Ballot measure campaign finance, 2019

2019 U.S. state ballot measures
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This page summarizes the campaign finance data for statewide ballot measures certified to go before voters in 2019.

Overview

"Beyond the Headlines: The Money Behind 2019's Most Notable Ballot Measures"

There were 36 statewide ballot measures certified in eight states in 2019. Of the 36 measures, two were initiated by citizens and 34 were either automatically referred to the ballot or were referred to the ballot by state legislatures. Ballotpedia tracked $28.04 million in contributions to the ballot measure campaigns supporting and opposing ten of those measures. This figure includes both cash contributions as well as in-kind goods and services. Support campaigns raised about 70 percent of the campaign funds.

The total amount of contributions includes support campaigns for two pre-November ballot measures in Louisiana, Amendment 1 and Amendment 4. The combined total of the support campaigns registered in favor of two Louisiana constitutional amendments was $736,331.37

In 2019, initiatives received more contributions per measure on average than referrals. Initiatives received an average of $4.1 million per measure in contributions, and the seven referrals that featured reported campaign contributions spurring an average of $2.1 million per measure. This number further decreases when taking into account the other 28 referrals or automatic questions that did not feature either support or opposition campaigns with any contributions. The average amount of contributions per measure for all 34 legislative referrals and advisory questions was $506,603.

In 2017, Ballotpedia tracked a total of $108.76 million in contributions to campaigns in support of and opposition to statewide ballot measures. Support campaigns raised $44 million, while opposition campaigns raised $65 million. Citizen-initiated measures pulled in the majority of contributions with more than $101.24 million in contributions. In comparison, campaigns surrounding legislative referrals and other measures raised about $7.03 million.

Note: This page contains information about the campaign finance for measures certified for 2019 ballots. It does not list information for measures that were proposed for the 2019 ballot but were not put on the ballot. To read articles about 2019 measures that did not make the ballot—some of which do cover campaign finance activity—click here.

Top three ballot measure campaigns in 2019

The following chart displays the three ballot measure campaigns that received the most contributions:

Measure	Type	Contributions	Description	Outcome
Pennsylvania Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (2019)	LRCA	$6.85 million	Adds a section addressing crime victims' rights to the Pennsylvania Constitution Declaration of Rights	Approved
Colorado Proposition CC, Retain Revenue for Transportation and Education TABOR Measure (2019)	LRSS	$6.56 million	Would have allowed the state to retain revenue it is required to refund under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR)	d
Washington Initiative 976, Limits on Motor Vehicle Taxes and Fees Measure (2019)	ISS	$5.9 million	Limits annual license fees for vehicles weighing under 10,000 pounds at $30 and establishes other restrictions on vehicle taxes and fees	a

Contributions by state

In 2019, ballot measure campaigns raised about $28.04 million. Most of the contributions (94.1 percent) were received in three states—Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The following tables detail the amounts raised in each state:

Out of the five states that reported campaign contributions, all five had support campaigns, and two had opposition campaigns. Campaigns in support of ballot measures received approximately 69 percent of the total raised, and opposition campaigns received about 31 percent.

State	Number of measures	State total contributions	Percentage of U.S. total contributions
Colorado	2	$10,426,497.59	37.56%
Kansas	1	$0.00	0.00%
Louisiana	4	$736,331.37	2.63%
Maine	2	$0.00	0.00%
New Jersey	1	$0.00	0.00%
Pennsylvania	1	$6,650,000.00	23.96%
Texas	10	$909,470.18	3.28%
Washington	15	$9,317,974.94	33.57%

Contributions by type of measure

The total contribution amount by measure type is listed below:

• Total contributions for citizen-initiated measures: $9,317,974.94
• Total contributions for legislative referrals: $18,722,299.14

Contributions by topic

The following list is a breakdown of total contributions by topic:

• Taxes and fees: $15.9 million
  • Transportation: $11.6 million
  • Gambling: $2.7 million
  • Housing: $486,331.37
  • Other taxes: $1.1 million
• Law enforcement: $6.7 million
• Affirmative action: $2.9 million

Contributions per vote

One method for analyzing the effectiveness of campaigns is to look at the size of their funds relative to the number of votes their position received. This is a contributions-per-votes (CPV) amount.

Combined contributions per vote

The most expensive ballot measure of 2019 was the Pennsylvania Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment. Supporters of the amendment raised $6.65 million. There were no funds raised opposing the measure. A total of 2,385,488 residents voted on the amendment (74% in support and 26% against), resulting in a CPV of $2.79. The amendment received a majority of votes in support, however, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court enjoined Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar from certifying election results, pending a court ruling on whether the amendment violates the state constitution's requirement that separate amendments receive separate votes.

Colorado Proposition CC was the second-most expensive measure in 2019 and it also had the highest CPV. Supporters and opponents of the measure raised a combined $6.56 million. A total of 1,562,342 residents voted on the amendment (46% in support and 54% against), resulting in a CPV of $4.20.

The measure with the lowest CPV was Texas Proposition 4, which prohibited the state from levying an income tax on individuals. The CPV was less than one-sixth of one cent. In total, 1.99 million residents voted on the measure (74% in favor and 26% against). The Texans for Prop 4 campaign raised $3,000 to support the measure's passage.

Of the 36 measures on the 2019 ballot, 10 measures had campaign finance activity. The following table includes the combined support and opposition CPV for all ten ballot measures with campaign finance activity in 2019.

Measure	Outcome	Votes	Contributions	CPV
Pennsylvania Marsy's Law	a	2,385,488	$6,650,000.00	$2.79
Washington I-976	a	1,992,500	$5,908,927.37	$2.97
Washington R-88	d	1,925,663	$3,409,047.57	$1.77
Colorado Proposition DD	a	1,557,457	$3,866,554.44	$2.48
Colorado Proposition CC	d	1,562,342	$6,559,943.15	$4.20
Texas Proposition 5	a	1,983,009	$733,328.72	$0.37
Louisiana Amendment 4	d	1,213,393	$486,331.37	$0.40
Louisiana Amendment 1	d	1,218,050	$250,000.00	$0.21
Texas Proposition 6	a	1,967,337	$176,141.46	$0.09
Texas Proposition 4	a	1,986,920	$3,000.00	$0.0015

Top support

The highest CPV amount for a campaign supporting a ballot measure was $6.41. The committees funding the campaign were Coloradans for Prosperity and the Great Education Colorado Issue Committee which supported Colorado Proposition CC. The campaign raised $4.64 million in support of the measure, which received 46% of the vote on November 5, 2019.

The following table illustrates CPV for the support campaigns only: the amount raised in support of the initiative per each vote cast in favor of the measure.

Measure	Outcome	Support votes	Support contributions	Support CPV
Pennsylvania Marsy's Law	a	1,765,384	$6,650,000.00	$3.77
Washington I-976	a	1,055,749	$695,348.94	$0.66
Washington R-88	d	952,053	$1,885,431.50	$1.98
Colorado Proposition CC	d	724,060	$4,638,093.25	$6.41
Colorado Proposition DD	a	800,745	$3,866,554.44	$4.83
Texas Proposition 5	a	1,745,353	$733,328.72	$0.42
Louisiana Amendment 4	d	1,477,373	$3,000.00	$0.002
Louisiana Amendment 1	d	1,745,353	$250,000.00	$0.43
Texas Proposition 6	a	1,259,398	$176,141.46	$0.14
Texas Proposition 4	a	1,986,920	$3,000.00	$0.0015

Top opposition

Of the 10 measures with campaign finance activity, three saw opposition campaigns. The highest CPV amount for a campaign opposing a ballot measure was $5.57. The campaign was Keep WA Rolling which opposed Washington I-976. The campaign raised $5.2 million opposing the measure, which was approved by a vote of 53% to 47%.

The following table illustrates CPV for the opposition campaigns only: the amount raised opposing the initiative per each vote cast against the measure.

Measure	Outcome	Opposition votes	Opposition contributions	Opposition CPV
Colorado Proposition CC	d	838,282	$1,921,849.90	$2.29
Washington I-976	a	936,751	$5,213,578.43	$5.57
Washington R-88	d	973,610	$1,523,616.07	$1.56

Support vs. opposition contributions

Of the three measures that had both active support and opposition campaigns, the side with the most money lost in all three cases. Of all measures on the ballot, including those with $0.00 in opposition contributions, the side with the most money lost in five cases and won in the other five cases. This is displayed in the chart below.

Measure	Outcome	Support contributions	Opposition contributions	Money side: won or lost?
Washington R-88	d	$1,885,431.50	$1,523,616.07	Lost
Colorado Proposition CC	d	$4,638,093.25	$1,921,849.90	Lost
Louisiana Amendment 4	d	$486,331.37	$0.00	Lost
Louisiana Amendment 1	d	$250,000.00	$0.00	Lost
Washington I-976	a	$695,348.94	$5,213,578.43	Lost
Colorado Proposition DD	a	$3,866,554.44	$0.00	Won
Pennsylvania Marsy's Law	a	$6,650,000.00	$0.00	Won
Texas Proposition 5	a	$733,328.72	$0.00	Won
Texas Proposition 6	a	$176,141.46	$0.00	Won
Texas Proposition 4	a	$3,000.00	$0.00	Won

2019 ballot measure contributions

The charts below list all of the measures certified to appear on the ballot in 2019, along with the supporting and opposing contributions for each measure, the outcome of each measure—when available—and the date on which the campaign finance information was last updated. Blank cells in the charts below indicate that campaign finance information is unavailable or not yet compiled.

Click on the arrows at the top of each column to sort the data according to that column. Measures put on the ballot through citizen petitions generally attract more spending than measures put before voters by the legislature. The measures listed below are broken out into one chart for citizen initiatives and veto referendums and another chart for legislative referrals and automatic ballot referrals.

Initiatives and veto referendums

The measures listed in this section were put on the ballot through citizen signature petition campaigns to propose a new law through initiatives or to seek the repeal of a law passed by the legislature through a veto referendum.

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Washington Initiative 976, Limits on Motor Vehicle Taxes and Fees Measure (2019)	$695,348.94	$5,213,578.43	a/ot
Washington Referendum 88, Vote on I-1000 Affirmative Action Measure (2019)	$1,885,431.50	$1,523,616.07	d

Legislative and automatic referrals

The measures listed below were put on the ballot by the state legislature or automatically required by state law or the state constitution. These types of measures usually generate less campaign spending than initiatives and veto referendums.

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Washington Advisory Vote 28, Nonbinding Question on Limiting Sales Tax Exemptions for Nonresidents (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Washington Advisory Vote 23, Nonbinding Question on E-Cigarette and Vapor Product Tax (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Washington Advisory Vote 24, Nonbinding Question on Business Activities Tax to Fund Higher Education Programs (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 25, Nonbinding Question Concerning a Tax on Certain Financial Institutions (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 20, Nonbinding Question on Tax to Fund Long-Term Healthcare Services (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 27, Nonbinding Question on Petroleum Product Tax (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 26, Nonbinding Question on Online Retail Sales Tax (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 31, Nonbinding Question on an International Investment Management Services Tax Increase (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Washington Advisory Vote 22, Nonbinding Question on Paint Tax to Fund Paint Waste Management Programs (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Washington Advisory Vote 29, Nonbinding Question Concerning an Excise Tax on Real Property (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	d
Maine Question 1, Transportation Infrastructure Bond Issue (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Maine Question 2, Allow for Alternative Initiative Signatures for Persons with Disabilities Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Texas Proposition 4, Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amendment (2019)	$3,460.00	$0.00	a
Texas Proposition 9, Precious Metals in Depositories Exempt from Property Tax Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
New Jersey Public Question 1, Property Tax Deduction for Veterans Extended to Continuing Care Retirement Communities Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Texas Proposition 8, Flood Infrastructure Fund Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Texas Proposition 2, Water Development Board Bonds Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Louisiana Amendment 4, New Orleans Affordable Housing Property Tax Exemption Amendment (October 2019)	$486,331.37	$0.00	d
Washington Senate Joint Resolution 8200, Government Continuation Legislation for Catastrophic Incidents Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Louisiana Amendment 1, Property Tax Exemption for Stored Materials Routed for Outer Continental Shelf Amendment (October 2019)	$250,000.00	$0.00	d
Texas Proposition 6, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute Bonds Amendment (2019)	$277,684.71	$0.00	a
Pennsylvania Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (2019)	$	$	ot
Texas Proposition 3, Temporary Property Tax Exemption for Disaster Areas Amendment (2019)	$0.00	$0.00	a
Texas Proposition 5, Sales Tax on Sporting Goods Dedicated to Parks, Wildlife, and Historical Agencies Amendment (2019)	$752,878.72	$0.00	a
Colorado Proposition DD, Legalize Sports Betting with Tax Revenue for Water Projects Measure (2019)	$3,866,554.44	$0.00	a
Colorado Proposition CC, Retain Revenue for Transportation and Education TABOR Measure (2019)	$4,638,093.25	$1,921,849.90	d

Comparison to prior years

In 2017, there was a total of $109.3 million in contributions to campaigns in support of and opposition to statewide ballot measures. There were 27 measures on the ballot in 2017, including four citizen initiatives. The average for each citizen initiative was $25.3 million. The range was from $3.1 million to $77.4 million. The average for the legislative and automatic referrals was $347,917.

In 2015, a total of $32.1 million was raised for campaigns surrounding 28 ballot measures. An average of $1.1 million was raised per measure, with $4.3 million as the average for the five initiatives and $460,083 as the average for the 23 legislative referrals.

Since there are fewer statewide ballot measures in odd-numbered years than in even-numbered years, campaign contribution totals are also lower. In 2016 and 2018, total ballot measure campaign contributions were over $1 billion each year.

The table below provides the data for the charts above covering the total and average contributions to ballot measure campaigns from 2016 through 2022:

Note: The following table sums contributions for each measure. Some PACs supported multiple measures.

Contributions and average contributions by year
Year		Initiatives	Referrals	Total
Average per measure	$4,302,856.94	$460,083.16	$1,146,292.76
2016	Total	$936,000,000.00	$76,000,000.00	$1,012,000,000.00
	Average per measure	$12,318,977.91	$881,907.49	$6,246,913.58
2017	Total	$101,243,242.47	$7,520,734.80	$108,763,977.27
	Average per measure	$25,310,810.62	$326,988.47	$4,028,295.45
2018	Total	$984,133,527.91	$201,569,517.77	$1,185,703,045.68
	Average per measure	$14,472,551.88	$2,036,055.74	$7,100,018.24
2019	Total	$9,317,974.94	$18,722,299.14	$28,040,274.08
	Average per measure	$4,658,987.47	$550,655.86	$778,896.50
2020	Total	$988,404,738.19	$281,531,292.72	$1,269,936,030.91
	Average per measure	$23,533,446.15	$3,235,991.87	$9,844,465.36
2021	Total	$105,470,164.28	$1,626,754.58	$107,004,044.04
	Average per measure	$26,367,541.07	$46,478.70	$2,743,693.44
2022	Total	$1,075,470,522.80	$138,543,927.22	$1,214,014,450.02
	Average per measure	$35,849,017.43	$4,198,300.82	$19,272,448.82

See also

• 2019 ballot measures
• Ballot measure signature costs, 2019
• Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2019