State Ballot Measure Monthly: December 2025

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
2025 U.S. state
ballot measures
2026 »
« 2024
BallotMeasureFinal badge.png
Overview
Scorecard
Tuesday Count
Deadlines
Requirements
Readability
Voter guides
Election results
Campaigns
Polls
Media editorials
Filed initiatives
Finances
Contributions
Signature costs
Ballot Measure Monthly
Signature requirements

December 10, 2025

By Ballot Measures Project staff

Welcome to the State Ballot Measure Monthly—covering the latest ballot measure certifications and news from November 12 to December 9.

In this edition, you will find the latest ballot measure updates for 2026, historical comparisons of recent ballot measure data, and the top headlines from the month.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Utah State Legislature repealed the targeted law of a 2026 veto referendum on December 9 that prohibited public sector union collective bargaining.
  • Campaigns behind 11 ballot initiatives in Massachusetts filed signatures. If all 11 initiatives make the 2026 ballot, along with a veto referendum already certified for the ballot in the state, it will be the most citizen initiatives on the ballot in the state’s history.
  • Signatures were also submitted in Colorado for a ballot initiative that would increase the penalties for the manufacturing, sale, and possession of fentanyl and in Missouri for a veto referendum that would uphold or repeal the new congressional district map passed during a special session earlier this year.
  • No measures were certified for elections in 2026 in the last month, which is below the average of two measures for this time period since 2012.

    • Ballot measures by the numbers

    As of December 10, 55 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 28 states for elections in 2026.

    By type

    For elections in 2026, six of the 55 measures are initiatives, and 49 have been referred to the ballot so far. From 2010 to 2024, an average of 161 statewide ballot measures—53 initiated measures and 108 referred measures—appeared on ballots in even-numbered years. An initiated measure is a proposed law that people collect signatures for to put on the ballot. A referred measure is a proposed law that a legislature or commission, or constitutional provision in the case of automatic referrals, puts on the ballot for voters to decide.

    The table below shows the type of measures certified by year.

    Type 2026 2024 2022 2020 2018 2016 2014 2012 2010 Average
    (2010-2024)
    Initiated ballot measures 6 57 30 43 68 76 40 61 50
    53
      Initiated constitutional amendments[1] 2 23 11 15 26 25 8 19 17
    17
      Initiated state statutes 3 32 17 25 37 46 27 29 29
    30
      Veto referendums 1 2 2 4 5 5 5 13 5
    6
    Referred ballot measures 49 102 110 86 99 86 118 125 134
    108
      Legislative constitutional amendment 43 73 89 69 66 69 91 98 106
    84
      Legislative state statute 4 12 8 6 9 2 5 8 8
    7
      Commission-referred measure 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 0 0
    1
      Automatically referred measure 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 4
    2
      Bond issues 0 13 7 6 14 11 15 14 15
    12
      Advisory question 0 3 3 4 2 3 5 2 1
    3
    Total: 55 159 140 129 167 162 158 186 184
    161

    By state

    Measures are certified in 28 states for 2026. Louisiana has the most measures certified, with six measures. The map below shows the number of measures certified in each state.

    2026 certifications

    See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2026

    The tabs below display the measures certified, withdrawn, and pending for elections in 2026.

    For elections in 2026, 55 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 28 states. No new measures were certified for the 2026 ballot between November 12 and December 10. To see the full list of certified ballot measures for 2026 by state, click here.

    Historical comparisons

    Certifications by month for even-numbered year elections

    The following heatmap shows the number of statewide ballot measures certified each month from 2012 through 2026, grouped by two-year election cycles leading up to even-numbered general elections. It highlights both the volume and timing of certifications, helping illustrate the overall rhythm of the ballot measure cycle. The bottom row displays the monthly averages across all years. Ballot Measures Certified by Month

    Ballot measures certified by year and month across two-year election cycles. Average is listed as the bottom row.


    Headlines

    • Signatures pending
      Supporters of at least 11 Massachusetts ballot initiatives submitted signatures. If all qualify, 2026 could see the most ballot initiatives in state history.
      In Massachusetts, the deadline to submit signatures for 2026 ballot initiatives to local registrars was Nov. 19. Campaigns for at least 11 different ballot initiatives reported filing signatures. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin (D) noted the high number of signature submissions, saying, "There’s a unanimity of opinion among groups who don’t agree on much else that they’re not going to get anything done in the Legislature, so they’re going to go to the people." He also said, "[It's] obvious that most are going to succeed in getting on the ballot."
      Read More
    • Trending topics
      Three states certify 2026 measures on citizenship voting requirements and four more proposals are pending
      In 2026, voters in up to seven states could decide on ballot measures establishing citizenship voting requirements in elections. While three states have already certified their measures for the ballot, the other four measures are proposed, either citizen-initiated ballot measures that have been cleared for signature gathering or legislative referrals that require additional votes. From 2018 to 2025, voters decided on 15 ballot measures that added language about citizenship voting requirements. Voters approved all 15.
      Read More


    See also

    Related articles

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ This includes combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute measures.
    2. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "House Bill 267," accessed April 28, 2025
    3. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "H.B. 2001 Public Sector Labor Union Modification," accessed December 10, 2025
    v • e
    Ballotpedia Email Updates
    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=State_Ballot_Measure_Monthly:_December_2025&oldid=10717481"