2009 ballot measures

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32 statewide ballot measures were on 2009 ballot in 7 states. This was the lowest number of statewide ballot measures since 1989.

Three states -- Maine, Ohio and Washington -- of the several dozen states with initiative or referendum offer this option in odd-numbered years. In each of the three states, the petition process was used to qualify measures for the ballot that are traditional hot-button issues, including marriage, taxes, casinos, school consolidation, and marijuana.

The less-well-known veto referendum process took center stage in 2009, with R-71 in Washington and Question 1 and Question 3 in Maine. (In the off-year election of 2007 in Utah, voters used their right of veto referendum to toss out a school choice law.)

Comparison to other years

There are typically far fewer statewide ballot measures on the ballot in odd-numbered years than in even-numbered years. This is because:

• Only three states that allow ballot initiatives allow them in odd-numbered years.
• Laws about amending state constitutions also prohibit many state legislatures from putting legislatively-referred constitutional amendments on the ballot at times other than general elections in even-numbered years.

The I&R Gazette

• Proposition 22 an insufficient bulwark against Brown's plan to end state's redevelopment agencies
• Washington marijuana supporters submit thousands of petition signatures
• Ballot Law Update: 2011 Year in Review
• The Tuesday Count: A rush of developments occur in 2011's last breaths
• The Tuesday Count: Lawsuit knocks measure from ballot for the time being
• Missouri's Robin Carnahan asked to refrain from writing proposed renewable energy initiative language (Updated)
• The process of placing a Kansas measure on the ballot
• With 2012 coming, Idaho initiative supporters must meet May deadline
• Ruling on abortion initiative in Nevada near
• Oregon gillnet fishing initiative returns to the state attorney general for ballot language changes

More ballot measure news

Comparing 2009 just to other odd-numbered years, there are fewer statewide measures on the ballot than has been the case for at least the last 20 years.

Year	# of states with measures	# of measures on ballot
2009	7	32
2007	9	43
2005	12	45
2003	14	67
2001	9	39
1999	16	71
1997	7	41
1995	7	33
1993	10	44
1991	5	34
1989	8	36

Summary of November 2009 ballot measure election results

The charts below includes election results of all statewide ballot measures in 2009.

2009 BALLOT MEASURE STATS
Approved	Defeated	Total
21 (81%)	5 (19%)	26

Ballot measures initiated by the voters
Type of ballot measure	Approved	Defeated	Total
Citizen-initiated constitutional amendment	1	0	1
Citizen-initiated statute	1	4	5
Veto referendum	2	0	2
Total	4 (50%)	4 (50%)	8

Legislative and other referrals
Type of ballot measure	Approved	Defeated	Total
Legislatively-referred constitutional amend	2	0	2
Legislatively-referred statute	15	1	16
Total	17 (94%)	1 (6%)	18

November statewide

Maine

See also: Maine 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
VR	Question 1	Marriage	Attempt to repeal new same-sex law	a
CISS	Question 2	Taxes	Tax reduction for citizens who follow certain energy efficiency requirements	d
CISS	Question 3	Education	Repeal the law mandating school district restructuring	d
CISS	Question 4	Taxes	Increases in government spending tied to inflation and population increases	d
CISS	Question 5	Marijuana	De-criminalize marijuana used medically	a
LRSS	Question 6	Bonds	$71 million in bonds	a
LRCA	Question 7	Elections	Increase the amount of time to certify signatures	d

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
LRSS	Open Space Bonds	Bond issues	$400 million for open space, farmland, historic areas	a

New York

See also: New York 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
LRCA	Proposal 1	Environment	Retroactively approve power line along State Route 56 on six acres of forest preserve lands	a
LRCA	Proposal 2	Admin of gov't	Allow prisoners to perform volunteer work for nonprofit organizations	a

Ohio

See also: Ohio 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Issue 1	Bonds	$200 million for vets of Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq	a
LRCA	Issue 2	Animals	Established board to set livestock care standards	a
CICA	Issue 3	Gambling	Allowed casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo	a

Texas

See also: Texas 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposition 1	Spending	To acquire open spaces adjacent to military installations	a
LRCA	Proposition 2	Property tax	Provide for the taxation of a residence on basis of value, procedures for ad valorem.	a
LRCA	Proposition 3	Property tax	Providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property	a
LRCA	Proposition 4	Education	Funding research universities	a
LRCA	Proposition 5	Property tax	Single board of equalization for two or more adjoining appraisal entities	a
LRCA	Proposition 6	Bond issues	Issue general obligation bonds same or less than authorized	a
LRCA	Proposition 7	Admin of gov't	Allow state militia to hold other civil offices	a
LRCA	Proposition 8	Veterans' affairs	Authorization of state to give money to veterans hospitals.	a
LRCA	Proposition 9	Property rights	Right of access to public beaches	a
LRCA	Proposition 10	Term limits	Terms of members on board of emergency service districts will not exceed four years	a
LRCA	Proposition 11	Eminent domain	Limiting public from private properties	a

Washington

See also: Washington 2009 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
ITP	Initiative 1033	Taxes	Limit growth of certain state, county and city revenue to annual inflation and population growth	d
VR	Referendum 71	Marriage	Expansion of domestic partnership rights	a

May statewide

California

See also: May 19, 2009 ballot measures in California

In order to free up $5.8 billion to help close the state's $42 billion budget gap, a special election took place on May 19 where voters statewide voted on a package of constitutional amendments.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposition 1A	Taxes	Prop 1A combines a 4-year tax hike of about $16 billion with a state spending cap	d
LRCA	Proposition 1B	Budget	Modification of California Proposition 98 (1998) to free up money for state's budget overruns.	d
LRCA	Proposition 1C	Budget	Sell rights to future lottery proceeds as a way of raising some cash now for state budget.	d
LRSS	Proposition 1D	Budget	Asks voters to approve taking money from Prop 10 in 1998 for purposes not allowed in that 1998 vote.	d
LRSS	Proposition 1E	Budget	Asks voters to take money from Prop 63 for purposes not allowed in that 2004 vote.	d
LRCA	Proposition 1F	Budget	No pay raises for state legislators in years when there is a state budget deficit	a

Hundreds of local measures

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2009

Local ballot measures were on the November 3, 2009 ballot in at least 29 states.

In Alabama In Arizona In California In Colorado In Florida

In Georgia In Idaho In Indiana In Iowa In Kansas

In Maine In Maryland In Massachusetts In Michigan In Minnesota

In Missouri In New Hampshire In New Jersey In New York In North Carolina

In Ohio In Oregon In Pennsylvania In Tennessee In Texas

In Utah In Virginia In Washington In Wisconsin

See also

• 2009 ballot measure calendar
• Petition drive deadlines, 2009
• Polls, 2009 ballot measures
• How to find campaign finance information about ballot measure campaigns
• Six states prepare to face off in November 3rd elections

External links

• State Net's list of the 2009 ballot measures

Additional reading

• USA Today,"State ballots tackle controversial issues Tuesday," November 1, 2009
• Daily Kos,"Election Night 2009: A Viewer's Guide," November 1, 2009
• Initiative & Referendum Institute,"Ballotwatch 2009," October 17, 2009