Tag: ballot measure
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Where have ranked-choice voting measures been on the ballot? 4 states and 45 localities since 1970
The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections. Since 1914, when voters in Los Angeles, California, rejected Amendment 8 to adopt a multi-winner ranked-choice voting system, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting…
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California enacts changes to veto referendum ballot language
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 421 (AB 421), which addresses the veto referendum process, on Sept. 8, 2023. AB 421 changes how veto referendums appear on the ballot, among other provisions. A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. For 2024,…
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California Legislature passes AB 421, which would change how veto referendums appear on the ballot
The California State Legislature passed Assembly Bill 421 (AB 421), which addresses the veto referendum process, on Sept. 5, 2023. AB 421 would change how veto referendums appear on the ballot, among other provisions. A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. For 2024,…
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North Carolina governor vetoes elections bill
On Aug. 24, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) vetoed S747, a bill making a number of changes to the state’s election laws. The bill includes provisions expanding the role of election observers, including allowing the chair of each political party in a county to appoint two registered voters of that county as election observers…
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Maine and Ohio see higher than average number of initiatives qualify for the 2023 ballot
In Maine and Ohio, more citizen-initiated ballot measures qualified in 2023 than the average for odd-numbered years between 2011 and 2021 for each respective state. Maine initiative sponsors filed six initiatives and qualified four of the measures for the Nov. 2023 ballot. For the last six odd-numbered years, an average of nearly seven initiatives were…
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Voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to decide on ballot initiative to create an alternative police team to address certain calls related to mental health
Voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will decide in Nov. 2023 on a citizen-initiated ballot measure that would create the Mobile Community Responder Pilot Program (MCRPP). The program would be designed as an alternative first response to various types of calls related to mental and behavioral health, substance use, welfare checks, family and neighbor disputes, issues related…
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Marijuana legalization campaign submits additional signatures for Nov. 2023 ballot; needs 10% to be found valid
The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the campaign supporting a marijuana legalization initiative in Ohio, submitted an additional round of 6,545 signatures to the secretary of state on Aug. 3, 2023. If enough valid signatures are found, this would qualify the initiative for the Nov. 7, 2023, ballot in Ohio. The initiative needs at…
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Maine voters to decide on eight ballot measures in November—the most since 2010
During a special legislative session, the Maine State Legislature approved four constitutional amendments on July 25 that will appear on the November ballot. Maine voters will decide on these four amendments, as well as four citizen-initiated state statutes, on Nov. 7, 2023. This is the greatest amount of statewide measures to appear on the Maine…
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More than 80% of contributions to campaigns surrounding Ohio Issue 1 came from outside the state
Campaigns supporting or opposing Ohio Issue 1 have raised a combined $32.25 million. More than 80% of contributions for and against Issue 1 came from out-of-state donors. Issue 1, which is on a special election ballot for Aug. 8, 2023, would make three changes to the ballot measure process in Ohio, including increasing the voter…
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Ballot measure roundup: Texas
As of July 25, 14 ballot measures have been certified for Texas’ statewide ballot in 2023, including one new certification from July 18. All 14 measures are legislatively referred constitutional amendments on the ballot on Nov. 7, 2023. The one new ballot measure is: Texas Property Tax Changes and State Education Funding Amendment (2023): A…