1917 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1917.
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.
- HBM Factbooks
- List of ballot measures by state
- Other years
Historical Ballot Measure 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
Maine
See also: Maine 1917 ballot measures
September 10
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Sex and gender issues; Women's suffrage | Provide for women's suffrage in state constitution |  | 20,604 (35%) | 38,838 (65%) | |
| Question 2 | Law enforcement officers and departments; Local government organization | Gave the governor the power to remove sheriffs who do not faithfully and efficiently perform their duties and to appoint another sheriff in replacement for the remainder of the term |
| 29,584 (54%) | 25,416 (46%) | |
| Question 3 | State executive elections; Redistricting policy; State legislative elections | Grant the legislature the power to authorize the division of towns into more than one election district for the purpose of holding state and national elections | | 22,588 (48%) | 24,593 (52%) | |
| Question 4 | State National Guard and militia | Require that all commissioned officers of the militia be appointed and commissioned by the Governor and make the Legislature designate qualifications for holding a militia position and the mode of selection | | 20,585 (46%) | 23,912 (54%) | |
| Question 5 | Redistricting policy; State legislative elections | Allow representation in the Maine House of Representatives to remain as formerly in the event of the merger of towns and cities |
| 22,013 (50%) | 21,719 (50%) |
Massachusetts
See also: Massachusetts 1917 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorize Absentee Voting Amendment | Absentee and mail voting | Authorize the state legislature to provide for absentee voting |
| 231,905 (75%) | 76,709 (25%) | |
| Authorize Public Acquisition of Necessaries of Life During Emergency Amendment | State legislative authority; Government continuity policy | Authorize the state legislature or municipalities to acquire the necessaries of life during a state of emergency and distribute them |
| 261,119 (83%) | 51,826 (17%) | |
| Prohibit Public Aid for Sectarian Schools Amendment | School choice policy; Public education funding | Prohibit state aid to sectarian schools |
| 206,329 (61%) | 130,357 (39%) |
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1917 ballot measures
April 2
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absentee Voter Qualifications Amendment | Absentee and mail voting | Allow those who are part of the military, who work on the railroads, or who are sailors and thus are absent from their residence to vote |
| 216,270 (65%) | 114,594 (35%) | |
| Drainage District Bonds Amendment | Bond issues | Allow drainage districts to issue bonds for drainage purposes |
| 198,918 (59%) | 139,027 (41%) | |
| Improvement of Transportation Routes Amendment | Highways and bridges | Expand the State's ability to improve transportation routes |
| 209,559 (62%) | 126,871 (38%) | |
| Salaries of Certain State Officers Amendment | Salaries of government officials | Increase the salaries of the Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and Auditor General | | 148,625 (43%) | 193,119 (57%) | |
| State Control of Railroad Property Amendment | Railways | Allow the state to control railroads and railroad property belong to any railroad company under a special charter |
| 242,969 (71%) | 100,722 (29%) |
New York
See also: New York 1917 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Sex and gender issues; Women's suffrage | Provide for women's suffrage in the state constitution |
| 703,129 (54%) | 600,776 (46%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Local government finance and taxes; Debt limits | Adjust the city debt limit |
| 591,728 (58%) | 420,303 (42%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1917 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Prohibition Initiative | Alcohol laws | Prohibit the sale and manufacture for sale of alcohol | | 522,590 (47%) | 588,382 (53%) | |
| Women's Suffrage in Presidential Elections Referendum | Sex and gender issues; Women's suffrage | Provide for women's suffrage in presidential elections | | 422,282 (43%) | 568,382 (57%) |
Oregon
See also: Oregon 1917 ballot measures
June 4
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure Nos. 300-301 | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | Authorize municipalities to incur debt to develop water transportation lines between ports and establish inland river transportation with a majority vote. |
| 67,445 (55%) | 54,864 (45%) | |
| Measure Nos. 304-305 | State legislatures measures; Salaries of government officials | Limit the number of bills introduced in the legislature and increase the pay of members of the legislature. | | 22,276 (18%) | 103,238 (82%) | |
| Measure Nos. 306-307 | Administration of government | Prohibit constitutional amendments from implying the repeal of any part of the constitution without explicitly repealing it. | | 37,187 (34%) | 72,445 (66%) | |
| Measure Nos. 308-309 | Taxes; Property | Classify all property for uniform taxation of the same class, adopt uniform assessment and taxation rules, and omit the requirement of equally taxing all property without classification. |
| 62,118 (54%) | 53,245 (46%) | |
| Measure Nos. 310-311 | County and municipal governance; Elections and campaigns | Require municipalities to synchronize their elections with state election cycles and adjust elected officials' terms to align with state election cycles. |
| 83,630 (66%) | 42,296 (34%) | |
| Measure Nos. 312-313 | Prison and jail funding; Tax and revenue administration | Authorize the Oregon Board of Control to construct a new State Penitentiary, funded by a state tax levy | | 46,666 (35%) | 86,165 (65%) | |
| Measure Nos. 314-315 | Bond issues; Transportation | Authorize the State Highway Commission to raise money for building roads by selling bonds of the state of Oregon. |
| 77,316 (55%) | 63,803 (45%) |
Texas
See also: Texas 1917 ballot measures
August 21
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | Parks, land, and natural area conservation; Constitutional rights; Local government finance and taxes; Local government organization | Allow for the formation of conservation and reclamation districts |
| 49,116 (57%) | 36,827 (43%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
