Approximately One-Third of the U.S. Population, (118,238,372), lives in a State with Ballot Measures related to at least One of Five Topics this year: Abortion, Electoral Systems, Wages, Marijuana, and Taxes.
Thirty-Nine of the 54 Ballot Initiative,s that are either Certified for the Ballot or have had Signatures submitted, fall under these Five Categories.
Record Number of Abortion-related Measures on the Ballot in 2024:
Six States: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota, have placed Constitutional Amendments relating to Abortion on the November Ballot. All Six seek to add Abortion as a State Constitutional Right.
Six additional Initiatives are pending Signature Verification in: Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska. Five of these Measures seek to add Abortion as a State Constitutional Right, while One of the Two Measures in Nebraska, would Prohibit Abortions after the First Trimester.
Measures to Change Election Processes and Systems are on the Ballot in Five States:
Voters in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, and South Dakota will decide Initiatives to change Electoral systems. Voters will also decide on a Legislatively referred Measure in Oregon.
The Alaska initiative would Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice-Voting (RCV), which Voters adopted in 2020. Voters in Idaho will Vote on Adopting Nonpartisan, Top-Four Primaries and RCV for General Elections.
Nevadans will decide on an Initiative that would establish Open, Top-Five Primaries and RCV for General Elections.
South Dakota Voters will decide on an iIitiative to adopt Open Top-Two Primaries. Voters in Oregon will decide whether to adopt RCV for Primary and General Elections for Federal and State Executive offices.
Initiatives related to Wages, Paid Leave, or Both, are on the Ballot:
The Alaska Initiative would Increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per hour, and require Employers to provide Paid Sick Leave. The California Initiative would Increase the Minimum Wage to $18 per hour.
Similar Initiatives could be on the Ballot in Four more States: Arizona, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Nebraska.
The Arizona Legislature referred a Constitutional Amendment, Proposition 138, to the Ballot. The Amendment would allow Tipped Workers to be paid 25% less per hour, than the Minimum wage in certain Cases.
The proposed Ballot Initiative in Arizona, would Increase the Minimum Hourly Wage to $18, and End the Tipped Wage. Since the Ballot Initiative is a Statute and the Legislative Referral is a Constitutional Amendment. the Constitutional amendment would affect the Tipped Wage should Voters Approve both.
Voters in Six States could Address Marijuana-related Policies:
Voters in Florida and South Dakota will decide on Legalizing Marijuana for Personal or Recreational use. These are the only Two States where Marijuana-related Measures are Certified for the Ballot.
North Dakota Voters may decide to Legalize Recreational Marijuana. In Arkansas and Nebraska, Voters could decide on Ballot Measures to Legalize or Expand Medical Marijuana Programs. Voters in Oregon could decide on a Ballot Initiative about Labor Policies for Cannabis Workers.
Voters in Four States will decide on Tax-Related Lnitiatives:
California Proposition 35 would Authorize a Tax on Managed Care Organizations to Fund Medi-Cal, which is California's Medicaid Health Care Program. Colorado Voters will decide on an Initiative to Limit Property Taxes.
South Dakota Voters will decide on an Initiative to Prohibit State Sales Taxes on anything sold for Human Consumption, excluding Alcoholic Beverages and Prepared Food.
In Washington, the Campaign "Let’s Go Washington" is Sponsoring Three Initiatives related to Taxes: One to Repeal the Capital Gains Excise Tax, One to Prohibit Carbon Tax Programs, and One to allow People to Opt-Out of a Payroll Tax, based Program called WA Cares, the State's long-term Services and Supports Trust Health Care Program.
North Dakota and Oregon could also see Tax-Related Ballot Initiatives. Signatures were Filed for an Initiative in North Dakota, to Prohibit Property Taxes except to provide Payments for certain Bonded Indebtedness.
In Oregon, Voters could decide on an Initiative to Increase the Corporate Minimum Tax and Distribute Revenue from the Increase to Residents, as a Rebate estimated at $750 per year.
As of July 15th, Voters will decide on 127 State Ballot Measures across 37 States this year. While State Legislatures have referred most of the Ballot Measures to the Ballot (103).
There are 24 Citizen Initiatives on the Ballot. More than 30 Initiatives are Pending Signature Verifications across 12 States.
There are Two Signature Deadlines remaining in 2024. In Colorado, Signatures must be filed at least Three Months before the General Election, which is Aug. 5th. In Oklahoma, the Signature Verification Deadline is Aug. 27th.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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