Tag: ballot measure
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Ballot measures certification update: Seven new measures for 2025 in CO and TX; six new measures certified in five states for 2026
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of May 13. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, 15 statewide ballot measures have been certified in six states—Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is seven more than the average of eight…
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Ballot measures certification update: First Texas 2025 amendment certified; five new 2026 measures in AR, ND, and TN
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of April 29. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, eight statewide ballot measures have been certified in five states—Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is two more than the average of six certified…
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Political speech or governmental mechanics: Ohio case asks if ballot summary reviews regulate speech or lawmaking
The U.S. Supreme Court declined on April 22, 2025, to block a district court’s ruling that found that Ohio’s fair and truthful requirement for ballot initiative petitions violates the First Amendment. This law requires the Ohio Attorney General to determine whether submitted petition summaries are fair and truthful statements of the proposed law before advancing…
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Arkansas enacts ballot title readability law, joining five other states since 2018
A new Arkansas law requires initiative ballot titles to be written at or below an eighth-grade reading level. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed House Bill 1713 (HB 1713) into law on April 14, 2025. The law is one of six enacted since 2018 that address the readability of ballot language. The House approved the…
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How Wisconsin’s partial veto power has evolved through 95 years of ballot measures
The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Gov. Tony Evers’ (D) use of a partial veto in the state’s biennial budget on April 18, 2025. His partial veto extended a two-year school funding increase into a 402-year provision. At the center of the case were constitutional provisions that had been added or amended through three ballot measures…
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Texas voters in largest cities to decide 42 local ballot measures on May 3
Ballotpedia is covering 42 ballot measures in nine counties in Texas on May 3. All 42 ballot measures were referred to the ballot by a vote of a local governing board, such as a county board or city council. This is an increase in ballot measures compared to the previous even-year May election in Texas…
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Prop 65, the 1970’s Tax Revolt, and California’s long, influential ballot measures legacy
Prop 65, the 1970’s Tax Revolt, and California’s long, influential ballot measures legacy On this episode: The third installment of our Historical Ballot Measures Factbook series! A deep dive into the Golden State’s long and influential history with ballot measures. Former host and ballot measure expert Victoria Rose returns to help us explore how California…
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Update on state ballot measures certifications — six measures certified for 2026, and Washington Legislature refers measure for Nov. 2025 ballot
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of April 15. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, seven statewide ballot measures have been certified in four states—Louisiana, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is one more than the average of six certified measures…
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Indiana joins Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming in enacting laws to restrict foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns—the highest number passed in a single year
So far, during the 2025 legislative sessions, four states—Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming—have enacted new laws restricting foreign contributions to ballot measure campaigns. With these additions, 13 now have laws prohibiting foreign nationals, governments, or other entities from contributing to ballot measure committees. The 13 states with such laws are California, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,…
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North Dakota joins two states asking voters to increase approval requirements for ballot measures
North Dakota voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would establish a 60% supermajority requirement in order for voters to approve new constitutional amendments. The supermajority requirement would apply to both constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition and amendments referred to the ballot by the state legislature. This amendment will appear on the ballot…