Category: Ballot measures
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Nebraska State Legislature alters second ballot initiative in two years; lowering the rate of increase for the state minimum wage enacted in 2022
Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed Legislative Bill 258 (LB 258) on Feb. 10, enacting changes to a 2022 minimum wage initiative passed earlier in the month by the state legislature. The bill is the second time the state legislature has amended a ballot initiative in two years. Initiative 433 was approved by Nebraska voters in…
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Nevada voters approved an amendment to ban duel participants from holding office and allow women to serve on school boards 137 years ago, on Feb. 11, 1889
On this day, Feb. 11, 1889, Nevada voters amended their state constitution to prohibit duel participants from holding office and voting, as well as to allow women who meet certain age and residency requirements to hold specific school offices. The amendment, which appeared on the ballot as State Question 19 at the time, prohibited anyone…
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California Proposition 50 accounted for 94% of ballot measure funding—the largest single-year share since at least 2015
In 2025, campaigns supporting and opposing 30 statewide ballot measures in nine states received $183.15 million in contributions. The ballot measure receiving the most contributions was California Proposition 50, which authorized the state to use a new congressional district map. Campaigns supporting and opposing Proposition 50 received $172.7 million in contributions, with $124.9 million to…
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Over the past two weeks, constitutional amendments were certified in Colorado and Wisconsin, and signatures were submitted for initiatives in Maine and Oklahoma
As of Feb. 4, 65 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in 32 states, eight more measures than the average number certified at this point in other even-numbered years over the past decade (2014 to 2024). Here’s an update on the latest ballot measure activity during the past two weeks: One constitutional amendment,…
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Maine is one of four states that could see a ballot initiative requiring public school sports teams designated for girls or boys to be limited to students of the corresponding sex
The campaign Protect Girls Sports in Maine submitted more than 82,000 signatures in support of a ballot initiative that would require that public school sports teams designated for girls or boys be limited to students of the corresponding sex, as recorded on their original birth certificate. On Feb. 2, the campaign submitted petitions with Maine…
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Virginia will be the fifth state to vote on a constitutional amendment repealing same-sex marriage ban
In Virginia, voters will decide on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 3, 2026, to repeal the provision defining marriage as between one man and one woman. It would also add new language prohibiting the state from denying marriage licenses to two adults based on sex, gender, or race. The Virginia General Assembly voted in two…
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Oklahoma campaign submits signatures for ballot initiative to establish top-two primaries in the state
The campaign behind Oklahoma State Question 836 (SQ 836), Vote Yes 836, submitted more than 200,000 signatures on Jan. 26 to the Oklahoma secretary of state. If approved, the initiative would create a top-two primary system in the state. A top-two primary is a type of primary election where all candidates are listed on the…
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Colorado voters to decide on initiative requiring law enforcement to notify DHS when individuals charged with certain crimes lack verified legal immigration status
Voters in Colorado will decide on a constitutional amendment that would establish law enforcement reporting requirements based on the type of crime an individual is charged with, their prior criminal history, and their immigration status on Nov. 3, 2026. The measure—known as Initiative 95—would add a new section to Article XVIII of the Colorado Constitution…
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Signatures submitted for citizenship voting requirement ballot initiative in Alaska, as three other states set to vote on similar measures in 2026
Proponents of a ballot initiative designed to prohibit noncitizens from voting in Alaska submitted 50,000 signatures to the Division of Elections on Jan. 19, 2026. The initiative requires 34,098 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot, pending certification by the Division of Elections. Alaskans for Citizen Voting is supporting the initiative. The initiative…
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Virginia voters to decide constitutional amendment allowing legislative congressional redistricting amid recent map changes in six other states
The Virginia General Assembly passed a constitutional amendment that would allow legislators to adopt a new congressional district map. Voters must approve the amendment. House Joint Resolution 4 (HJR 4), the constitutional amendment, would allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts between 2025 and 2030 if other states have conducted mid-decade congressional redistricting. …