
The Kentucky State Legislature voted on April 1 to send a constitutional amendment to voters in November that would prohibit the governor from issuing a pardon or commuting a sentence 60 days before the gubernatorial election and up to the fifth Tuesday succeeding the election. The amendment would also change the language of the section…

As of March 31, 84 statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in 33 states, six 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: The last signature…

A Utah initiative to repeal Proposition 4 will not be on the 2026 ballot. While supporters originally submitted more than 200,000 signatures, and more than 160,000 were verified by the lieutenant governor, a number of voters have requested that their signatures be removed from the petition. To be placed on the ballot, sponsors of the…

Alabama enacted House Bill 214 (HB 214) on March 17, becoming the 24th state to pass a ban on foreign spending in ballot measure elections. HB 214 prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions related to ballot measures, prohibits recipients from accepting those contributions, and makes violations a Class C felony. It passed unanimously in the…

There are nine states that authorize indirect initiatives, either statutes or constitutional amendments, where citizen-proposed ballot measures are first presented to state legislatures. Between 2018 and 2025, 40 indirect initiatives were certified to state legislatures. Ten were approved by state legislatures, while 17 were approved and 13 were rejected by voters. For the 2026 ballot,…

On Feb. 23, 2026, Democrats in the Colorado House of Representatives introduced HB 26-1292, which would establish requirements for schools that receive funds under the federal school choice tax credit scholarship program. As of March 17, Colorado and Virginia are the only states with a Democratic trifectas that have elected to participate in the program.…

This November, West Virginia voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would provide that only U.S. citizens may vote in elections. The amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 9 (SJR 9), was referred to the ballot by the West Virginia State Legislature, with the House voting 97-0 on March 13, and the Senate voting 34-0 on…

New Mexico voters will decide three bond measures totaling $280 million—related to funding senior citizen facilities, library acquisitions, and educational institutions—on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. The bonds were referred to the ballot through House Bill 248, which passed the New Mexico State Legislature with unanimous support. It passed the House on Feb. 15, by…

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,…

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…