The language for the 159 statewide ballot measures in 41 states in 2024 is written at an average reading level of 16, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. This is a decrease from the average reading level of 19 in 2023 and 2022. Sixty-nine (69) of the ballot measures included additional information, known as a ballot summary,…
Abortion isn’t just an issue for state ballot measures. Voters in at least two cities, Amarillo, Texas, and San Francisco, California, will decide on abortion-related local ballot initiatives on Nov. 5. Both address an issue that the state ballot measures do not—how governments address abortion beyond their jurisdictions. In Amarillo, voters will decide on Proposition…
On Nov. 5, 2024, voters will decide on two sets of competing ballot measures: two in Nebraska related to abortion, and two in Arizona related to electoral systems. Two or more initiatives may qualify for the same ballot but conflict with one another. Constitutional amendments affect statutory measures but not vice-versa. When both are statutes,…
Ten ballot measures concerning property taxes are on the ballot in eight states in 2024. Nine of the measures will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot, while one, in Louisiana, will be decided on in December. All ten measures were referred to the ballot by the states’ legislatures. During even-numbered years since 2014, there were…
Of the 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures, 18 states will feature citizen initiatives on the ballot this year. Thirteen of these states had a higher-than-average number of initiatives certified for their respective statewide ballots this year as compared to even-year election cycles between 2010 and 2022. A total of 931 ballot initiatives…
For 2024, 160 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which is two above the average (158) 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. The final average, 157, is…
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…
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,…
Colorado voters will decide on 14 ballot measures on Nov. 5, making Colorado the state with the most number of statewide measures on the ballot this year. Seven of the measures are citizen initiatives and seven were referred to the ballot by the state legislature. Two additional initiatives concerning property taxes that had qualified for…
Five states—Alaska, Idaho, Missouri, Nevada, and Oregon—have certified ballot measures for Nov. 5 related to adopting, repealing, or pre-empting ranked-choice voting. This is the most RCV-related statewide ballot measures being featured in any year. There is one potential citizen initiative pending signature verification in Colorado that could bring the total number this year to six.…