For 2024, 80 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 30 states, four more measures than the average (76) 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.
Here’s an update on the ballot measure activity during the past two weeks.
Sixteen (16) ballot measures, including six citizen-initiated measures and 10 legislative referrals, were certified in eight states:
- Alaska Minimum Wage Increase and Paid Sick Leave Initiative
- Alaska Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative
- Arizona Life Imprisonment for Sex Trafficking of a Minor Child Measure
- Florida Annual Inflation Adjustment for Homestead Property Tax Exemption Value Amendment
- Florida Repeal Public Campaign Financing Option Amendment
- Kentucky Allow State Funding for Non-Public Education Amendment
- Kentucky Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment
- New Mexico Public Education Bond Issue
- New Mexico Public Libraries Bond Issue
- New Mexico Senior Citizens Facilities Bond Issue
- New Mexico Public Safety Radio Communications Systems Bond Issue
- North Dakota Congressional Age Limits Initiative
- Washington Initiative 2109, Repeal Capital Gains Tax Initiative
- Washington Initiative 2117, Prohibit Carbon Tax Credit Trading and Repeal Carbon Cap-and-Invest Program Measure
- Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative
- West Virginia Amendment 1, Prohibit “Medically-Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, and Mercy Killing” Measure
Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for one initiative in California:
In Maine and Massachusetts, enough signatures were verified for seven indirect ballot initiatives for them to appear before their respective state legislatures:
- Maine Limit Contributions to Super PACs Initiative
- Massachusetts App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative
- Massachusetts Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative
- Massachusetts Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative
- Massachusetts Regulated Access to Psychedelic Substances Initiative
- Massachusetts Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative
- Massachusetts Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative
In Maine and Massachusetts, initiated state statutes are indirect. This means the legislature has the option to pass the initiative outright. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. In Maine, when legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide. In Massachusetts, petitioners collect a second round of signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.
The most recent signature deadline for citizen-initiated ballot measures was Feb. 15, 2024, in Utah. Signatures were filed for one initiative, but the number of signatures filed was below the requirement.
The next signature deadline is May 1, 2024, in Idaho, where two ballot initiatives have been proposed—one to legalize medical marijuana, and another to create a top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) system.
The following chart shows the number of ballot measures certified each week of an even-numbered year.
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