2008 ballot measures

2008 state ballot measures

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This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 2008.

In the United States, a ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.

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Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks

See also: Historical Ballot Measures (HBM) Factbooks

The inventory of statewide ballot measures is part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks, which document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and voters on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they've covered, and the role they have played in our civic life. Click here to access the state historical ballot measure factbooks.

List of ballot measures by state

Alabama

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Budget stabilization funds		a	943,361 (57%)	717,056 (43%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	State judiciary	This measure proposed to create the Shelby County Judicial Commission and to fill certain judicial vacancies.	a	673,923 (60%)	442,846 (40%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	Taxes	The Alabama Madison School Taxes Amendment 3 was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that was on the November 4, 2008, ballot in Alabama, where it was approved.	a	566,593 (50%)	555,520 (50%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Local government organization	This measure proposed that in order to annex territory in Blount County, a municipality must be located, at least in part, in Blount County. An exception could be made if the voters of Blount County approved the annexation.	a	620,915 (57%)	470,066 (43%)
LRCA	Amendment 5	State judiciary	This measure proposed that in Russell County, the legislature could regulate the costs and charges of the court.	d	485,756 (45%)	589,978 (55%)
LRCA	Amendment 6	Utility policy	The Alabama Utilities in Tuskegee Amendment 6 was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that was on the November 4, 2008, ballot in Alabama, where it was approved. This measure proposed rules related to the election of individuals to the utilities board.	a	609 (58%)	444 (42%)

Alaska

See also: Alaska 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
BI	Proposition A	Highways and bridges; Ports and harbors; Bond issues; Non-motorized transportation	Issue $315,050,000 in bonds for the purpose of paying the cost of state transportation projects	a	187,961 (64%)	107,624 (36%)

August 26

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
IndISS	Measure 1	Gambling policy; Administrative organization	Create a seven-member gaming commission to regulate gaming activities	d	73,463 (39%)	116,670 (61%)
IndISS	Measure 2	Hunting regulations	Revise the ban on same-day airborne shooting to include grizzly bears	d	85,619 (45%)	105,417 (55%)
IndISS	Measure 3	Campaign finance	Create a public campaign financing program	d	67,162 (36%)	120,875 (64%)
IndISS	Measure 4	Business regulations; Pollution, waste, and recycling policy; Mineral resources	Require new metallic mineral mining operations to meet water quality standards that prohibit the discharge or storage of toxic pollutants that adversely affect human health or the life cycle of salmon	d	83,574 (44%)	108,138 (56%)

Arizona

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 100	Taxes; Property	Prohibit any new tax, fee, or other assessment on the sale, purchase or other conveyance of real estate after December 31, 2007	a	1,645,119 (77%)	498,346 (23%)
CICA	Proposition 101	Constitutional rights; Private health insurance	Prohibit laws that restrict a person from choosing a private health care system	d	1,048,512 (50%)	1,057,199 (50%)
LRCA	Proposition 102	Family-related policy; LGBTQ issues	Require a legally recognized union of marriage to be between one man and one woman		1,258,355 (56%)	980,753 (44%)
CICA	Proposition 105	Initiative and referendum process; Ballot measure supermajority requirements	Require any ballot initiative that creates, increases, or imposes a tax or fee, or mandates government spending, to be approved by a majority of all registered voters	d	718,076 (34%)	1,395,200 (66%)
CISS	Proposition 200	Banking policy; Business regulations	Provide for the indefinite continuation of the payday loan licensing program	d	860,607 (40%)	1,271,717 (60%)
CISS	Proposition 201	Housing; Business regulations	Provide for the expansion of the rights and obligations of home buyers and seller.	d	467,866 (22%)	1,655,410 (78%)
CISS	Proposition 202	Immigration policy; Business regulations	Suspend business licenses for those who intentionally employ people who entered the U.S. illegally	d	881,576 (41%)	1,276,681 (59%)
CRSS	Proposition 300	Salaries of government officials	Provide for the increase in legislative salaries from $24,000 per year to $30,000 per year	d	775,069 (36%)	1,388,183 (64%)

Arkansas

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposed Amendment 1	Literacy, poll tax, and property voting requirements; Election administration and governance		a	714,128 (73%)	267,326 (27%)
LRCA	Proposed Amendment 2	State legislative processes and sessions		a	664,671 (69%)	292,436 (31%)
CICA	Proposed Amendment 3	Gambling policy; Higher education funding		a	648,122 (63%)	383,467 (37%)
CISS	Proposed Initiative 1	Family-related policy		a	586,248 (57%)	440,945 (43%)
BI	Referred Question 1	Environment; Bond issues	Allow the state to issue up to $300 million in bonds to finance the development of water, waste disposal and pollution abatement facilities	a	631,767 (66%)	332,507 (34%)

California

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CISS	Proposition 10	Bond issues; Energy conservation and efficiency; Solar and wind energy	Issue $5 billion in bonds for alternative fuel projects	d	5,098,666 (41%)	7,464,154 (59%)
CICA/SS	Proposition 11	Redistricting policy	Transfer the legislative redistricting power from elected representatives to a 14 member commission	a	6,095,033 (51%)	5,897,655 (49%)
BI	Proposition 12	Veterans policy; Housing; Bond issues	Issue $900 million in bonds to provide loans to veterans to purchase homes or farms	a	7,807,630 (64%)	4,481,196 (36%)
BI	Proposition 1A	Bond issues; Transportation	Issue $9.95 in bonds for high-speed rail project	a	6,680,485 (53%)	6,015,944 (47%)
CISS	Proposition 2	Animal treatment laws	Establish minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens	a	8,203,769 (63%)	4,731,738 (37%)
CISS	Proposition 3	Healthcare facility funding; Bond issues	Issue $980 million in bonds for children's hospitals	a	6,984,319 (55%)	5,654,586 (45%)
CICA	Proposition 4	Abortion policy	Require parental notification before a minor can receive an abortion	d	6,220,473 (48%)	6,728,478 (52%)
CISS	Proposition 5	Drug crime policy; Law enforcement	Make changes to drug crime policy, sentencing, and rehabilitation programs	d	5,155,206 (41%)	7,566,783 (59%)
CISS	Proposition 6	Law enforcement funding; Drug crime policy; Parole policy; Criminal sentencing	Make changes to gang-related criminal laws, law enforcement funding, and parole agent caseloads	d	3,824,372 (31%)	8,559,647 (69%)
CISS	Proposition 7	Energy market regulations; Carbon emissions regulations	Increase the state's renewable portfolio standard and make changes to renewable energy market regulations	d	4,502,235 (36%)	8,155,181 (64%)
CICA	Proposition 8	LGBTQ issues; Family-related policy	Define marriage as between one man and one woman, reversing a state judicial ruling that legalized same-sex marriage		7,001,084 (52%)	6,401,482 (48%)
CICA/SS	Proposition 9	Crime victims' rights; Criminal trials	Add specific rights of crime victims, together known as Marsy's Law, to the California Constitution	a	6,682,465 (54%)	5,728,968 (46%)

June 3

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	Proposition 98	Eminent domain policy; Rent control and regulations	Enact new limits on eminent domain, prohibit any future rent control measures, and phase out rent control measures enacted prior to January 2007	d	1,675,213 (38%)	2,677,456 (62%)
CICA	Proposition 99	Eminent domain policy; Property	Prohibit state and local governments from acquiring an owner-occupied residence for the purpose of conveying it to another person with certain listed exceptions	a	2,678,106 (62%)	1,644,509 (38%)

February 5

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	Proposition 91	State and local government budgets, spending, and finance; Transportation	Prohibit funds generated from certain gas taxes dedicated for transportation projects from being deposited into the state's general fund	d	3,427,588 (42%)	4,794,776 (58%)
CICA/SS	Proposition 92	Education	Change the existing formula for community college funding, reduce the credit fee from $20 per unit to $15 per unit, and establish independent community college districts and board of governors	d	3,613,332 (43%)	4,831,445 (57%)
CICA	Proposition 93	State legislative term limits	Change the state's term limits to limit state legislators to a maximum of 12 years in office without regard to what chamber they were serving in	d	3,961,466 (46%)	4,574,826 (54%)
VR	Proposition 94	American Indian issues; Gambling policy	Uphold a change to the gaming compact between the state and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians to allow them to operate an additional slot machines and require the tribe to pay $42.5 million and a portion of the additional slot revenue to the state	a	4,812,313 (56%)	3,848,998 (44%)
VR	Proposition 95	American Indian issues; Gambling policy	Uphold a change to the gaming compact between the state and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians to allow them to operate an additional slot machines and require the tribe to pay $36.7 million and a portion of the additional slot revenue to the state	a	4,809,573 (56%)	3,841,352 (44%)
VR	Proposition 96	Gambling policy; American Indian issues	Uphold a gaming compact enacted in early 2007 between the state of California and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation	a	4,785,413 (55%)	3,844,408 (45%)
VR	Proposition 97	American Indian issues; Gambling policy	Uphold a change to the gaming compact between the state and the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to allow them to operate an additional slot machines and require the tribe to pay $23.4 million and a portion of the additional slot revenue to the state	a	4,786,884 (55%)	3,838,892 (45%)

Colorado

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	Amendment 46	Affirmative action	Establish that the state may not discriminate or give preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of a variety of characteristics	d	1,102,046 (49%)	1,138,134 (51%)
CICA	Amendment 47	Right-to-work laws	Prohibit the requirement that one be a member of a labor union as a condition of their employment.	d	1,003,056 (44%)	1,282,501 (56%)
CICA	Amendment 48	Abortion policy	Add language to the constitution stating that "the terms 'person' or 'persons' shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization"	d	618,779 (27%)	1,691,237 (73%)
CICA	Amendment 49	Labor union deductions	Prohibit public employee paycheck deductions with certain exceptions	d	882,428 (39%)	1,366,620 (61%)
CICA	Amendment 50	Gambling policy; Taxes	Amend regulations related to gambling operations and amend provisions related to the taxes collected through the gaming tax.	a	1,330,566 (59%)	936,254 (41%)
CISS	Amendment 51	Public assistance programs; Taxes	Increase the state sales tax and use funds from the sales tax increase to fund services for people with developmental disabilities.	d	853,211 (38%)	1,414,065 (62%)
CICA	Amendment 52	Revenue allocation; Mineral resources; Severance taxes; Transportation	Apportion some taxes collected from companies that extract nonrenewable natural resources (the severance tax) to highway projects.	d	790,124 (36%)	1,418,009 (64%)
CICA	Amendment 54	Campaign finance	Establish limitations on campaign contributions for government contractors.	a	1,130,098 (51%)	1,076,694 (49%)
CISS	Amendment 58	Restricted-use funds; Severance taxes; Local government finance and taxes	Increase the tax on companies that extract nonrenewable natural resources (a severance tax) and use these funds for specific purposes.	d	944,191 (42%)	1,306,782 (58%)
CICA	Amendment 59	Education; State and local government budgets, spending, and finance	Spend excess funds collected by the state to be spent on public education.	d	1,010,409 (46%)	1,201,220 (54%)
CICA	Initiative 50	Gambling policy		a	1,330,566 (59%)	936,254 (41%)
LRCA	Referendum L	Age limits for officials	Lower the age from serving in the state legislature from 25 to 21.	d	1,010,896 (47%)	1,162,296 (53%)
LRCA	Referendum M	Constitutional wording changes; Property	Remove an obsolete constitutional provision relating to land value increases.	a	1,307,770 (62%)	792,678 (38%)
LRCA	Referendum N	Constitutional wording changes; Alcohol laws	Repeal obsolete provisions relating to alcohol.	a	1,449,383 (69%)	658,684 (31%)
LRCA	Referendum O	Initiative and referendum process	Adjust provisions relating to putting citizens' initiatives on the ballot.	d	1,004,925 (47%)	1,110,877 (53%)

Connecticut

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
ACCQ	Question 1	State constitutional conventions	Allow the state of Connecticut to hold a Constitutional Convention where the Connecticut Constitution could then be amended or revised	d	579,904 (41%)	847,518 (59%)
LRCA	Question 2	Voting age policy	Allow Connecticut residents to vote in primaries at age 17, as long as they will turn 18 before the general election	a	900,491 (64%)	508,396 (36%)

Florida

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Constitutional wording changes; Constitutional rights; Immigration policy	Eliminate constitutional provisions that prevent aliens ineligible for citizenship from possessing real property	d	3,564,090 (48%)	3,871,704 (52%)
CICA	Amendment 2	LGBTQ issues; Family-related policy	Establish that marriage only be recognized as a union between one man and one woman		4,890,883 (62%)	3,008,026 (38%)
CRCA	Amendment 3	Energy conservation and efficiency; Property tax exemptions; Property taxes	Exempt property improvements that increase resistance to wind damage or provide renewable energy when assessing the property value	a	4,351,975 (61%)	2,839,825 (39%)
CRCA	Amendment 4	Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Property taxes	Establish a property tax exemption for property that is limited by perpetual conservation protections	a	4,875,162 (69%)	2,235,969 (31%)
CRCA	Amendment 6	Property taxes; Fisheries and fishing regulations; Ports and harbors	Provide for the assessment of working waterfront property based upon how it is used	a	4,983,313 (71%)	2,072,041 (29%)
CRCA	Amendment 8	Local government finance and taxes; Sales taxes; Higher education funding	Allow counties, upon approval by the voters, to levy a local option sales tax to supplement community college funding	d	3,210,481 (44%)	4,161,731 (56%)

January 29

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Homestead tax exemptions; Property tax exemptions	Amend exemptions and benefits based on homestead property, provide an exemption on tangible personal property, and limit assessment increase on certain non-homestead real property	a	2,667,543 (64%)	1,495,270 (36%)

Georgia

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Property taxes; Forestry and timber	Authorize the General Assembly to encourage forest preservation through special tax assessments on certain forest lands and provide assistance grants to local governments	a	2,454,513 (68%)	1,154,662 (32%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	Public education funding; Public education governance; Property taxes	Authorize community redevelopment and allow counties, municipalities, and local boards of education to use tax funds for redevelopment purposes and programs	a	1,868,112 (52%)	1,756,809 (48%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	Administrative powers and rulemaking	Authorize the Georgia General Assembly to create and regulate infrastructure development districts for infrastructure provision as authorized by local governments	d	1,665,890 (48%)	1,777,619 (52%)

Hawaii

See also: Hawaii 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Amendment 1	State executive elections	d	75,696 (18%)	356,682 (82%)
ACCQ	Question 1	State constitutional conventions	d	152,453 (35%)	281,418 (65%)

Illinois

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
ACCQ	Constitutional Convention Question	State constitutional conventions	d	1,493,203 (33%)	3,062,724 (67%)

Iowa

See also: Iowa 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Voting rights for persons with criminal convictions	The measure repealed Section 5 of Article II of the Iowa Constitution and replaced it with a section that provided that persons "adjudged mentally incompetent to vote" or persons "convicted of any infamous crime" not be eligible to vote.	a	1,014,952 (82%)	215,912 (18%)

Louisiana

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Amendment 1	Executive official term limits; Administrative organization	a	1,129,899 (69%)	497,283 (31%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	State legislative processes and sessions	a	952,046 (60%)	641,308 (40%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	State legislative elections	a	981,458 (62%)	607,741 (38%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Taxes	d	704,057 (45%)	875,196 (55%)
LRCA	Amendment 5	Eminent domain policy	d	778,206 (50%)	780,047 (50%)
LRCA	Amendment 6	Eminent domain policy	d	771,051 (49%)	786,933 (51%)
LRCA	Amendment 7	Public employee retirement funds; State and local government budgets, spending, and finance	d	670,756 (44%)	841,927 (56%)

Maine

See also: Maine 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
VR	Question 1	Healthcare facility funding; Sales taxes	Reject parts of a new law that would fund Maine's Dirigo Health Program through fixed fees on health insurers and taxes on malt liquor, wine, and soft drinks	a	462,818 (65%)	253,026 (35%)
IndISS	Question 2	Gambling policy	Allow a specific Maine company to operate the only casino in the state, located in Oxford County, with a portion of revenue dedicated to state programs	d	333,685 (46%)	389,251 (54%)
BI	Question 3	Bond issues; Drinking water systems	Allow an issue $3.4 million in bonds for drinking water programs and wastewater treatment facility construction	a	353,497 (50%)	349,662 (50%)

June 10

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
BI	Question 1	Agriculture policy; Bond issues; Transportation	Allow an issue of $29.73 million in bonds for natural resource, agricultural, and transportation infrastructure projects	a	101,171 (58%)	71,822 (42%)

Maryland

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Early voting	a	1,755,844 (72%)	670,759 (28%)
LRCA	Question 2	Gambling policy	a	1,482,295 (59%)	1,043,129 (41%)

Massachusetts

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
IndISS	Question 1	Income taxes	Eliminate the state income tax	d	914,420 (31%)	2,070,699 (69%)
IndISS	Question 2	Drug crime policy; Marijuana laws	Replace the criminal penalties for possessing of one ounce or less of marijuana with a civil penalty system	a	1,949,704 (65%)	1,038,523 (35%)
IndISS	Question 3	Animal treatment laws; Gambling policy	Prohibit forms of dog racing where on the speed or ability of dogs occurs	a	1,662,352 (56%)	1,303,708 (44%)

Michigan

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
IndISS	Proposal 08-1	Marijuana laws	Permit the use and growth of marijuana for medicinal purposes, with certain restrictions	a	3,006,820 (63%)	1,790,889 (37%)
CICA	Proposal 08-2	Healthcare governance	Expand the use of stem cells in research	a	2,521,026 (53%)	2,271,083 (47%)

Minnesota

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Sales taxes	Enact an increase of three-eighths of one percent in the sales and use tax in order to provide revenue to protect the natural resources of the state and to preserve Minnesota's arts and cultural heritage	a	1,635,046 (59%)	1,141,540 (41%)

Missouri

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	English language policy	Require all official proceedings of public governmental bodies to be conducted in English	a	2,407,536 (86%)	381,874 (14%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Revenue allocation; Sewage and stormwater	Modify stormwater project financing by restricting grants and loans to public water and sewer districts, remove funding caps and disbursement limits, and mandate loan repayments be used solely for stormwater control projects	a	1,494,107 (58%)	1,088,728 (42%)
CISS	Proposition A	Public education funding; Gambling policy; Restricted-use funds	Enact a law to repeal gambling loss limits, prohibit future limits, require identification to prove an individual is at least 21 years old, restrict casino numbers, increase the casino tax from 20% to 21%, allocate new gambling tax revenue to education through a dedicated fund, and require annual audits	a	1,578,674 (56%)	1,231,892 (44%)
CISS	Proposition B	Public assistance programs; Healthcare governance; Administrative organization; Public health insurance	Establish the Missouri Quality Homecare Council to ensure quality home care services for the elderly and individuals with disabilities under Medicaid by recruiting, training, and stabilizing the home care workforce	a	2,077,831 (75%)	683,137 (25%)
CISS	Proposition C	Solar and wind energy; Carbon emissions regulations; Energy market regulations	Enact a law to require investor-owned electric utilities in Missouri to generate or purchase their use of renewable energy to at least 15% by 2021, including 2% from solar, and limit consumer rate increases at 1%	a	1,777,500 (66%)	914,332 (34%)

Montana

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	C-44	State and local government budgets, spending, and finance		d	118,178 (26%)	337,656 (74%)
CISS	Initiative 155	Private health insurance; Public health insurance	Establish a children's health insurance coverage plan for all uninsured children in the state	a	329,289 (70%)	141,701 (30%)
LRSS	LR-118	Higher education funding; Taxes		a	264,158 (57%)	200,957 (43%)

Nebraska

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Local government finance and taxes	Remove requirement that municipalities and villages can only use general tax revenue to fund economic and industrial development projects	d	312,125 (46%)	371,664 (54%)
CICA	Measure 424	Affirmative action; Constitutional rights	Prohibit any political subdivision and institutions of higher learning from discriminating against or giving preferential treatment to any person based on their race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin	a	404,766 (58%)	298,401 (42%)

May 13

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Local government finance and taxes	Authorize cities to invest public endowment funds	a	137,047 (58%)	99,920 (42%)

Nevada

See also: Nevada 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Residency voting requirements	Reduce the residency requirement for voting from 6 months to 30 days for both state and local elections.	d	433,847 (47%)	481,260 (53%)
CICA	Question 2	Eminent domain policy	Prohibit eminent domain transfers between private parties, require fair market valuation, and allow owners to reclaim unused seized property.	a	534,547 (61%)	344,562 (39%)
LRCA	Question 3	Tax and revenue administration	Require the legislature to justify tax exemptions, apply uniform standards, and set expiration dates.	a	518,733 (60%)	344,017 (40%)
LRSS	Question 4	State executive powers and duties; State judicial selection	Allow the legislature to amend the Sales and Use Tax Act for federal compliance, excluding tax hikes, and repeal an aircraft tax exemption.	d	229,739 (27%)	629,009 (73%)

New Jersey

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Question 1	Bond issues	a	1,259,147 (58%)	915,395 (42%)
	Question 2	State executive powers and duties; State judicial selection	d	984,404 (45%)	1,181,667 (55%)

New Mexico

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Public education governance; Absentee and mail voting		a	368,438 (53%)	323,553 (47%)
	Amendment 2	Salaries of government officials		d	184,781 (27%)	511,900 (73%)
	Amendment 3	State executive powers and duties		a	490,160 (72%)	191,299 (28%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Public education governance; Local government officials and elections	Allow school elections to be held at the same time as nonpartisan elections	a	512,962 (74%)	175,767 (26%)
	Amendment 5	State executive elections		a	477,975 (69%)	215,727 (31%)
	Question 1	Bond issues		a	411,820 (59%)	283,076 (41%)
	Question 2	Bond issues		a	361,995 (52%)	329,788 (48%)
	Question 3	Bond issues		a	453,264 (65%)	244,173 (35%)
	Question 4	Bond issues		a	401,514 (58%)	295,583 (42%)

New York

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Veterans policy; Public assistance programs	Eliminate the requirement that disabled veterans receive federal disability payments to qualify for civil service exam credit.	a	1,815,847 (78%)	506,652 (22%)

North Dakota

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Fuel taxes; Severance taxes	Establish a permanent oil tax trust fund from oil and gas tax revenue exceeding 100 million dollars per biennium, adjusted for inflation	d	108,748 (36%)	193,111 (64%)
CISS	Initiative 2	Income taxes	Lower the state corporate income tax rates for tax years beginning after December 31, 2008 by 15 percent and have lowered adjusted state income tax rates for both resident and nonresident individuals, estates and trusts by 50 percent, except for specific tax brackets	d	91,412 (30%)	210,598 (70%)
CISS	Initiative 3	Tobacco laws	Establish a tobacco prevention and control advisory committee, an executive committee and a statewide tobacco prevention and control plan and trust fund	a	162,793 (54%)	139,034 (46%)
CISS	Initiative 4	Administrative organization	Provide for the appointment by the Governor of the director for the Workforce Safety and Insurance agency, the placement of its employees into the state personnel system and for the appointment of independent administrative law judges to conduct hearings and make final decisions	a	196,531 (67%)	96,457 (33%)

June 3

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	State executive elections	Prohibit a legislator from being appointed to a state office if that office’s salary had been raised during their term	d	35,888 (42%)	48,644 (58%)

Ohio

See also: Ohio 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Issue 1	Initiative and referendum process	Change the signature deadline for initiatives from 90 days before the election to 125 days before the election	a	3,397,389 (69%)	1,550,365 (31%)
LRCA	Issue 2	Environment; Bond issues	Authorize the issuance of bonds for environmental conservation and preservation	a	3,574,294 (69%)	1,585,410 (31%)
LRCA	Issue 3	Property; Water	Guarantee property owners the right to make reasonable use of ground water beneath their land and on their border	a	3,631,380 (72%)	1,415,933 (28%)
VR	Issue 5	Business regulations; Banking policy	Require voters to decide whether Section 3 of H.B. 545 shall go into effect, which relates to payday lending fees, interest rates, and practices	a	3,396,968 (64%)	1,943,721 (36%)
CICA	Issue 6	Gambling policy	Authorize construction of a casino near Southwest Ohio and distributing tax revenue from the casino to all Ohio counties	d	2,092,074 (38%)	3,466,574 (62%)

Oklahoma

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	State Question 735	Taxes; Veterans policy	Exempt 100% disabled veterans and their surviving spouses from personal property tax.	a	1,153,831 (85%)	203,644 (15%)
LRCA	State Question 741	Taxes; Property	Require individuals or businesses to file an application to receive property tax exemptions and prohibit exemptions before filing.	a	908,609 (68%)	424,905 (32%)
LRCA	State Question 742	Right to hunt and fish; Constitutional rights	Establish a constitutional right to hunt, trap, fish, and take game, granting authority to the Wildlife Conservation Commission.	a	1,082,341 (80%)	269,787 (20%)
LRCA	State Question 743	Alcohol laws; Business regulations	Require buyers to be 21 and present for wine purchases, and allow small winemakers direct sales to retailers.	a	1,064,972 (79%)	284,141 (21%)

Oregon

See also: Oregon 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 54	Voting age policy; Literacy, poll tax, and property voting requirements	Align voter eligibility for school board elections with other elections, removing age, residency, and literacy test requirements.	a	1,194,173 (73%)	450,979 (27%)
LRCA	Measure 55	Redistricting policy	Allow legislators to complete terms representing their elected districts with new redistricting taking effect after the next general election	a	1,251,478 (77%)	364,993 (23%)
LRCA	Measure 56	Property taxes; Ballot measure supermajority requirements	Eliminate double majority voter turnout requirements for property tax elections held in May and November.	a	959,118 (57%)	735,500 (43%)
LRSS	Measure 57	Criminal sentencing; Drug crime policy	Increase prison sentences for specified drug and property crimes, require addiction treatment to certain offenders, and provide grants for local jails and treatment services.	a	1,058,955 (61%)	665,942 (39%)
CISS	Measure 58	Immigration policy; Education; English language policy	Prohibit teaching public school students in any language other than English for more than two years, except for foreign language classes.	d	756,903 (44%)	977,696 (56%)
CISS	Measure 59	Taxes	Create an unlimited deduction for federal income taxes on Oregon returns, exempting taxpayers from state or local income taxes on income taxed within Oregon.	d	615,894 (36%)	1,084,422 (64%)
CISS	Measure 60	Public school teachers and staff	Require pay raises for public school teachers based on classroom performance instead of seniority.	d	673,296 (39%)	1,070,682 (61%)
CISS	Measure 61	State judiciary; Law enforcement	Create mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain theft, identity theft, forgery, drug, and burglary crimes.	d	848,901 (49%)	887,165 (51%)
CICA	Measure 62	State and local government budgets, spending, and finance; Gambling policy	Allocate 15% of lottery proceeds to a public safety fund, reducing the percentage of funds for other lottery-funded programs.	d	674,428 (39%)	1,035,756 (61%)
CISS	Measure 63	Property	Exempt residential and farm property owners from building permit requirements for improvements under $35,000.	d	784,376 (46%)	928,721 (54%)
CISS	Measure 64	Campaign finance	Prohibit the use of public resources to collect money for political purposes, providing definitions for such terms.	d	835,563 (49%)	854,327 (51%)
CISS	Measure 65	Primary election systems	Establish a top-two system for primary elections and change general election nomination processes for most partisan offices.	d	553,640 (34%)	1,070,580 (66%)

May 20

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 51	Crime victims' rights	Allow crime victims to seek remedies through due process for violations of their constitutional rights in prosecutions and proceedings.	a	744,195 (75%)	249,143 (25%)
LRCA	Measure 52	Crime victims' rights	Allow crime victims to seek remedies through due process for violations of constitutional rights regarding protection from offenders throughout prosecutions and proceedings.	a	738,092 (75%)	247,738 (25%)
LRCA	Measure 53	Criminal trials	Allow property forfeiture for similar crimes and without conviction.	a	490,158 (50%)	489,477 (50%)

Pennsylvania

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
BI	Water Infrastructure Bond Measure	Bond issues	authorize the state to incur $400 million in debt in order to give loans and grants to municipalities for water and sewer projects	a	2,879,592 (62%)	1,744,555 (38%)

Rhode Island

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Question 1	Bond issues; Transportation	a	297,099 (77%)	90,794 (23%)
	Question 2	Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Bond issues	a	261,017 (68%)	123,561 (32%)

South Carolina

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Amendment 1	Constitutional wording changes	a	900,164 (52%)	817,923 (48%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	Public employee retirement funds	d	723,136 (42%)	1,004,384 (58%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	Public employee retirement funds	d	743,406 (44%)	962,304 (56%)

South Dakota

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment G	Salaries of government officials	Repeal reimbursement restrictions for legislative members' travel to and from a legislative session	d	147,763 (41%)	211,413 (59%)
LRCA	Amendment H	Business regulations	Repeal restrictions on corporations, and allow corporations to issue stock and restrict cumulative voting	d	103,172 (31%)	229,985 (69%)
LRCA	Amendment I	State legislative processes and sessions	Establish the annual length of legislative session to a maximum of forty days	a	184,722 (52%)	167,751 (48%)
LRCA	Amendment J	State legislative term limits	Remove term limits for state legislators	d	87,380 (24%)	272,635 (76%)
CISS	Initiative 10	Campaign finance; Ethics rules and commissions; Open meetings and public information	Prohibit the use of tax funds for lobbying or campaigning, restrict government contractors and officials from political involvement, and require public disclosure of government contracts	d	127,040 (35%)	232,684 (65%)
CISS	Initiative 11	Abortion policy	Places restrictions on abortion	d	167,560 (45%)	206,535 (55%)
CISS	Initiative 9	Business regulations	Prohibit short sales of stocks and require a maximum of three business days to have securities delivered to the purchaser	d	146,872 (43%)	191,596 (57%)

Utah

See also: Utah 2008 ballot measures

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment A	State executive branch structure	Modify the process for vacancies of governor and lieutenant governor	a	656,706 (76%)	208,985 (24%)
LRCA	Amendment B	Restricted-use funds	Expand the sources of revenue that can be put in the state trust fund	a	564,174 (66%)	291,357 (34%)
LRCA	Amendment C	State legislative processes and sessions	Change the legislative session start date and exclude federal holidays from the session length calculation	a	607,989 (71%)	254,383 (29%)
LRCA	Amendment D	Redistricting policy	Permit the legislature to wait to finish redistricting measures until they receive federal census results.	a	663,052 (78%)	184,423 (22%)
LRCA	Amendment E	Restricted-use funds; Public education funding	Authorize an exception to the prohibition of investing in private stock	d	374,152 (43%)	489,478 (57%)

Washington

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CISS	Initiative 1000	Assisted death policy	Permit mentally competent, terminally ill adults to request and self-administer a lethal overdose of prescribed medication.	a	1,715,219 (58%)	1,251,255 (42%)
CISS	Initiative 1029	Healthcare governance	Require long-term care workers to be trained and certified as home care aides	a	2,113,773 (73%)	800,733 (27%)
CISS	Initiative 985	Highways and bridges	Open high-occupancy vehicle lanes during specified hours and the allocation of certain revenues to traffic-flow purposes	d	1,163,216 (40%)	1,744,156 (60%)

Wisconsin

April 1

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	State executive powers and duties	Remove the governor’s partial veto power to create a new sentence by combining parts of two or more sentences in an appropriation bill	a	575,582 (71%)	239,613 (29%)

Wyoming

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
	Amendment A	Administration of government	a	191,787 (82%)	42,821 (18%)
LRCA	Constitutional Amendment B	Initiative and referendum process	d	120,333 (54%)	101,655 (46%)

Other years

Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.

State ballot measures by year
Decade
2020s			2027	2026	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
2010s	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010
2000s	2009	2008	2007	2006	2005	2004	2003	2002	2001	2000
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1970s	1979	1978	1977	1976	1975	1974	1973	1972	1971	1970
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1950s	1959	1958	1957	1956	1955	1954	1953	1952	1951	1950
1940s	1949	1948	1947	1946	1945	1944	1943	1942	1941	1940
1930s	1939	1938	1937	1936	1935	1934	1933	1932	1931	1930
1920s	1929	1928	1927	1926	1925	1924	1923	1922	1921	1920
1910s	1919	1918	1917	1916	1915	1914	1913	1912	1911	1910
1900s	1909	1908	1907	1906	1905	1904	1903	1902	1901	1900
1890s	1899	1898	1897	1896	1895	1894	1893	1892	1891	1890
1880s	1889	1888	1887	1886	1885	1884	1883	1882	1881	1880
1870s	1879	1878	1877	1876	1875	1874	1873	1872	1871	1870
1860s	1869	1868	1867	1866	1865	1864	1863	1862	1861	1860
1850s	1859	1858	1857	1856	1855	1854	1853	1852	1851	1850

Footnotes

2008 ballot measures

Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks

List of ballot measures by state

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