Category: Ballot measures
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North Dakota voters will decide a marijuana legalization initiative following defeats in 2018 and 2022
North Dakota will decide on a ballot measure in November to legalize marijuana. It will be the third time the state will vote on a marijuana legalization initiative. Burleigh County Commissioner Steve Bakken (R) filed the ballot initiative. He said, “A lot of what we don’t want to see is what’s going on in some…
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In 2024, more bills were enacted to make ballot initiative processes harder or easier compared to the average for the prior six years
During the 2024 legislative sessions, 326 pieces of legislation related to direct democracy—ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall petitions—were proposed. As of August 5, 33 bills and resolutions were enacted, close to the annual average of 34 enacted bills between 2018 and 2023. Of the 33 enacted pieces of legislation, 10 were designed to make the…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: six new measures, 26 pending signature verification
For 2024, 140 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 39 states, two fewer measures than the average (142) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. In 2022, 140 measures were…
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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…
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North Dakota initiative to prohibit property taxes certified to appear on Nov. ballot
North Dakota voters will decide on a ballot initiative in Nov. 2024 to prohibit property taxes, except those used to pay for bond debt. End Unfair Property Tax, the campaign supporting the measure, submitted around 41,000 to the secretary of state’s office on June 28, 2024. On Aug. 2, Secretary of State John Thurston certified…
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Signatures submitted for Colorado ballot initiative to create veterinary professional associate (VPA) profession
In Colorado, the campaign All Pets Deserve Vet Care submitted signatures for an initiative to create the profession of veterinary professional associate (VPA), which would require a master’s degree and registration with the State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Sponsors submitted about 200,000 signatures for the initiative on July 29, 2024. To qualify for the ballot,…
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Two initiatives qualify for the ballot in Oregon proposing increased corporate taxes and cannabis worker labor policy
Oregon voters will decide on two citizen initiatives this fall alongside three legislative referrals. Measure 118 was certified for the ballot on July 24 after the secretary of state determined that 122,276 of the 165,426 signatures submitted were valid. Measure 118 would increase the minimum tax on corporations with Oregon sales by enacting a 3%…
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Arkansas voters to decide on ballot initiative repealing Pope County casino license and requiring countywide approval for any future licenses
Voters in Arkansas will decide on an initiative to repeal a casino license in Pope County and require countywide voter approval for any new casino licenses provided for in any future constitutional amendments. Secretary of State John Thurston announced that 116,200 valid signatures were submitted for the measure. To qualify for the ballot, 90,704 valid…
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Ohio redistricting initiative campaign, with $26.9 million, surpasses previous redistricting measure campaigns in contributions
Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. On July 23, the initiative was certified for the general election on Nov. 5. The campaign supporting the initiative, Citizens Not Politicians, raised $26.95…
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Wisconsin voters have decided on suffrage-related ballot measures eight times since 1848
Since the state constitution was ratified in 1848, Wisconsin voters have decided on suffrage-related ballot measures eight times. Five measures were approved, and three were rejected. Five of these eight measures were legislatively referred state statutes. The other three were legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Wisconsin’s first measure concerning suffrage appeared on the ballot on Nov.…