Category: Ballot measures
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Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications
As of July 11, 2023, 33 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in eight states for elections in 2023. That’s nine more measures than the average number (24) certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021. The number certified—33—also ties with 2021 for the highest number of any of those…
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Ohio Issue 1: Examining the 60% vote requirement within the context of other states and prior ballot measures
On Aug. 8, voters in Ohio will approve or reject Issue 1, which would make three changes to the laws governing citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. With the commencement of early voting yesterday, we took the opportunity to provide an overview of Issue 1, which you can read here. In this article, we delve into one specific…
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No signatures submitted for Washington initiatives by July 7 deadline
The signature submission deadline for Initiatives to the People (ITP)—which is the name of direct ballot initiatives in Washington—passed on July 7, 2023. No campaigns submitted signatures. To qualify for the ballot, proponents would have needed to submit 324,516 valid signatures. A total of 70 ITPs were filed by five sponsors. The filed initiatives concerned…
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Early voting on Ohio Issue 1, a ballot measure to change the vote and signature distribution requirements for amendments, begins Tue., July 11
Voters in Ohio can begin casting early in-person and mail-in absentee ballots for Ohio Issue 1, a state constitutional amendment, on Tue., July 11. The ballot measure will be decided in a special election on Aug. 8. Issue 1 would make three changes to the laws governing citizen-initiated constitutional amendments in Ohio. The ballot measure…
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Sponsors have filed 90 more ballot initiatives for elections in 2023 than the average number filed at this point in the last six odd-year numbered cycles
As of July 1, initiative sponsors have filed 262 citizen-initiated ballot measures for elections in 2023, which is 90 more than the average (172) of the last six odd-year numbered cycles (2011-2021). 2023 has the second-highest number behind 2021, which saw 293 initiatives filed by this same point in the cycle. Like the past six…
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Ohio could join 23 states that legalized recreational marijuana in Nov. 2023 as signatures are submitted for ballot initiative
On July 5, 2023, signatures were submitted for a marijuana legalization initiative that may appear on the ballot for Ohio voters in November. If the measure appears on the ballot and voters approve it, Ohio will join 23 states that have already legalized marijuana—including 14 of those states and D.C. that have legalized marijuana through…
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Voters have decided on 959 parcel tax measures in California since 2008, with the next one scheduled for July 11 in Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District
Californians have decided on 950 local parcel tax ballot measures from 2008 to 2022. Voters in Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District, a 1.875-square-mile special district in the Sierra Nevada, will decide the next parcel tax measure on July 11, 2023. Between 2008 and 2022, 569 (59.89%) parcel tax ballot measures were approved and 381 (40.11%)…
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Voters in seven states have decided on 10 affirmative action ballot measures
Voters in seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Washington — have decided on 10 ballot measures related to affirmative action policies. Of these 10 ballot measures, voters decided against certain affirmative action policies eight times, either enacting prohibitions or defeating measures that would have expanded the use of affirmative action. Twice…
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Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications
As of June 27, 2023, 31 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in eight states for elections in 2023. That’s nine more measures than the average number (22) certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021. The number certified—31—also ties with 2021 for the highest number of any of those…
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Washington and Wisconsin enact laws limiting advisory questions on ballots
Washington and Wisconsin passed bills during their 2023 legislative sessions that limited non-binding questions, also known as advisory questions or advisory votes, on election ballots. These two bills are among 349 legislative proposals introduced in 2023 that concern topics related to direct democracy, including ballot measures, initiatives, veto referendums, referrals, local ballot measures, and recall…