Ballot Measures & Initiatives News

Voters in many states decide policy questions directly at the ballot box. Read Ballot Measures & Initiatives News for explanations of referendums, citizen initiatives, proposed constitutional amendments, and tax measures, including the arguments surrounding each proposal and its election outcome.
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  • opinion

    Jobs and Manufacturing Are on the Ballot
    American manufacturing is on the rebound, and that good news could hardly come at a better time for President Donald Trump, as Republicans gird themselves for the midterm elections just two months from now. Not that manufacturing is the only sector that’s on a hiring spree—businesses across the board added 162,000 new jobs in August….
    Daniel McCarthy
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  • news

    Georgia Election Committee Discusses Ballot-on-Demand, Needs of Latinos and Disabled
    ATLANTA—The Joint Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee on Thursday held its second meeting at the Georgia Statehouse, and lawmakers heard testimony about ballot-on-demand technology, cybersecurity, and ensuring that the state’s new voting system considers the needs of Latinos and individuals with disabilities. The meeting featured state Sens. Max Burns, Rick Williams, and Bo Hatchett…
    Rebecca Buis
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  • opinion

    2 Virginia Ballot Measures Threaten Parental Rights
    Back-to-school season is upon us and there is excitement in the air. The fun of shopping for school supplies, the anticipation of being on the brink of an adventure, and the promise of new friends and activities all ignite a sense of hope for students of every age. For parents, it is a special time…
    Amy McInerny
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  • news

    Obama Judge Again Blocks Trump Mail Ballot Rule, Even After SCOTUS Decision
    In a roller coaster week for the Trump administration’s rule on mail-in ballots, the same federal judge reversed by the Supreme Court imposed a 14-day temporary restraining order on the U.S. Postal Service. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled Thursday night that states can’t comply with the new rules this close to an…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    ‘The Court Has No Choice’: Judge Torpedoes Maryland Gerrymandering Amendment From Ballot
    A Maryland judge on Wednesday stopped a Democrat-backed gerrymandering measure from appearing on the ballot this year. Lawmakers had passed Senate Bill 29, and Gov. Wes Moore signed it in May, changing requirements for ballot questions, including a July 1 deadline. On Aug. 3, the House passed House Bill 2100 to place a mid-decade redistricting…
    Fred Lucas
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  • opinion

    With Crucial Win at the Supreme Court, Trump Administration Has Path to Security, Transparency Rules in Mail Balloting
    The Supreme Court delivered a big win to the Trump administration this week that could clear the way for better election integrity across the U.S. Trump v. California, decided on Monday, cleared a major hurdle in the ongoing legal fight over President Donald Trump’s executive order “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections” issued…
    Don Palmer
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  • news

    Supreme Court Backs Trump Election Integrity Order in Mail Ballot Fight
    The Supreme Court on Monday sided with President Donald Trump in a mail-in ballot case stemming from his election integrity executive order. The case is not over, but the high court allowed the federal government to continue implementing the election integrity policies while the case is on appeal. The justices decided in a 6-3 shadow…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    DOJ: Chinese National Cast Illegal Ballot, Then Accused Another of Voter Fraud
    A Chinese national allegedly voted in the 2024 election by impersonating another Chinese national and then reporting that person to authorities, according to the Justice Department. In an alleged voter fraud case with a strange twist, Yupeng Sun, 33, was charged with one count of fraudulent voter registration and one count of fraudulent voting, the…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Ballot Language Wars Reshape Major Referendums Before a Single Vote Is Cast
    Democrat state officials across the country have altered referendum language, which critics allege is aimed at manipulating the outcome of ballot measures this fall. After California Attorney General Rob Bonta altered the language of California’s voter ID measure, Proposition 39, the Yes on 39 campaign alleged in court the alteration was misleading. A Sacramento judge…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Trump Asks Supreme Court to Fast-Track Fight Over Mail-In Ballot Order
    Solicitor General John Sauer asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to expedite review of a court order blocking President Donald Trump’s mail-in ballot policy. In June, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts, a Barack Obama appointee, blocked Trump’s mail ballot order for 23 states challenging the policy. The president’s order prevents the U.S. Postal Service…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Arizona SAVE Act Backers Sue, Say Secretary of State’s Ballot Language Is Misleading
    Supporters of an Arizona version of the SAVE Act allege that the state’s top election official used loaded and inaccurate language to describe the measure when putting it on the November ballot. A group of Arizona voters is suing the office of Democrat Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, alleging the office omitted key provisions,…
    Fred Lucas
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  • analysis

    Think Your Vote Doesn’t Matter? These Elections Were Won by a Single Ballot.
    Races for state legislatures are among the most tightly contested in the country—sometimes decided by one vote. Lawmakers are debating election measures such as government-issued ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements that supporters say could better secure these closely fought races. From 2018 to 2025, 660 elections were decided by fewer than 10 votes; of those, 94…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Voter ID Advocates Take California AG to Court Over Ballot Description
    Advocates for voter ID in California have sued the state over altered ballot language for the November initiative. The ballot initiative Proposition 39, which would amend the state constitution to require that voters provide government-issued identification to vote, originally included the description, “Establishes additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements.” However, last week, California Attorney…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow Mail-in Ballot Restrictions
    President Donald Trump’s administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to allow implementation nationwide of his executive order aimed at tightening rules for mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections that will decide ‌control of Congress. In a filing, the Justice Department requested that the justices put on hold a judge’s ruling preventing the…
    Reuters
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  • news

    Voter ID, Citizenship Verification Measures Head to Ballots Across America
    As Congress struggles to pass the SAVE America Act, voters in states across the nation will decide this November on election procedures such as photo ID requirements, citizenship verification, and other election security matters. Two states feature ballot initiatives with both voter ID requirements and calls for some form of citizenship verification and voter list…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Trump Administration USPS Wins Key Court Fight Over Mail-In Ballot Oversight
    The Trump administration scored a partial court victory on election integrity in a case involving mail-in ballots and voter rolls. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Friday paused a lower court ruling against a U.S. Postal Service rule that conditioned delivery of mail-in ballots on…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    California’s Tax Showdown: Billionaires Tax, Millionaires Tax, and More on November Ballot
    A lot is at stake on the November ballot, as Californians will decide whether to approve a series of tax-related ballot measures that could reshape how the state raises and spends money as lawmakers grapple with multibillion-dollar budget deficits. Known as the “billionaires tax,” Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on roughly 200…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • news

    California Ballot Measure Could Make Taxpayers Fund Political Campaigns
    California voters will decide this November whether politicians can receive taxpayer-funded campaign money under a ballot measure that would repeal the state’s decades-old ban on public financing. Proposition 4, titled the Allow Public Financing of Election Campaigns Measure, will appear on the Nov. 3 statewide ballot. If approved, the measure would allow local governments across…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • analysis

    Justices Eye 2 More Election Integrity Cases After Clearing Mail Ballot Counting Case
    Although the Supreme Court issued a stinging defeat to President Donald Trump and Republicans in an election integrity case, justices have more such cases in the pipeline. One solidly red state, Mississippi, and two battleground states, Arizona and Pennsylvania, were the focal point of election litigation on Monday. The high court ruled 5-4 to uphold…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    High Court Rules on Mail Ballots Arriving After Election Day
    The Supreme Court determined in an 5-4 ruling that states can continue counting ballots that arrive after Election Day. Justice Amy Coney Barrett authored the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the three Democrat appointees on the court.   The case of Watson v. Republican National Committee involved Mississippi’s policy of counting…
    Fred Lucas
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