Analysis of bond and tax issue approval on statewide ballots

This article summarizes bond issues and tax measures that were on the ballot in even years from 2008 to 2024 and odd years from 2009 to 2021.

HIGHLIGHTS

From 2008 through 2024, 142 bond measures (totaling $129.9 billion) were on the ballot. Voters approved 133 of the measures ($90.5 billion) and rejected nine of the measures ($39 billion).

The year with the highest dollar amount of total bonds on the ballot was 2018, where voters across six states voted on 18 bond measures totaling $29.1 billion. Voters approved 15 of the measures ($20.2 billion).

Click on the tabs below to view information for even and odd years.

Overview

A bond issue is a measure placed on the ballot by the state government or a local unit of government (city, county, school district) that asks voters to approve or deny the issuance of bonds. A bond is a debt in which the issuer owes the holders a debt and is obligated to repay the principal and interest at a later date.

The tax measures in this study include tax increases, decreases, exemptions, deductions, renewals, repeals, and more, regarding a variety of tax types and categories.

Even years

In even years from 2008 to 2024, 123 bond issues totaling $129 billion were on the ballot.

2024

See also: Analysis of bond and tax issue approval on statewide ballots

Below is a summary of the bond and tax issues that appeared on the 2024 statewide ballots:

Bond issues

Bonds in 2024
Total bond measures:	14
Approved:	14
Defeated:	0

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2024.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2024 and how much money was approved.

The 14 bond measures came from four states: three bond measures in California (totaling $26.4 billion), three bond measures in Maine (totaling $65 million), four bond measures in New Mexico (totaling $290.6 million), and four bond measure in Rhode Island (totaling $343.5 million). All ballot measures were approved, totaling $27.8 billion in new debt. The largest bond measures approved in 2024 were California Propositions 2 and 4, which each approved $10 billion ($20 billion total) in bonds for projects related to public education facilities and the environment, natural resources, water infrastructure, and parks.

Total amount on 2024 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$27,079,122,000	$27,079,122,000	$0

Following are summaries of the bond issues on the ballot in 2024:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRSS	California Proposition 1	Bonds	Issues $6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for homeless individuals and veterans	a
LRSS	California Proposition 2	Bonds	Issues $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities	a
LRSS	California Proposition 4	Bonds	Issues $10 billion in bonds to fund state and local parks, environmental protection projects, water infrastructure projects, energy projects, and flood protection projects	a
BI	Maine Question 2	Bonds	Issues $25 million in general obligation bonds to the Maine Technology Institute for research, development, and commercialization of Maine-based public and private institutions in support of technological innovation	a
BI	Maine Question 3	Bonds	Issues $10 million in general obligation bonds for the restoration of local community buildings	a
BI	Maine Question 4	Bonds	Issues $30 million in general obligation bonds for the development and maintenance of outdoor trails	a
BI	New Mexico Question 1	Bonds	Issues $30.76 million in bonds to fund senior citizens facilities	a
BI	New Mexico Question 2	Bonds	Issues $19.305 million in bonds to fund public libraries	a
BI	New Mexico Question 3	Bonds	Issues $230.26 million in bonds to fund capital improvements and acquisitions for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools	a
BI	New Mexico Question 4	Bonds	Issues $10.297 million in bonds to modernize public safety radio communications systems	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 2	Bonds	Issues $160.5 million in bonds for improvements to higher education facilities	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 3	Bonds	Issues $120 million in bonds to increase the availability of housing in the state	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 4	Bonds	Issues $53 million in bonds for environmental-related infrastructure, local recreation projects, and for preservation of land	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 5	Bonds	Issues $10 million in bonds for funding for 1:1 matching grants to continue the Cultural Arts and Economy Grant program administered by the Rhode Island state council on the arts, and for improvements and renovations to the Tomaquag Museum, the Newport Contemporary Ballet, and the Trinity Repertory Company	a

Tax measures

Voters in nine states voted on 23 ballot measures addressing tax-related policies. Sixteen of the measures were approved, and seven were defeated.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRSS	Arizona Proposition 312	Taxes	Allow for property owners to apply for a property tax refund in certain circumstances, including in instances if the city or locality in which the property is located does not enforce laws regarding illegal camping, loitering, obstructing public thoroughfares, panhandling, public urination or defecation, public consumption of alcoholic beverages, and possession or use of illegal substances	a
CISS	California Proposition 35	Taxes	Permanently authorizes a tax on managed care organizations to fund Medi-Cal programs	a
LRCA	Colorado Amendment G	Taxes	Expands the property tax exemption for veterans with a disability to veterans with individual unemployability status	a
LRSS	Colorado Proposition JJ	Taxes	Allow the state to retain tax revenue collected above $29 million annually from the tax on sports betting proceeds	a
LRSS	Colorado Proposition KK	Taxes	Levy a 6.5% excise tax on firearms and ammunition manufacturing and sales to be imposed on firearms dealers, manufacturers, and ammunition vendors and appropriating the revenue to the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax Cash Fund to be used to fund crime victim services programs, mental and behavioral health programs for children and veterans, and school security and safety programs	a
LRCA	Florida Amendment 5	Taxes	Provide for an annual inflation adjustment for the value of the homestead property tax exemption	a
LRCA	Georgia Amendment 1	Taxes	Provide for a local option homestead property tax exemption and allow a county, municipality, or school system to opt out of the exemption	a
LRCA	Georgia Amendment 2	Taxes	Create the Georgia Tax Court with statewide jurisdiction as provided by law	a
LRSS	Georgia Referendum A	Taxes	Increase the personal property tax exemption from $7,500 to $20,000	a
AQ	Illinois Income Tax Advisory Question	Taxes	Advise state officials on whether to amend the Illinois Constitution to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1 million for the purpose of dedicating funds to property tax relief	a
LRCA	Louisiana Amendment 4	Taxes	Authorize the legislature to provide for property tax sales in state law	a
LRCA	Missouri Amendment 1	Taxes	Allow childcare establishments to be exempt from property tax	d
LRSS	Nevada Question 5	Taxes	Amend the Sales and Use Tax of 1955 to provide a sales tax exemption for child and adult diapers	a
LRCA	New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 1	Taxes	Proportionally applies the disabled veteran property tax exemption according to a veteran's disability rating	a
LRCA	New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 2	Taxes	Increases the property tax exemption for veterans from $4,000 to $10,000, adjusted annually for inflation	a
CICA	North Dakota Initiated Measure 4	Taxes	Prohibit the state and local governments from levying taxes on the assessed value of any real or personal property except for those designed to pay for bonded indebtedness	d
CISS	Oregon Measure 118	Taxes	Require Oregon issue rebates to residents from surplus corporate tax revenue	d
CISS	South Dakota Initiated Measure 28	Taxes	Prohibit state sales taxes on anything sold for human consumption, not including alcoholic beverages or prepared food	d
LRCA	Virginia Property Tax Exemption for Veterans and Surviving Spouses Amendment	Taxes	Amend language in the Virginia Constitution regarding property tax exemptions for veterans and surviving spouses to say died in the line of duty rather than killed in action	a
ITL	Washington Initiative 2109	Taxes	Repeal the capital gains excise tax imposed on long-term capital assets by individuals with capital gains over $250,000	d
ITL	Washington Initiative 2117	Taxes	Prohibit carbon tax credit trading and repeal provisions of the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA), a state law that provided for a cap and invest program designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 95% by 2050	d
ITL	Washington Initiative 2124	Taxes	Allow all employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of paying the tax and receiving benefits under WA Cares, the state's long-term services and supports trust health care program	d
LRCA	Wyoming Property Tax on Residential Property and Owner-Occupied Primary Residences Amendment	Taxes	Add residential real property as a fourth, separate, class of property and authorize the legislature to create a subclass of residential property for owner-occupied primary residences, which could be assessed at a rate other than the uniform rate for property in the class	a

2022

See also: Analysis of bond and tax issue approval on statewide ballots

Below is a summary of the bond and tax issues that appeared on the 2022 statewide ballots:

Bond issues

Bonds in 2022
Total bond measures:	8
Approved:	8
Defeated:	0

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2022.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2022 and how much money was approved.

The eight bond measures came from four states: one bond measure in Alabama (totaling $85 million), three bond measures in Rhode Island (totaling $400 million), three bond measures in New Mexico (totaling $260 million), and one bond measure in New York (totaling $4.20 billion). All ballot measures were approved, totaling $4.94 billion in new debt. The largest bond measure approved in 2022 was New York Proposal 1, which approved $4.20 billion in bonds for projects related to the environment, natural resources, water infrastructure, and climate change mitigation.

Total amount on 2022 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$4,944,722,000	$4,944,722,000	$0

Following are summaries of the bond issues on the ballot in 2022:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Alabama Amendment 1	Bonds	Issues $85 million in bonds for historical sites and state parks	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 1	Bonds	Issues $100 million in bonds for the University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus marine discipline educational and research needs	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 2	Bonds	Issues $250 million in bonds for construction and renovation of state public school buildings	a
BI	Rhode Island Question 3	Bonds	Issues $50 million in bonds for environmental and recreational purposes	a
BI	New Mexico Bond Question 1	Bonds	Issues $24.47 million in bonds for senior citizen facility improvements	a
BI	New Mexico Bond Question 2	Bonds	Issues $19.27 million in bonds for public libraries	a
BI	New Mexico Bond Question 3	Bonds	Issues $215.99 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools	a
BI	New York Proposal 1	Bonds	Issues $4.20 billion in bonds for projects related to the environment, natural resources, water infrastructure, and climate change mitigation	a

Tax measures

Voters in nine states voted on 19 ballot measures addressing tax-related policies. Twelve of the measures were approved and seven were defeated.

In addition to the binding ballot measures, there were three advisory vote questions on the ballot in Washington and in Idaho that asked voters whether the legislature should maintain or repeal tax bills they had passed in the 2022 legislative session. Both measures in Washington were defeated, and the measure in Idaho was approved.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Arizona Proposition 130	Taxes	Allows the Legislature to set certain property tax exemption amounts and qualifications	a
LRSS	Arizona Proposition 310	Taxes	Creates a 0.1% sales tax for 20 years to fund fire districts	d
CISS	California Proposition 30	Taxes	Creates a 1.75% tax on personal income above $2 million and allocate revenue for zero-emissions vehicle and wildfire programs	d
LRCA	Colorado Amendment E	Taxes	Extends an existing homestead exemption for disabled veterans to the surviving spouses of military personnel and certain veterans	a
CISS	Colorado Proposition 121	Taxes	Reduces the state income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.40%	a
LRSS	Colorado Proposition FF	Taxes	Reduces income tax deduction caps and allocate increased revenue to a program for free school meals and local school food grants	a
LRCA	Florida Amendment 1	Taxes	Authorizes the Legislature to prohibit flood resistance improvements from being taken into consideration when determining a property's assessed value for tax purposes	d
LRCA	Florida Amendment 3	Taxes	Authorizes the Legislature to provide an additional homestead property tax exemption for certain public service workers	d
LRCA	Georgia Amendment 2	Taxes	Authorizes local governments to grant tax relief to properties that are damaged due to a disaster and located within a declared disaster area	a
LRSS	Georgia Referendum A	Taxes	Exempts timber equipment owned by a timber producer from property taxes	a
LRSS	Georgia Referendum B	Taxes	Expands agricultural equipment tax exemption and produce to include those owned by merged family farms	a
AQ	Idaho Advisory Ballot	Taxes	Advises the Legislature on a bill to enact a flat income and corporate tax structure, send tax rebates to qualifying taxpayers, and dedicate an annual $400 million to education	a
LRCA	Louisiana Amendment 2	Taxes	Expands property tax exemptions for disabled veterans with a service-related disability	a
LRCA	Louisiana Amendment 5	Taxes	Provides that property tax rates can be increased by a two-thirds vote of a taxing authority up to the maximum rate allowed by the constitution	d
LRCA	Louisiana Amendment 6	Taxes	Limits the increase in the assessed value of residential property in Orleans Parish to 10% of the property's assessed value	d
LRCA	Louisiana Amendment 8	Taxes	Removes the annual income recertification requirement to receive special assessment property tax rates for homeowners that are permanently and totally disabled	a
LRCA	Massachusetts Question 1	Taxes	Creates a 4% tax on income above $1 million and allocate revenue for education and transportation purposes	a
LRCA	Texas Proposition 1	Taxes	Authorizes the Legislature to reduce the school tax limits for senior and disabled residents to reflect reductions passed as statute from the preceding tax year	a
LRCA	Texas Proposition 2	Taxes	Increases the homestead exemption for school district taxes from $25,000 to $40,000	a
AQ	Washington Advisory Vote 39	Taxes	Advises the Legislature to either maintain or repeal a tax increase on aircraft fuel from 11 cents to 18 cents per gallon	d
AQ	Washington Advisory Vote 40	Taxes	Advises the Legislature to either maintain or repeal a tax on transportation network companies	d
LRCA	West Virginia Amendment 2	Taxes	Authorizes the Legislature to exempt personal property used for business activity from property taxes	d

2020

See also: Bond and tax issues on the 2020 ballot

Bond issues

Bonds in 2020
Total bond measures:	7
Approved:	6
Defeated:	1

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2020.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2020 and how much money was approved versus how much was defeated.

The seven bond issues came from three states: California, Maine, and New Mexico. Two bond issues were on the ballot in California: Proposition 13 to authorize $15 billion in bonds for school and college facilities was defeated and Proposition 14 to authorize $5.5 billion in bonds for stem cell research was approved. Two bond issues in Maine (totaling $120 million) and three bond issues in New Mexico (totaling $199 million) were approved. The bond issues proposed a total of $20.82 billion in new debt. All of the bond issues were referred to the ballot by the state legislatures except for California Proposition 14.

Total amount on 2020 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$20,819,300,000	$5,819,300,000	$15,000,000,000

Tax measures

Voters in 14 states voted on 21 ballot measures addressing tax-related policies. Seventeen of the measures were approved and four were defeated.

In addition to the binding ballot measures, there were four nonbinding advisory vote questions on the ballot in Washington that asked voters whether the legislature should maintain or repeal tax bills they had passed in the 2020 legislative session. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to repeal all four of the bills.

Highlights:

• Eleven of the measures concerned property taxes, four measures concerned income taxes, two measures concerned a new and/or increased tax on tobacco and nicotine products, and one measure concerned renewing a sales tax.
• Voters in Colorado and Oregon approved measures increasing the sales tax on nicotine and tobacco products to fund various programs including those related to health and education.
• Voters in Illinois defeated the Graduated Income Tax Amendment, which was the third-most-expensive measure on the ballot in 2020. Supporters and opponents of the measure raised a combined $121 million.

2018

See also: Bond and tax issues on the 2018 ballot

Bond issues

Bonds in 2018
Total bond measures:	18
Approved:	15
Defeated:	3

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2018. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2018 and how much money was approved versus how much was defeated. Voters approved all of the 14 bond measures.

The fourteen legislatively referred bond issues came from five states: Maine and New Mexico each featured four, Rhode Island featured three, California featured two, and one was on the ballot in New Jersey. Two bond issues each were put on the ballot in both California and Colorado through citizen initiative petitions. The bond issues proposed a total of $29.1 billion in new debt.

Total amount on 2018 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$29,110,313,000	$20,233,313,000	$13,500,000,000

Bond issues were proposed for transportation, education facilities and buses, children hospitals, environment and water infrastructure, public libraries, housing, and senior citizen facilities. The three bond issues that were defeated were citizen initiatives. Two concerned transportation, and one concerned water infrastructure and conservation.

Tax issues

There were 36 ballot measures addressing taxes in 17 states in 2018. Measures related to taxes appeared on the ballot in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Of the 36 measures, 21 (58 percent) were approved and 15 (42 percent) were defeated. Two measures among the defeated were non-binding advisory questions. One of them, Washington Advisory Vote 19, concerned whether or not to repeal a tax on crude oil, which voters decided to repeal. The other measure, Utah Nonbinding Opinion Question 1, asked voters if they supported a gas tax increase of 10 cents per gallon, which voters rejected. One measure that was approved was a veto referendum: Oregon Measure 101. Measure 101's approval upheld certain assessments/taxes on healthcare insurance and the revenue of certain hospitals to provide funding for Medicaid expansion by approving five sections of House Bill 2391. Of the other 33 measures, 20 were referred to the ballot by state legislatures and 13 were placed on the ballot through citizen-initiated petitions. Of the 20 legislatively referred measures, 17 were approved and four were defeated. Of the 13 citizen-initiated measures, four were approved and nine were defeated.

Tax proposals	Business	Cigarette	Income	Inheritance	Property	Real estate	Sales	Other	Approved a	Defeated d
Ban	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	2	2	1
Break	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Cap	-	-	1	-	1	-	-	-	2	0
Decrease	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Dedication	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	1	0
Repeal/Uphold	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	2 (Upheld)	1 (Repealed)
Establishment	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	0	2
Exemption	-	-	-	-	9	-	2	-	9	2
Increase	-	2	-	-	-	-	3	3	2	6
Renewal	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	0
Other	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0

2016

See also: Bond and tax issues on the 2016 ballot

Bond issues

Bonds in 2016
Total bond measures:	13
Approved:	12
Defeated:	1

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2016. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2016 and how much money was approved versus how much was defeated. Voters approved 12 of the 13 bond measures.

Bond issues appeared on primary and general election ballots in California, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Rhode Island.

Total amount on 2016 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$11,533,659,000	$11,513,659,000	$20,000,000

Tax issues

There were 27 ballot measures addressing taxes in 14 states in 2016. Measures related to state taxes appeared on the ballot in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

Tax proposals	Business	Cigarette	Income	Inheritance	Property	Real estate	Sales	Other	Approved a	Defeated d
Ban	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Break	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Cap	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	0
Decrease	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Dedication	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	3	4	0
Discount	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Establishment	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	1	1
Exemption	-	-	-	-	7	-	1	-	6	2
Increase	1	4	1	-	-	-	2	-	1	7
Renewal	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	-	2	0
Other	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	1

Note: Measures classified as "dedication" measures include lockboxes. A lockbox measure requires that funds raised for or by a certain purpose must be spent in that general area as well. The overall concept of a "lockbox" is to prevent fees and other revenue that is generated through one use from ending up in the state's general operations budget, instead ensuring that those funds are spent in a way related to how they were generated.

2014

Bond issues

Bonds in 2014
Total bond measures:	17
Approved:	17
Defeated:	0

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2014. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study.

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2014 and how much money was approved versus how much was defeated. All 17 bond measures were approved by voters.

Bond issues appeared on primary and general election ballots in California, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.

Total amount on 2014 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$11,454,000,000	$11,454,000,000	$0

Tax issues

As has been the trend over the past several years, taxes and bond issues turned out to be the two most prevalent issues on 2014 ballots. A total of 19 bond measures appeared in California, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island. The measures addressing tax issues, of which there were 23, appeared in a total of 14 states: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Tax proposals	Business	Cigarette	Income	Inheritance	Property	Real estate	Sales	Other
Ban	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
Break	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Cap	1	-	1	-	1	-	-	-
Decrease	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Discount	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Establishment	1	-	-	-	1	-	-	-
Exemption	-	-	-	-	5	-	-	1
Increase	1	-	1	-	1	-	1	-
Renewal	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Other	1	-	-	-	2	-	-	3

2012

Bond issues

Bonds in 2012
Total bond measures:	14
Approved:	13
Defeated:	1

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2012. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study:

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2012, how much money was approved, and how much was defeated.

Bond issues appeared in Alaska, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico and Rhode Island.

Total amount on 2012 ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated total amount
$2,370,089,500	$2,359,089,500	$11,000,000

Tax issues

22 measures dealing with taxes were on the ballot in 2012, not including process for exemption, relating to allocation of certain taxes, tax credits or returns. Only included were measures that specified the implementation of certain state taxes.

Tax proposals	Business	Cigarette	Income	Inheritance	Property	Real estate	Sales	Approved a	Defeated d
Ban	-	-	1	1	-	1	-	1	2
Break	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	1
Cap	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	0
Decrease	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0
Discount	-	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	0
Establishment	-	-	-	-	1	-	1	2	0
Exemption	-	-	-	-	7	-	-	5	2
Increase	-	2	2	-	-	-	2	2	3
Renewal	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	1

2010

Bond issues

Bonds in 2010
Total bond measures:	17
Approved:	15
Defeated:	2

The following are statistics of bond issues that were one the ballot in 2010. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study:

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2010, how much money was approved and how much was defeated.

Total amount on ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated amount
$2,944,740,064	$2,289,172,240	$655,567,824

Tax issues

22 measures dealing with taxes were on the ballot in 2010, not including process for exemption, relating to allocation of certain taxes, tax credits or returns. Only included were measures that specified the implementation of certain state taxes.

Tax proposals	Business	Property	Real estate	Sales	Severance	Veto referendum	Approved a	Defeated d
Ban	-	-	1	-	-	-	1	0
Cap	-	2	-	-	-	-	1	1
Decrease	-	1	-	1	1	-	1	2
Elimination	-	1	-	1	-	-	1	1
Exemption	-	8	-	-	-	-	8	0
Increase	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	0
Repeal	-	-	-	1	-	-	1	0
Tax break elimination	1	-	-	-	-	-	0	1
Veto	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	0

2008

Bond issues

Bonds in 2008
Total bond measures:	16
Approved:	15
Defeated:	1

The following are statistics of bond issues that were on the ballot in 2008. Only ballot measures that specified the amount of bonds that would be issued in its ballot text were included in this study:

The following chart shows the total amount of potential authorized bonds that were on the ballot in 2008, how much money was approved and how much was defeated.

Total amount on ballot	Approved total amount	Defeated amount
$18,591,642,000	$13,591,642,000	$5,000,000,000

Tax issues

13 measures dealing with taxes were on the ballot in 2008, not including process for exemption, relating to allocation of certain taxes, tax credits or returns. Only included were measures that specified the implementation of certain state taxes.

Tax proposals	Income	Food	Property	Sales	School	Severance	Oil issues	Approved a	Defeated d
Block	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	1	0
Decrease	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	1
Establish	-	-	-	1	1	-	1	1	2
Exemption	-	-	2	1	-	-	-	3	0
Increase	-	-	-	2	-	1	-	1	2
Repeal	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	1
Veto	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	1	0

Odd years

In odd years from 2009 to 2023, 26 bond issues totaling $1.6 billion were on the ballot. All were approved. There were no bond issues on the statewide ballot in 2023.

2023

See also: Analysis of the 2023 ballot measures

Bond issues

There were no bond issues on the statewide ballot in 2023.

Tax issues

See also: 2023 ballot measures

Eight tax-related ballot measures were on the ballot in 2023.

• In Colorado, voters rejected Proposition HH, which would have made various changes to state property taxes and revenue limits, including reducing the residential property tax assessment rate. Voters approved Proposition II, which allowed the state to keep and utilize excess revenue ($23.65 million) generated from increased and new tobacco, cigarette, and nicotine taxes approved by voters in 2020 through Proposition EE. If the measure had been rejected by voters, excess revenue would have been refunded to distributors and wholesalers and tax rates set by Proposition EE would have been reduced.

• In Louisiana, voters approved Amendment 4, which prohibited a nonprofit organization from receiving a property tax exemption if they own residential property that is in such a state of disrepair that it is dangerous to the public's health or safety, as determined by the governing authority of the municipality or parish the property is located in. Louisiana voters also approved Amendment 3, which authorized local governments to provide an additional property tax exemption of up to $2,500 for first responders including fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel, emergency response dispatchers, peace officers, police officers, and sheriffs.

• In Texas, voters approved four constitutional amendments concerning taxes.
  • Proposition 2 allowed counties or municipalities to authorize a property tax exemption on all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate child-care facilities;
  • Proposition 3 prohibited the Legislature from enacting a wealth or net worth tax in the future.
  • Proposition 4 increased the homestead tax exemption by raising it from $40,000 to $100,000; and
  • Proposition 10 authorized the state legislature to provide for an ad valorem tax exemption on equipment and inventory manufactured by medical or biomedical companies.

2021

See also: Analysis of the 2021 ballot measures

Bond issues

Eight bond issues were on the ballot in 2021: seven bond measures totaling $400 million in Rhode Island and one measure totaling $100 million in Maine.

State	Measure	Primary purpose	Amount	Outcome
Rhode Island	Question 1	Higher education	$107,300,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 2	Water and recreation	$74,000,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 3	Housing	$65,000,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 4	Transportation	$71,700,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 5	Education	$15,000,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 6	Culture and arts	$7,000,000	a
Rhode Island	Question 7	Industrial infrastructure	$60,000,000	a
Maine	Question 2	Transportation infrastructure	$100,000,000	a

Tax issues

See also: 2021 ballot measures

Nine tax-related ballot measures were on the ballot in 2021.

• In Colorado, an initiative to reduce the residential and non-residential property tax rates; authorizes the state to retain and spend $25 million in revenue above the state's TABOR spending cap, which it would otherwise be required to refund to taxpayers, was defeated. Another initiative that would have created an out-of-school education program and a board to govern it and increase the marijuana retail sales tax by 5% to partially fund the program was also defeated.

• Three amendments concerning the tax system in Louisiana were on the ballot. One amendment to decrease the maximum rate of individual income tax from 6% to 4.75% was approved. The other two amendments were defeated. They concerned the taxing authority of levee districts and the creation of a State and Local Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Commission.

• A constitutional amendment was approved in Texas to allow the legislature to extend a homestead tax limit for surviving spouses of disabled individuals as long as the spouse is 55 years old and resides at the home.

• Three tax advisory votes were on the ballot in Washington. These were nonbinding questions that advised the legislature to repeal or maintain bills passed in the 2021 legislative session that increased taxes. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to repeal all three bills.

2019

See also: Analysis of the 2019 ballot measures

Bond issues

One bond issue, Maine Question 1, designed to authorize $105 million in general obligation bonds for transportation infrastructure projects, was on the ballot in 2019. It was approved.

Tax issues

See also: 2019 ballot measures

Nineteen tax measures were on the ballot in 2019.

• A property tax exemption in Louisiana was defeated. A measure to authorize New Orleans to exempt properties from taxes to, according to the amendment, incentivize affordable housing was defeated.

• A measure to extend property tax deductions to continuing care retirement communities providing housing to veterans in New Jersey was approved.

• Texas voters voted to prohibit the state from levying an income tax on individuals, to authorize temporary property tax exemptions for disaster areas, and to authorize property tax exemptions for precious metals held in depositories.

• Washington Initiative 976 to limit annual car-tab taxes to $30 was approved. Twelve tax advisory votes were also on the ballot in Washington. These were nonbinding questions that advised the legislature to repeal or maintain bills passed in the 2019 legislative session that increased taxes. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to maintain three bills and repeal the other nine.

2017

See also: Analysis of the 2017 ballot measures

Bond issues

Four bond issues were on the ballot in 2017, totaling $281.6 million. All four were approved.

Tax issues

See also: 2017 ballot measures

Eight tax measures were on the ballot in 2017.

• Voters in Louisiana approved a measure to exempt properties under construction from property taxes until completion and a measure to dedicate revenue from new taxes to transportation projects.

• Two measures to authorize property tax exemptions in Texas were approved.

• Pennsylvania voters approved a measure authorizing local taxing authorities to exempt the full value of homesteads from property taxes.

• Three tax advisory votes were also on the ballot in Washington. These were nonbinding questions that advised the legislature to repeal or maintain bills passed in the 2017 legislative session that increased taxes. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to repeal the three measures.

2015

See also: 2015 ballot measures

Bond issues

Two bond issues in Maine were on the ballot in 2015, totaling $100 million. Both were approved.

Tax issues

Ten tax measures were on the ballot in 2015.

• Voters in Louisiana approved a measure that provided that property and land within Louisiana owned by states and local governments other than Louisiana and its political subdivisions do not receive the public property exemption from ad valorem property taxation.

• Voters in Michigan rejected a sales tax increase.

• Two property tax exemptions in Texas were approved. A measure to allocate sales tax money to fund highways through 2032 was also approved in Texas.

• Four tax advisory votes were also on the ballot in Washington. These were nonbinding questions that advised the legislature to repeal or maintain bills passed in the 2015 legislative session that increased taxes. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to uphold two measures and repeal two measures. Initiative 1366 to require a supermajority vote for tax increases was also on the ballot in Washington where it was approved and later overturned.

2013

See also: 2013 ballot measures

Bond issues

Five bond issues in Maine were on the ballot in 2013 totaling $149.5 million. All were approved.

Tax issues

Ten tax measures were on the ballot in 2013.

• Voters in Colorado rejected a measure to raise additional taxes for funding public schools and approved a measure to impose a 15% excise tax and a 10% sales tax on all marijuana sales in the state.

• Voters in Michigan rejected a sales tax increase.

• Two property tax exemption measures in Texas were approved. A measure to increase the number of days that aircraft parts may be located in the state and be exempt from taxation was also approved in Texas.

• Five tax advisory votes were also on the ballot in Washington. These were nonbinding questions that advised the legislature to repeal or maintain bills passed in the 2013 legislative session that increased taxes. Voters voted in favor of advising the legislature to uphold three measures and repeal two measures.

2011

See also: 2011 ballot measures

Bond issues

Three measures in Texas and one measure in Arkansas to authorize the issuance of bonds were approved.

Tax issues

Four tax measures were on the ballot in 2011.

• Voters in Colorado rejected a measure to increase income and sales tax in the state.

• Voters in Louisiana approved a measure to prohibit levying new taxes or fees upon the sale or transfer of immovable property.

• One property tax exemption measure in Texas was approved.

• Voters in Washington defeated a measure to prohibit gas tax and toll revenues from being diverted to non-transportation purposes.

2009

See also: 2009 ballot measures

Bond issues

One bond issue was on the ballot in Maine in 2009. It was approved. It authorized the issuance of $71.25 million in bonds for transportation programs and improvements. One bond issue was approved in New Jersey. It authorized the issuance of $400 million in bonds for open space, farmland, historic areas.

Tax issues

Five tax measures were on the ballot in 2009.

• Voters in California rejected a measure that would have extended a temporary sales tax.

• Voters in Texas approved a measure to provide for the taxation of a residence on basis of value.

• Voters in Washington rejected a measure to limit growth of certain state, county, and city revenue to annual inflation and population growth.

• Voters in Maine rejected a measure to reduce excise taxes on vehicles that meet certain energy efficiency requirements and a measure to limit increases in government spending to inflation and population increases.