For 2024, 158 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which is four above the average (154) 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…
U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson issued an injunction on Aug. 31, 2024, against a provision of Ohio House Bill 1 (HB 1) that would have prohibited lawful permanent residents who are non-citizens from contributing to ballot measure campaigns. Watson said that while Ohio has a compelling interest in preventing foreign influence over state political…
Colorado Voters First qualified an initiative for the ballot that would establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) for general elections. Sponsors submitted around 209,648 signatures for the initiative on Aug. 1, 2024. The Colorado secretary of state announced on Aug. 29 that the measure had submitted more than the required 124,238 valid signatures and,…
In November, Missouri voters will be deciding on a constitutional amendment that would allow for an additional gambling boat on the Osage River. This would be the 14th casino to operate in the state. The measure, known as Amendment 5, is one of six measures that Missouri voters will decide on Nov. 5, 2024. The…
The organization Advance Colorado Action qualified two more ballot initiatives last week. Advance Colorado Action describes its mission as “supporting policies that increase economic opportunity and greater government transparency.” The two ballot initiatives relate to education and criminal justice. Two other initiatives sponsored by Advance Colorado Action had already qualified for the ballot. The new…
The Montana Secretary of State’s office certified two initiatives, Initiative CI-126 and Initiative CI-127, for the November ballot on Aug. 22. The two initiatives will appear on the ballot along with Initiative CI-128, which would create a state constitutional right to abortion. Montanans for Election Reform submitted signatures for the initiatives in June. The committee…
Voters in Utah will decide on a constitutional amendment to provide the Utah State Legislature with explicit power to amend or repeal voter-approved ballot initiatives. The constitutional amendment would also ban foreign individuals, entities, or governments from influencing, supporting, or opposing initiatives and referendums. On Aug. 21, 2024, the Utah State Legislature referred the constitutional…
The Colorado secretary of state’s office announced on Aug. 21 that Initiative 108, related to property taxes, qualified for the November ballot. The initiative would redefine residential real property to include multifamily residential properties (excluding hotels and motels) and residential land and improvements. This would revert provisions of Senate Bill 238 (SB 238), which the…
For 2024, 148 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which equals the average (148) 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 certified for…
Voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota will decide on ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana in November. Florida Amendment 3 would legalize marijuana and allow individuals to possess up to three ounces of marijuana (about 85 grams), with up to five grams in the form of concentrate. The initiative would not allow individuals to…