Author: Victoria Antram
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Seven states have banned foreign spending in ballot measure elections. Maine voters will decide the issue with Question 2 on Nov. 7.
In Maine, voters will decide on Question 2 on Nov. 7. Question 2, a citizen-initiated statute, would prohibit foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections. Federal law currently prohibits contributions, donations, expenditures (including independent expenditures), and disbursements by foreign…
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2023 statewide ballot measures written at graduate school reading level
The ballot language for the 41 statewide ballot measures on the ballot in eight states in 2023 is written at an average reading level of 19 (third-year graduate school reading level), which is up from 18 years in 2021. Ballotpedia identified five measures with a ballot summary, which is longer than the ballot title or…
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Maine Question 2 addresses foreign spending in elections. What is the history of the topic in Maine?
On Nov. 7, Maine voters will decide on Question 2, a ballot initiative to prohibit foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections. The issue of foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns was discussed during the 2021 election cycle when…
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Voters in Maine to decide Question 2 to ban foreign government spending in elections
Maine voters will decide on a ballot initiative next month to ban foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections. If approved, Maine would join California, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington in prohibiting foreign nationals from…
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California Gov. Newsom signs pair of bills sending changes to the state’s Mental Health Services Act to voters in March 2024
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Senate Bill 326 (SB 326) and Assembly Bill 531 (AB 531), which would make changes to the state’s Mental Health Services Act and issue $6.4 billion in bonds, on Oct. 12. Voters will decide on the legislation as Proposition 1 on March 5, 2024. In the press release, Gov. Newsom…
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Nebraska voters to decide on veto referendum to repeal tax credits for education scholarship accounts
The Nebraska Secretary of State announced that a veto referendum to repeal Legislative Bill 75—an act that established tax credits for taxpayers who contribute to education scholarships for students to attend private schools—qualified for the November 2024 ballot on Oct. 10. Support Our Schools, the committee behind the referendum, submitted over 117,000 signatures on Aug.…
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Gov. Newsom signs legislative compromise on fast food restaurant minimum wage and working conditions; campaign announces it will withdraw referendum
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 1228 (AB 1228) on Sept. 28. AB 1228 is a legislative compromise reached with proponents of a veto referendum on a different bill (Assembly Bill 257) that qualified for the 2024 ballot. AB 1228 will repeal AB 257, which was passed during the 2022 legislative session. AB…
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Initiative filed in Oregon to change Measure 110 to recriminalize drugs
Two versions of an initiative to recriminalize drugs in Oregon were filed with the secretary of state on Sept. 19 by the Coalition to Fix and Improve Ballot Measure 110, the campaign behind the initiative. In 2020, Oregon voters decriminalized personal non-commercial drug possession offenses with the approval of Measure 110. It received 58.5% of…
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Where have ranked-choice voting measures been on the ballot? 4 states and 45 localities since 1970
The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections. Since 1914, when voters in Los Angeles, California, rejected Amendment 8 to adopt a multi-winner ranked-choice voting system, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting…
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Protect Kids California files three initiatives related to gender and schools, sports, and healthcare for the 2024 ballot
Protect Kids California filed three citizen-initiated ballot measures to enact laws related to gender in schools, sports, and healthcare. The first initiative would require schools to notify parents or guardians when a student requests to be treated as a gender identity that differs from the student’s listed sex in the student’s record. Notification would be…