and qualifying for a place on the Nov. 5 ballot. The initiated state statute would require students graduating during the 2029-2030 academic year to complete a one-semester personal finance course. The…
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South Carolina becomes the fourth state to send a constitutional amendment providing that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections to the Nov. 2024 ballot
South Carolina voters will join Iowa, Kentucky, and Wisconsin voters in deciding on ballot questions to add language to their respective state constitutions to provide that only U.S. citizens can vote in elections. All four ballot questions were placed on the Nov. 2024 ballot by their respective state legislatures. Similar measures have appeared on ballots…
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Californians may see a ballot initiative to change Proposition 47, related to criminal justice and law enforcement policies
Californians for Safer Communities reported filing over 900,000 signatures on April 18 in support of an initiative that would make changes to Proposition 47, which California voters approved in 2014 by a vote of 59.6% to 40.4%. Proposition 47 classified certain crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies unless the defendant had prior convictions for murder,…
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Initiative that aims to limit campaign contributions to super PACs certified in Maine for Nov. 2024
In Maine, voters will decide on an initiative to limit campaign contributions to $5,000 from individuals and entities to political action committees that make independent expenditures, also known as super PACS. The ballot initiative was indirect, meaning the legislature had the option to approve the initiative outright. The Maine State Legislature adjourned on April 17…
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Voters in Irvine, California, approved Measure D, adding two more city council members and changing from at-large to by-district elections beginning in Nov.
Voters in Irvine, California, approved Measure D on March 5, with 59.8% voting for the charter amendment. Beginning with the general election in November, Measure D will increase the size of the city council from five to seven members, including the mayor, and require the council members to be elected by district to four-year terms,…
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Campaign submits signatures for California initiative that would restrict spending by certain health care providers that participate in Medi-Cal Rx
Protect Patients Now, which is sponsored by the California Apartment Association, submitted over 860,000 raw signatures for verification on April 10, according to the secretary of state. The campaign needs 546,651 signatures to be valid to qualify the initiated state statute for the November ballot in California. The initiative would establish a new category of…
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Wisconsin voters approve Questions 1 and 2 to ban private funding of elections and authorize only election officials to administer elections
Voters approved two constitutional amendments related to election administration on April 2, 2024. Question 1 received 54.4% of the vote, and Question 2 received 58.6%. Question 1 prohibited the state and local governments from applying or accepting non-governmental funds or equipment for election administration. Question 2 provided that only election officials designated by law may…
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Drug decriminalization to recriminalization: Oregon governor signs legislative alteration of 2020’s Measure 110
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed House Bill 4002 (HB 4002) on April 1, repealing provisions of Measure 110. Measure 110 received 58.46% of the vote in 2020. Measure 110 reclassified the possession of Schedule I-IV controlled substances, such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines, from Class A misdemeanors to Class E misdemeanors, resulting in a…
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California Proposition 1 is the eighth-closest statewide ballot measure election since at least 1908, with a margin of 0.38%
California Proposition 1 was approved by a vote of 50.19% to 49.81%—a 0.38% margin—as of March 26, with more than 95% of the vote accounted for. Fifteen days after the election, the Associated Press called Proposition 1 as approved. Proposition 1 joins 16 other California statewide measures decided by a margin of less than 0.5%…
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California Proposition 1 likely to become one of 16 California statewide measures decided by a margin of less than 0.5%
California Proposition 1 is too close to call with the “yes” vote leading by 0.28% as of March 19 with more than 95% of the vote accounted for. If the margin remains this narrow, Proposition 1 will become one of 16 California statewide measures decided by a margin of less than 0.5% of the vote.…