Ballotpedia:Analysis of the 2024 statewide ballot measures

2024 U.S. state; ballot measures
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December 19, 2024
By The Ballot Measures Team

In 2024, voters in 41 states decided on 159 statewide ballot measures. Of these, 102 (64.2%) were approved, and 57 (35.8%) were rejected. The average number of statewide measures on the ballot in even-numbered years between 2010 and 2022 was 161.

For 2024, 159 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 41 states.

On November 5, voters in 41 states decided on 146 statewide ballot measures. Voters approved 93 and rejected 53.
On December 7, voters in Louisiana approved four constitutional amendments.
Earlier in 2024, voters in five states decided on nine ballot measures. Voters approved five and rejected four of these measures.

There was also one ballot measure in Washington, D.C., and one measure in Puerto Rico.

What you will find in this report:

a breakdown of approval rates by measure type
a breakdown of measures by topic
historical comparisons of the numbers and types of measures
data on citizen initiative activity compared to recent elections
a summary of signature petition drive costs
campaign finance data and analysis
a comparison of the number of referrals to previous years
analysis of amendments to state constitutions
a summary of Ballotpedia's ballot language readability analysis; and
a summary of bond and tax measures in 2024

Statistical summary

See also: 2024 ballot measures

The charts below include all statewide ballot measures on the ballot in 2024:

Total 2024 statewide ballot measures

In 2024, voters in 41 states decided on 159 statewide ballot measures. Of these, 102 (64.2%) were approved, and 57 (35.8%) were rejected.

Date	Approved	Defeated
March 5	1	1
April 2	2	0
June 11	1	0
August 6	1	1
August 13	0	2
November 5	93	53
December 7	4	0
Total	102	57
Total (Percentage)	64%	36%

Citizen-initiated measures

See also: Ballot initiative and Veto referendum

Type	Total number	Number approved	Percent approved	Number defeated	Percent defeated
Initiated statutes	32	17	53.13%	15	46.87%
Initiated constitutional amendments	23	10	43.48%	13	56.52%
Veto referendums	2	0	0.0%	2	100.0%
Total initiatives	57	27	47.37%	30	52.63%

Legislative referrals

See also: Legislative referral

Type	Total number	Number approved	Percent approved	Number defeated	Percent defeated
Legislative statutes	12	9	75.00%	3	25.00%
Legislative constitutional amendments	73	50	68.49%	23	31.51%
Total legislative referrals	85	59	69.41%	26	30.59%

Advisory questions

See also: Advisory question

Number	Number approved	Percent approved	Number defeated	Percent defeated
3	3	100.00%	0	0.00%

Automatic ballot referrals

See also: Automatic ballot referral

Number	Number approved	Percent approved	Number defeated	Percent defeated
1	0	0.00%	1	100.00%

By topic

Topics

Trends in 2024

Click on the arrows (▼) below for details about each topic and a list of measures.

Abortion: 2024 featured the most abortion-related ballot measures on record.

See also: History of abortion ballot measures

Abortion has been a topic for statewide ballot measures since the 1970s. However, in 2022, following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a then-record number of abortion-related measures were on the ballot, including three from campaigns that described themselves as pro-choice or pro-reproductive rights. In 2023, voters in Ohio approved Issue 1.

On November 5, voters decided on 11 abortion-related ballot measures—the most on record for a single year. Ten addressed state constitutional rights to abortion. Voters approved seven of them in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Nevada. Voters rejected three in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota. One, in Nebraska, limited the timeframe for when an abortion can be performed.

Both Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) commented on the ballot measure trend. Harris said, “Since Roe was overturned, every time reproductive freedom has been on the ballot, the people of America voted for freedom. From Kansas to California to Kentucky, in Michigan, Montana, Vermont, and Ohio, the people of America voted for freedom.”^[1] Harris endorsed several of the right-to-abortion ballot initiatives in 2024. Trump said, "But the people of Ohio decided. The people of Kansas decided. The people are now deciding, and it's taken it off the shoulders of the federal government. Always, they wanted it to be decided by the states, and Roe v. Wade didn't do that. It put it into the federal government. So, now, states are voting on it."^[2] Trump, a resident of Florida, said he will vote "no" on Florida Amendment 4, which would provide a state constitutional right to abortion.^[3]^[4]

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
AZ	CICA	Proposition 139	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion	a	2,000,287 (62%)	1,246,202 (38%)
CO	CICA	Amendment 79	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion and repeal provision banning the use of public funds for abortions	a	1,921,593 (62%)	1,179,261 (38%)
FL	CICA	Amendment 4	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability		6,070,758 (57%)	4,548,379 (43%)
MD	LRCA	Question 1	Provide for a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion	a	2,199,319 (76%)	692,219 (24%)
MO	CICA	Amendment 3	Provide for a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion	a	1,538,659 (52%)	1,443,022 (48%)
MT	CICA	CI-128	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability	a	345,070 (58%)	252,300 (42%)
NE	CICA	Initiative 434	Prohibit abortion after the first trimester, except in cases of medical emergencies or if the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest	a	509,288 (55%)	417,624 (45%)
NE	CICA	Initiative 439	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability		455,184 (49%)	473,652 (51%)
NV	CICA	Question 6	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability	a	905,170 (64%)	501,232 (36%)
NY	LRCA	Proposal 1	Provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy"	a	4,757,097 (62%)	2,857,663 (38%)
SD	CICA	Constitutional Amendment G	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion with a trimester framework for regulations		176,809 (41%)	250,136 (59%)

Citizenship: Measures related to requiring citizenship to vote were on the ballot in eight states.

Bans on noncitizen voting at the state level had become more frequent since 2018. Voters in six states approved ballot measures banning noncitizen voting from 2018 to 2022. In 2024, eight state legislatures referred constitutional amendments to the ballot to prohibit the state or local governments from allowing noncitizen voting. The eight states were Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Voters approved each constitutional amendment.

Jack Tomczak, Vice President of Americans for Citizen Voting, which supported the ballot measures, said, "We, and legislators who sponsor these, are getting ahead of fixing a problem that maybe has not reared its head as much in these states. It’s not like it’s happening everywhere and it must be stopped immediately. But preemption is not a bad thing." Jonathan Diaz, Director of Voting Advocacy for the Campaign Legal Center, said, "These proposed constitutional amendments are aimed really at two things: preventing local governments in those states from allowing non-U.S. citizens to vote in local elections, and advancing this false narrative that non-U.S. citizens are somehow participating in U.S. elections in large numbers, which is totally unsupported by any evidence or facts."^[5]

As of 2024, municipalities in California, Maryland, and Vermont, along with Washington, D.C., allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections. In November, voters in Santa Ana, California, decided on a ballot measure to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections.

In 1996, Congress passed legislation making noncitizen voting in federal elections a crime.

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
IA	LRCA	Amendment 1	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote and allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote in primary elections	a	1,150,332 (77%)	341,034 (23%)
ID	LRCA	HJR 5	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	572,865 (65%)	309,456 (35%)
KY	LRCA	Constitutional Amendment 1	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	1,208,898 (62%)	727,515 (38%)
MO	LRCA	Amendment 7	Prohibit ranked-choice voting (RCV) and the state local and governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	1,966,852 (68%)	906,851 (32%)
NC	LRCA	Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	4,184,680 (78%)	1,208,865 (22%)
OK	LRCA	State Question 834	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	1,207,520 (81%)	288,267 (19%)
SC	LRCA	Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	1,982,956 (86%)	324,432 (14%)
WI	LRCA	Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment	Prohibit the state and local governments from allowing noncitizens to vote	a	2,272,446 (71%)	950,445 (29%)

Electoral systems: Voters in seven states decided on ballot measures related to ranked-choice voting.

The ballot initiative has played a prominent role in proposing changes to state and local electoral systems across the United States. In 2024, voters decided on a record number of statewide ballot measures on ranked-choice voting (RCV), all of which were rejected. In Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon, voters rejected measures to adopt RCV. In Alaska, voters decided on an initiative to repeal RCV, which was adopted in 2020. Voters in Washington, D.C., approved a ranked-choice voting initiative. In Missouri, voters approved a constitutional amendment that would preempt RCV.

There were other electoral system changes on the ballot, some of which could have led to the adoption of RCV. In Arizona, Proposition 140 would have replaced partisan primaries with primaries in which candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, appear on a single ballot and a certain number advance to the general election, such as top-two or top-four primaries. Arizona Proposition 133, on the other hand, would have prohibited systems like top-two and top-four primaries, meaning Proposition 133 and Proposition 140 were competing measures. Both were rejected. In Montana, voters rejected two electoral system measures, one to adopt top-four primaries and another to require a majoritarian vote system for general elections, such as run-off elections or RCV.

In South Dakota, voters defeated Amendment H, which would have replaced partisan primaries with top-two primaries.

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
AK	IndISS	Ballot Measure 2	Repeal the top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) system that was adopted in 2020		160,230 (50%)	160,973 (50%)
AZ	LRCA	Proposition 133	Require partisan primary elections for partisan offices and prohibit primary elections where all candidates, regardless of political party affiliation, run in the same primary election, such as top-two, top-four, and top-five primaries		1,286,640 (42%)	1,763,711 (58%)
AZ	CICA	Proposition 140	Require primaries in which candidates, regardless of partisan affiliation, appear on a single ballot and a certain number advance to the general election, and require general election candidates to receive a majority of votes		1,284,176 (41%)	1,823,445 (59%)
CO	CISS	Proposition 131	Establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal and state offices in Colorado		1,385,060 (46%)	1,595,256 (54%)
DC	Initiative	Initiative 83	Establish ranked-choice voting for elections in Washington, D.C.	a	212,332 (73%)	78,961 (27%)
ID	CISS	Proposition 1	Establish top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal, state, and certain local offices in Idaho		269,960 (30%)	618,753 (70%)
MT	CICA	CI-126	Establish top-four primaries for federal and state offices in Montana		287,837 (49%)	300,664 (51%)
MT	CICA	CI-127	Require an electoral system in which candidates for certain offices must win a majority of the vote, rather than a plurality, to win the election		228,908 (40%)	348,805 (60%)
NV	CICA	Question 3	Establish top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal and state offices in Nevada		664,011 (47%)	747,719 (53%)
OR	LRSS	Measure 117	Establish ranked-choice voting (RCV) for federal and state offices in Oregon		893,668 (42%)	1,219,013 (58%)
SD	CICA	Constitutional Amendment H	Establish top-two primaries for federal, state, and certain local offices in South Dakota		141,570 (34%)	270,048 (66%)

Criminal justice: Voters in three states decided on ballot measures related to criminal justice.

In 2024, voters in three states—Arizona, California, and Colorado—decided on ballot measures related to criminal justice, law enforcement, and police funding.

In Arizona, there were two ballot measures related to criminal justice. Both were approved. Proposition 313 required that anyone convicted of child sex trafficking must receive a sentence of life imprisonment. Proposition 314 made several changes to criminal and immigration law, including allowing police to arrest noncitizens who enter Arizona from foreign countries at locations other than official ports, allowing state judges to order deportations, and providing for a new felony offense, called sale of lethal fentanyl, among other provisions.

In California, voters approved Proposition 36, which increased penalties for certain drug crimes and theft convictions. Proposition 36 made changes to 2014's Proposition 47. The effect of Proposition 47 on criminal activities in succeeding years was a topic of debate in California.

Coloradans approved three ballot measures related to criminal justice and police funding. Amendment I removed the right to bail in cases of first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption is great. Proposition 128 required that persons convicted of certain violent crimes serve more of their sentences before being eligible for parole. Proposition 130 allocated state revenue to a new fund for law enforcement recruitment, retention, training, and death benefits.

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
AZ	LRSS	Proposition 313	Require that anyone convicted of child sex trafficking must receive a sentence of life imprisonment	a	2,025,608 (65%)	1,112,951 (35%)
AZ	LRSS	Proposition 314	Provide for several changes to criminal and immigration law, including allowing police to arrest noncitizens who enter Arizona from foreign countries at locations other than official ports	a	1,949,529 (63%)	1,165,237 (37%)
CA	CISS	Proposition 36	Increase penalties for certain drug crimes and theft convictions and allow a new class of crime to be called treatment-mandated felony	a	10,307,296 (68%)	4,756,612 (32%)
CO	LRCA	Amendment I	Remove the right to bail in cases of first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption is great	a	2,058,063 (68%)	953,652 (32%)
CO	CISS	Proposition 128	Require that persons convicted of certain violent crimes serve more of their sentences before being eligible for parole	a	1,869,231 (62%)	1,140,284 (38%)
CO	CISS	Proposition 130	Allocate state revenue to a new fund, called the Peace Officer Training and Support Fund, for law enforcement recruitment, retention, training, and death benefits	a	1,583,118 (53%)	1,415,528 (47%)

Wages: Four states decided on measures related to wages.

Between 1996 and 2022, there were 28 ballot measures to increase a state's minimum wage. Voters approved 26 of these initiatives (92.86%) and rejected two (7.14%). Before 2024, the last time voters rejected a minimum wage increase was in 1996, when measures were defeated in Missouri and Montana.

In 2024, voters in Alaska, California, Massachusetts, and Missouri decided on minimum wage initiatives. In Alaska and Missouri, the initiatives proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, along with enacting paid sick leave requirements. In California, voters rejected an initiative to raise the state's minimum wage to $18 per hour. In Massachusetts, voters defeated a ballot measure to increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to match the general minimum wage. Voters in Nebraska approved an initiative to require paid sick leave for employees.

In Arizona, voters rejected Proposition 138, which would have allowed for tipped workers to be paid 25% less per hour than the minimum wage. The existing law allowed tipped workers to be paid $3 less than the minimum wage. In 2024, the state's minimum wage was $14.35, meaning tipped workers could earn $11.35 per hour, provided their tips bring them up to at least the minimum wage. Under Proposition 138, tipped workers could have been paid 25% less, which would have been, using the minimum wage in 2024, $10.77 per hour, as long as their combined wage and tips total at least $2 above the minimum wage.

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
AK	IndISS	Ballot Measure 1	Increase the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour and require employers to provide earned paid sick leave for employees	a	183,744 (58%)	133,162 (42%)
AZ	LRCA	Proposition 138	Allow for tipped workers to be paid 25% less per hour than the minimum wage provided that the worker's total compensation was not less than the minimum wage plus $2		792,557 (25%)	2,348,023 (75%)
CA	CISS	Proposition 32	Increase the state's minimum wage to $18 per hour		7,469,803 (49%)	7,686,126 (51%)
MA	IndISS	Question 5	Increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to meet the state's standard minimum wage		1,200,980 (36%)	2,147,245 (64%)
MO	CISS	Proposition A	Increase the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour and require employers to provide earned paid sick leave for employees	a	1,693,064 (58%)	1,247,658 (42%)
NE	CISS	Initiative 436	Require employers to provide earned paid sick leave for employees	a	662,348 (75%)	225,974 (25%)

Drug use policy: Six states decided on measures related to marijuana legalization and psychedelic substance use.

Heading into November, marijuana was legal in 24 states and D.C. Of those 24 states, 13 and D.C. had legalized marijuana through the ballot measure process. In 2024, three more states rejected marijuana legalization ballot measures: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Voters in North Dakota and South Dakota decided on legalization initiatives for the third time, after previous defeats or, in South Dakota, one initiative overturned in court.

In Florida, voters rejected a legalization initiative, Amendment 3. The ballot measure was one of the most expensive campaigns in 2024 and, between supporters and opponents, the most expensive marijuana-related ballot measure election on record.

Voters in Nebraska approved two ballot measures related to legalizing and regulating the medical use of marijuana in the state.

In Massachusetts, voters rejected Question 4, which would have legalized natural psychedelic substances, including psilocybin. Massachusetts was the first state to reject a psychedelics ballot measure after voters in Oregon (2020) and Colorado (2022) approved earlier measures.

State	Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
FL	CICA	Amendment 3	Legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana		5,950,589 (56%)	4,693,524 (44%)
MA	IndISS	Question 4	Allow persons 21 years of age or older to grow, possess, and use natural psychedelic substances, as well as establish a commission to regulate the licensing of psychedelic substances and services		1,444,812 (43%)	1,902,527 (57%)
ND	CISS	Initiated Measure 5	Legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana		172,174 (47%)	190,548 (53%)
NE	CISS	Initiative 437	Legalize the medical use of marijuana in the state	a	637,126 (71%)	259,643 (29%)
NE	CISS	Initiative 438	Establish the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate the state's medical marijuana program	a	600,481 (67%)	291,867 (33%)
SD	CISS	Initiated Measure 29	Legalize the recreational or personal use of marijuana		189,916 (44%)	237,228 (56%)

Number of measures by topic

Click [show] in the chart below to show all 2024 measures by topic.

Note: Most measures concerned multiple topics and are included in multiple categories below. Therefore, the sum of the number in each category does not equal the total of all statewide measures in 2024. For measures that concerned multiple topics, Ballotpedia staff identified the key topics of the measure.

Topic	Number of measures	Percent of all 2024 measures
Abortion	11	6.92%
Administration of government	7	4.40%
Assisted death	1	0.63%
Bond issues	14	8.81%
Business regulation	3	1.89%
Campaign finance	2	1.26%
Charter schools and vouchers	3	1.89%
Civil and criminal trials	5	3.14%
Constitutional conventions	1	0.63%
Constitutional rights	13	8.18%
County and municipal governance	2	1.26%
Direct democracy measures	6	3.77%
Drug crime policy	3	1.89%
Economic development	1	0.63%
Education	12	7.55%
Elections and campaigns	22	13.84%
Electoral systems	11	6.92%
Energy	5	3.14%
Environment	5	3.14%
Firearms	1	0.63%
Food and agriculture	1	0.63%
Gambling	5	3.14%
Government accountability	3	1.89%
Healthcare	5	3.14%
Housing	3	1.89%
Hunting and fishing	2	1.26%
Immigration	1	0.63%
Insurance	1	0.63%
Labor and unions	5	3.14%
Law enforcement	6	3.77%
Marijuana	6	3.77%
Marriage and family	3	1.89%
Minimum wage	5	3.14%
Motto and symbols	1	0.63%
Natural resources	1	0.63%
Pension	1	0.63%
Property	11	6.92%
Race and ethnicity	1	0.63%
Redistricting measures	1	0.63%
Salaries of government officials	2	1.26%
State and local government budgets, spending, and finance	11	6.92%
State executive official measures	5	3.14%
State judiciary	8	5.03%
State legislatures measures	8	5.03%
Suffrage	8	5.03%
Supermajority requirements	1	0.63%
Taxes	23	14.47%
Term limits	1	0.63%
Treatment of animals	1	0.63%
Veterans	4	2.52%
Voting policy measures	3	1.89%
Wages and pay	2	1.26%
Water	1	0.63%
Welfare	2	1.26%

Measures through the years

From 2010 to 2024, an average of 161 statewide ballot measures — 53 initiated measures and 108 referred measures — appeared on ballots in even-numbered years. An initiated measure is a proposed law that people collect signatures to put on the ballot. A referred measure is a proposed law that a legislature or commission, or constitutional provision in the case of automatic referrals, puts on the ballot for voters to decide.

Type	2024	2022	2020	2018	2016	2014	2012	2010	Average (2010-2022)
Initiated ballot measures	57	30	43	68	76	40	61	50	53
Initiated constitutional amendments^[6]	23	11	15	26	25	8	19	17	17
Initiated state statutes	32	17	25	37	46	27	29	29	30
Veto referendums	2	2	4	5	5	5	13	5	6
Referred ballot measures	102	110	86	99	86	118	125	134	108
Legislative constitutional amendment	73	89	69	66	69	91	98	106	84
Legislative state statute	12	8	6	9	2	5	8	8	7
Commission-referred measure	0	0	0	7	0	1	0	0	1
Automatically referred measure	1	3	1	1	1	1	3	4	2
Bond issues	13	7	6	14	11	15	14	15	12
Advisory question	3	3	4	2	3	5	2	1	3
Total:	159	140	129	167	162	158	186	184	161

The following chart illustrates the number of initiated measures and referred measures for each even-numbered year from 2000 to 2024. 2006 had the most initiated measures, 83, and 2002 had the most referred measures, 168.

Ballot initiative activity

See also: Ballot initiatives filed for the 2024 ballot

Initiatives on the ballot

There were 159 certified ballot measures in 2024 (146 of these measures were on the ballot on November 5). Out of these measures, 57 were citizen initiatives. There were 23 initiated constitutional amendments, 32 initiated state statutes, and two veto referendums.

The average number of initiatives on the ballot in an even-numbered year since 2010 was 53.

Number of initiatives since 2010
2024	2022	2020	2018	2016	2014	2012	2010	Average
57	30	43	68	76	40	63	50	53

Initiative filing activity

In 2024, 931 citizen-initiated measures were filed, and 57 of them were certified for the ballot. This means that 6.12% of all filed citizen initiatives were certified. This was an increase from the previous even-numbered election year in 2022, where 862 citizen-initiated measures were filed, and 30 of them (3.48%) were certified for the ballot.

Since 2010, the year with the highest percentage of proposed initiatives certified for the ballot was 2012, with 11.3% of proposed citizen initiatives being certified for the ballot. 2022 had the lowest percentage of proposed initiatives certified for the ballot. Overview of proposals

Of the 26 states with some form of citizen-initiated measure, at least one measure was filed in 23 of them.
No citizen-initiated measures were filed targeting the 2024 ballot in Maryland, Mississippi, and New Mexico.
The state with the highest number of proposed initiatives was Colorado. With 214 proposed initiatives, it accounted for 22.99% of all proposed initiatives in 2024.
Missouri and Washington had the second highest number of proposed initiatives—Missouri had 174, and Washington had 184.
The states with the least proposed citizen-initiated measures were Illinois (1), Idaho (2), and Wyoming (2).

Overview of certifications

Of the 26 states with some form of citizen-initiated measure, at least one measure appeared on the ballot in 18 of them (69.23%). In 2022, a citizen initiative appeared on the ballot in 12 (46.15%), and in 2020, a citizen initiative appeared on the ballot in 16 (61.54%).
Coloraod and Nebraska featured the most citizen initiatives on the ballot, with seven appearing on the ballot in Colorado and six appearing on the ballot in Nebraska.
In 2024, the number of initiatives appearing on statewide ballots ranged from one to seven.

The following table illustrates the number of citizen-initiated measures proposed, the number that appeared on the ballot, and the percentage of proposals that appeared on the ballot.

	2010	2012	2014	2016	2018	2020	2022	2024
Proposed	606	566	616	1,069	947	881	851	931
Certified	50	63	40	76	68	43	30	57
Certified (%)	8.25%	11.13%	6.49%	7.11%	7.18%	4.88%	3.52%	6.12%

The following graph illustrates the rate of all proposed ballot measures that were certified for the ballot by year.

Signature collection costs

See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2024 and Ballot measures cost per required signatures analysis

For elections in 2024, 159 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 41 states. Of this total, 57 measures were citizen initiatives. The 53 initiative campaigns with available signature drive data, including two campaigns that utilized volunteers for a total cost of $0, spent a combined $172 million^[7] on signature gathering. The average petition drive cost was $3,248,171.02, and the average CPRS was $14.87, an increase from $12.70 in 2022, $8.09 in 2020, $6.19 in 2018, and $6.93 in 2016.

The average total petition drive cost for 2023 was $3.25 million^[8]. In 2022, the average total petition cost was $4.08 million. In 2020, the average cost was $2.06 million. In 2018, the average cost was $1.13 million. In 2016, the average cost was $1.03 million. From 2016 to 2024, the average cost of a petition drive increased 215%.

The number of citizen-initiated measures that qualified for the ballot decreased 25% from 2016 to 2024, with 76 in 2016 and 57 in 2024.

Average total petition drive costs, 2024

Average cost per required signature, 2024

Signature cost comparisons, 2016-2024

Campaign contributions

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2024

In 2024, 159 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 41 states. Thirteen were certified for non-general election dates. Of the 159 measures, 84 featured campaign finance.

Ballotpedia identified $1.32 billion in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2024.

States with most contributions

For 2024, the following 10 states had the most ballot measure campaign contributions:

State	Measures	Contributions
California	11	$392,692,523
Florida	6	$315,394,052
Missouri	8	$108,375,382
Washington	4	$57,629,536
Arizona	13	$54,820,527
Ohio	1	$50,974,026
Nevada	7	$47,348,311
Colorado	14	$46,849,164
Massachusetts	5	$43,270,331
Massachusetts	3	$8,654,066

Measures with most contributions

For 2024, campaigns surrounding the following 10 ballot measures had received the most contributions:

Measure	Support	Opposition	Total	Outcome
Florida Amendment 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	$153,787,033	$33,610,084	$187,397,117	d
California Proposition 33, Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative	$50,713,046	$125,063,396	$175,776,441	d
Florida Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative	$121,766,030	$13,465,286	$135,231,316	d
California Proposition 34, Require Certain Participants in Medi-Cal Rx Program to Spend 98% of Revenues on Patient Care Initiative	$44,798,042	$16,512,317	$61,310,358	a
Missouri Amendment 2, Sports Betting Initiative	$45,550,100	$14,174,123	$59,724,222	a
California Proposition 35, Managed Care Organization Tax Authorization Initiative	$54,441,636	$0	$54,441,636	a
Ohio Issue 1, Establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative	$43,434,274	$7,539,752	$50,974,026	d
Washington Initiative 2117, Repeal Carbon Cap and Invest Program Measure	$17,440,990	$22,784,361	$40,225,351	d
Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative	$36,041,280	$1,357,981	$37,399,261	a
Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative	$17,440,990	$19,062,957	$36,503,947	d

Comparison to prior years

The following graph shows the total contributions to state ballot measure committees in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. California, as the state that often has the most committee contributions, is highlighted.

Citizen-initiated ballot measures

Of the 57 initiated measures on the ballot, all featured campaign finance data. The position that raised more funds won 33 of 57 (57.89%) elections. The position that raised less or no funds won 24 of 57 (42.11%) the elections. The following totals are as of December 18.

Initiated measure	Support contributions	Oppose contributions	Total contributions	Outcome	Did the campaign with more funding win?
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Minimum Wage Increase and Paid Sick Leave Initiative (2024)	$2,911,243.92	$0.00	$2,911,243.92	a	Yes
Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)	$522,800.64	$14,641,731.66	$15,164,532.30	d	No
Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$35,021,111.74	$1,339,690.97	$36,360,802.71	a	Yes
Arizona Proposition 140, Single Primary for All Candidates and Possible RCV General Election Initiative (2024)	$15,876,541.64	$150,000.00	$16,026,541.64	d	No
Arkansas Issue 2, Countywide Voter Approval for New Casino Licenses and Repeal Casino Licenses in Pope County Initiative (2024)	$8,800,100.00	$11,600,000.00	$20,400,100.00	a	No
California Proposition 32, $18 Minimum Wage Initiative (2024)	$11,737,602.00	$582,236.00	$12,319,838.00	d	Yes
California Proposition 33, Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative (2024)	$49,925,056.54	$121,698,898.07	$171,623,954.61	d	No
California Proposition 34, Require Certain Participants in Medi-Cal Rx Program to Spend 98% of Revenues on Patient Care Initiative (2024)	$44,546,791.75	$15,808,962.89	$60,355,754.64	a	Yes
California Proposition 35, Managed Care Organization Tax Authorization Initiative (2024)	$53,966,038.48	$0.00	$53,966,038.48	a	Yes
California Proposition 36, Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative (2024)	$13,657,132.68	$6,096,130.90	$19,753,263.58	a	Yes
Colorado Amendment 79, Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative (2024)	$9,779,817.67	$566,895.29	$10,346,712.96	a	Yes
Colorado Amendment 80, Constitutional Right to School Choice Initiative (2024)	$0.00	$4,988,243.54	$4,988,243.54	d	No
Colorado Proposition 127, Prohibit Hunting of Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and Lynx Initiative (2024)	$3,455,693.94	$3,100,698.50	$6,556,392.44	d	No
Colorado Proposition 128, Parole Eligibility Initiative (2024)	$0.00	$103,933.25	$103,933.25	a	No
Colorado Proposition 129, Veterinary Professional Associate Initiative (2024)	$1,719,386.66	$2,441,007.70	$4,160,394.36	a	No
Colorado Proposition 130, Law Enforcement Funding Initiative (2024)	$0.00	$103,933.25	$103,933.25	a	No
Colorado Proposition 131, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)	$14,655,331.91	$458,719.77	$15,114,051.68	d	No
Florida Amendment 3, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)	$153,232,985.68	$33,364,156.38	$186,597,142.06	d	No
Florida Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$118,631,573.54	$12,096,794.52	$130,728,368.06	d	No
Idaho Proposition 1, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)	$5,621,297.06	$231,401.21	$5,852,698.27	d	No
Maine Question 1, Limit Contributions to Super PACs Initiative (2024)	$1,519,338.70	$0.00	$1,519,338.70	a	Yes
Massachusetts Question 1, Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative (2024)	$440,587.14	$0.00	$440,587.14	a	Yes
Massachusetts Question 2, Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative (2024)	$16,426,733.07	$5,409,421.83	$21,836,154.90	a	Yes
Massachusetts Question 3, Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative (2024)	$7,841,045.92	$0.00	$7,841,045.92	a	Yes
Massachusetts Question 4, Legalization and Regulation of Psychedelic Substances Initiative (2024)	$8,220,402.33	$136,775.00	$8,357,177.33	d	No
Massachusetts Question 5, Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative (2024)	$1,926,480.62	$3,021,625.03	$4,948,105.65	d	No
Missouri Amendment 2, Sports Betting Initiative (2024)	$45,550,099.66	$14,174,122.56	$59,724,222.22	a	Yes
Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative (2024)	$31,473,847.68	$1,983,278.62	$33,457,126.30	a	Yes
Missouri Amendment 5, Osage River Gambling Boat License Initiative (2024)	$10,431,804.68	$0.00	$10,431,804.68	d	No
Missouri Proposition A, Minimum Wage and Earned Paid Sick Time Initiative (2024)	$6,445,815.96	$0.00	$6,445,815.96	a	Yes
Montana CI-126, Top-Four Primary Initiative (2024)	$23,109,389.59	$36,595.01	$23,145,984.60	d	No
Montana CI-127, Majority Vote Required to Win Elections Initiative (2024)	$23,109,389.59	$36,595.01	$23,145,984.60	d	No
Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$18,228,896.18	$222,502.58	$18,451,398.76	a	Yes
Nebraska Initiative 434, Prohibit Abortions After the First Trimester Amendment (2024)	$11,995,396.40	$13,240,246.99	$25,235,643.39	a	No
Nebraska Initiative 436, Paid Sick Leave Initiative (2024)	$3,197,799.35	$0.00	$3,197,799.35	a	Yes
Nebraska Initiative 437, Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)	$1,507,845.30	$0.00	$1,507,845.30	a	Yes
Nebraska Initiative 438, Medical Marijuana Regulation Initiative (2024)	$1,507,845.30	$0.00	$1,507,845.30	a	Yes
Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$13,240,246.99	$11,995,396.40	$25,235,643.39	d	No
Nebraska Referendum 435, Private Education Scholarship Program Referendum (2024)	$1,520,037.44	$6,261,316.25	$7,781,353.69	d	No
Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)	$19,862,650.00	$2,075,000.00	$21,937,650.00	d	No
Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$11,283,669.34	$0.00	$11,283,669.34	a	Yes
Nevada Question 7, Require Voter Identification Initiative (2024)	$1,864,518.75	$0.00	$1,864,518.75	a	Yes
North Dakota Initiated Measure 1, Congressional Age Limits Initiative (June 2024)	$33,422.00	$0.00	$33,422.00	a	Yes
North Dakota Initiated Measure 4, Prohibit Taxes on Assessed Value of Real Property Initiative (2024)	$29,075.00	$2,080,276.99	$2,109,351.99	d	No
North Dakota Initiated Measure 5, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)	$715,778.10	$0.00	$715,778.10	d	No
Ohio Issue 1, Establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative (2024)	$43,434,274.36	$7,539,752.13	$50,974,026.49	d	No
Oregon Measure 118, Corporate Tax Revenue Rebate for Residents Initiative (2024)	$830,237.19	$16,846,077.99	$17,676,315.18	d	No
Oregon Measure 119, Unionization of Cannabis Workers Initiative (2024)	$3,872,658.06	$8,205.00	$3,880,863.06	a	Yes
South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	$647,665.31	$1,079,871.80	$1,727,537.11	d	No
South Dakota Constitutional Amendment H, Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative (2024)	$1,624,047.29	$86,276.25	$1,710,323.54	d	No
South Dakota Initiated Measure 28, Prohibit Food and Grocery Taxes Initiative (2024)	$251,597.05	$240,263.76	$491,860.81	d	No
South Dakota Initiated Measure 29, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2024)	$1,618,403.15	$37,832.23	$1,656,235.38	d	No
South Dakota Referred Law 21, Regulation of Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Referendum (2024)	$167,025.62	$202,450.05	$369,475.67	d	No
Washington Initiative 2066, Natural Gas Policies Measure (2024)	$17,542,408.84	$5,924,818.11	$23,467,226.95	a	Yes
Washington Initiative 2109, Repeal Capital Gains Tax Initiative (2024)	$17,440,989.68	$9,728,111.64	$27,169,101.32	d	No
Washington Initiative 2117, Repeal Carbon Cap and Invest Program Measure (2024)	$17,440,989.68	$22,784,360.96	$40,225,350.64	d	No
Washington Initiative 2124, Opt-Out of Long-Term Services Insurance Program Initiative (2024)	$17,440,989.68	$19,062,956.99	$36,503,946.67	d	No

Referral contributions

Of the 102 referred measures on the ballot, 26 featured campaign finance data. The following totals are as of December 18.

Referred measure	Support contributions	Oppose contributions	Total contributions	Outcome	Did the campaign with more funding win?
Arizona Proposition 311, Criminal Conviction Fee for First Responder Death Financial Benefit Measure (2024)	$293,014.43	$0.00	$293,014.43	a	Yes
California Proposition 1, Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure (March 2024)	$18,158,030.24	$5,299.04	$18,163,329.28	a	Yes
California Proposition 2, Public Education Facilities Bond Measure (2024)	$11,829,846.53	$0.00	$11,829,846.53	a	Yes
California Proposition 3, Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment (2024)	$3,431,836.57	$0.00	$3,431,836.57	a	Yes
California Proposition 4, Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure (2024)	$10,667,673.26	$0.00	$10,667,673.26	a	Yes
California Proposition 5, Lower Supermajority Requirement to 55% for Local Bond Measures to Fund Housing and Public Infrastructure Amendment (2024)	$10,928,423.59	$3,292,891.61	$14,221,315.20	d	No
California Proposition 6, Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for Crime Amendment (2024)	$1,256,594.77	$0.00	$1,256,594.77	d	Yes
Colorado Amendment J, Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment (2024)	$777,206.67	$0.00	$777,206.67	a	Yes
Colorado Proposition JJ, Retain Sports Betting Tax Revenue for Water Projects Measure (2024)	$515,000.00	$0.00	$515,000.00	a	Yes
Connecticut No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment (2024)	$790,644.01	$0.00	$790,644.01	a	Yes
Florida Amendment 2, Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment (2024)	$1,250,968.24	$122,313.09	$1,373,281.33	a	Yes
Hawaii Remove Legislature Authority to Limit Marriage to Opposite-Sex Couples Amendment (2024)	$81,972.01	$0.00	$81,972.01	a	Yes
Maine Question 4, Development and Maintenance of Trails Bond Issue (2024)	$133,008.09	$0.00	$133,008.09	a	Yes
Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2024)	$1,225,352.67	$405,901.26	$1,631,253.93	a	Yes
Missouri Amendment 7, Require Citizenship to Vote and Prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment (2024)	$0.00	$1,651.57	$1,651.57	a	Yes
New Mexico Bond Question 3, Public Education Bond Issue (2024)	$350,500.00	$0.00	$350,500.00	a	Yes
New York Proposal 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment (2024)	$7,334,067.61	$571,226.22	$7,905,293.83	a	Yes
Oregon Measure 115, Impeachment of Elected State Executives Amendment (2024)	$977,744.00	$0.00	$977,744.00	a	Yes
Oregon Measure 116, Independent Public Service Compensation Commission Amendment (2024)	$1,269,367.66	$8,205.00	$1,277,572.66	d	No
Oregon Measure 117, Ranked-Choice Voting for Federal and State Elections Measure (2024)	$10,123,321.29	$9,285.00	$10,132,606.29	d	No
Rhode Island Question 1, Constitutional Convention Question (2024)	$0.00	$195,350.00	$195,350.00	d	Yes
Rhode Island Question 2, Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure (2024)	$144,600.00	$0.00	$144,600.00	a	Yes
Rhode Island Question 3, Housing Acquisition, Development, and Infrastructure Bond Measure (2024)	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	a	No
Rhode Island Question 4, Environmental and Recreational Infrastructure Bond Measure (2024)	$196,500.00	$0.00	$196,500.00	a	Yes
Rhode Island Question 5, Cultural Arts and Economy Grant Program Bond Measure (2024)	$30,000.00	$0.00	$30,000.00	a	Yes

Referral changes

There are multiple ways that a statewide measure can be put on the ballot, depending on the state. While 26 states have an initiative or veto referendum process, every state except for Delaware has a process for the state legislature to refer a constitutional amendment or state statute to the ballot. These measures are called legislative referrals.

Out of the 159 statewide measures certified for the ballot in 2024, 102 of them were legislatively referred ballot measures. This means that referrals accounted for 64.15% of the certified statewide measures on the ballot in 2024. Meanwhile, there were 57 citizen initiatives certified for the ballot in 2024.

Of the 102 referrals:

73 were legislatively referred constitutional amendments;
12 were legislatively referred state statutes;
one was a automatic ballot referral;
13 were bond issues; and
three were advisory questions.

The amount of statewide legislative referrals decreased from the previous election. While 102 referrals were on the ballot in 2024, there were 110 on the ballot in 2022, 86 referrals on the ballot in 2020, 92 referrals in 2018, and 86 referrals in 2016.

	2024	2022	2020	2018	2016	2014	2012	2010	Average (2010-2024)
Referred ballot measures	102	110	86	99	86	118	125	134	108

Constitutional amendments

See also: Constitutional amendments since 2003

Voters in 35 states decided on 96 constitutional amendments in 2024. Voters approved 60 (62.50%) and rejected 36 (37.50%). Of the constitutional amendments, 73 were referred to the ballot by state legislatures, and 23 were put on the ballot through citizen initiative petitions. The approval rate for referred amendments was 68.49%, and the approval rate for initiated amendments was 43.48%.

Constitutional rights

In total, 14 of the constitutional amendments concerned constitutional rights. The following is a list of ballot measures that amended a state constitution’s Bill of Rights, often codified as Article I, or added explicit statements about rights to other sections of the constitution. Ten amendments addressed rights related to abortion. The other four addressed rights related to marriage, education, bail, and fishing and hunting.

State	Measure	Section	Desription	Outcome
Arizona	Arizona Proposition 139, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article 2)	Provide for the fundamental right to abortion, among other provisions	a
California	California Proposition 3, Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article I)	Provide for a right to marry	a
Colorado	Colorado Amendment 79, Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative (2024)	Bill of Rights (Article II)	Provide a right to abortion in the state constitution and allowing the use of public funds for abortion	a
Colorado	Colorado Amendment 80, Constitutional Right to School Choice Initiative (2024)	Education (Article IX)	Provide that "each K-12 child has the right to school choice"	d
Colorado	Colorado Amendment I, Remove Right to Bail in First Degree Murder Cases Amendment (2024)	Bill of Rights (Article II)	Remove the right to bail in cases of first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption is great	a
Florida	Florida Amendment 2, Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article I)	Establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish	a
Florida	Florida Amendment 4, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article I)	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion before fetal viability	d
Maryland	Maryland Question 1, Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2024)	Declaration of Rights, Maryland Constitution	Establish a right to reproductive freedom, defined to include "the ability to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy"	a
Missouri	Missouri Amendment 3, Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative (2024)	Bill of Rights (Article I)	Add a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion and “all matters relating to reproductive health care"	a
Montana	Montana CI-128, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article II)	Provide a state constitutional "right to make and carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion"	a
Nebraska	Nebraska Initiative 439, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Article I	Establish a right to abortion until fetal viability	d
Nevada	Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Declaration of Rights (Article 1)	Provide for a state constitutional right to an abortion and authority for the state to regulate abortion after fetal viability	a
New York	New York Proposal 1, Equal Protection of Law Amendment (2024)	Bill of Rights (Article I)	Add language to the New York Bill of Rights to provide that people cannot be denied rights based on their "ethnicity, national origin, age, and disability" or "sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy"	a
South Dakota	South Dakota Constitutional Amendment G, Right to Abortion Initiative (2024)	Bill of Rights (Article VI)	Provide for a state constitutional right to abortion with a trimester framework for regulations	d

Approval rates for constitutional amendments by year

Statistically, from 2003 through 2024, odd-year election cycles featured a higher approval rate for proposed constitutional amendments than even years. In 2007, 28 of the 31 proposed amendments were approved, for a rate of 90%. In 2013, amendments passed at a rate of 89%. In 2017, all 17 amendments on the ballot were approved, for the highest approval rate since 1947. Only one of the proposed amendments was put on the ballot through a citizen initiative petition. In contrast, 2006 and 2022, the even-numbered years with the highest approval rates, had rates of 74.5% and 73.81%, respectively. In 2019, the approval rate for the 18 amendments with certified election results was 83.3%.

Approval rates for constitutional amendments by state

Below is a table showing the total number of proposed constitutional amendments and each states overall approval rate for the period from 2006 through 2024. States with an asterisk feature a process for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. Click [show] to expand the table.

State	Total	Approved	Approval rate
Alabama	83	64	77.11%
Alaska*	3	1	0.00%
Arizona*	52	27	51.92%
Arkansas*	31	23	74.19%
California*	74	35	47.30%
Colorado*	70	30	42.86%
Connecticut	6	5	83.33%
Delaware	0	0	N/A
Florida*	73	47	64.38%
Georgia	32	28	87.50%
Hawaii	23	16	69.57%
Idaho*	13	12	92.31%
Illinois*	7	5	71.43%
Indiana	7	7	100.00%
Iowa	5	5	100.00%
Kansas	10	8	80.00%
Kentucky	9	5	55.56%
Louisiana	152	111	73.03%
Maine*	11	8	72.73%
Maryland*	22	22	100.00%
Massachusetts*	1	1	100.00%
Michigan*	20	14	70.00%
Minnesota	6	4	66.67%
Mississippi*	10	7	70.00%
Missouri*	47	33	70.21%
Montana*	16	10	62.50%
Nebraska*	31	17	54.84%
Nevada*	42	26	61.90%
New Hampshire	9	4	44.44%
New Jersey	27	23	85.19%
New Mexico*	41	37	90.24%
New York	25	19	76.00%
North Carolina	13	11	84.62%
North Dakota*	35	22	62.86%
Ohio*	34	20	58.82%
Oklahoma*	49	36	73.47%
Oregon*	44	30	68.18%
Pennsylvania	11	11	100.00%
Rhode Island	8	6	75.00%
South Carolina	23	19	82.61%
South Dakota*	34	14	41.18%
Tennessee	11	11	100.00%
Texas	127	120	94.49%
Utah*	34	29	85.29%
Vermont	3	3	100.00%
Virginia	18	17	94.44%
Washington*	16	14	87.50%
West Virginia	12	6	50.00%
Wisconsin	15	12	80.00%
Wyoming*	18	11	61.11%

Readability

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024

In 2024, Ballotpedia estimated the reading difficulty of ballot measures' titles and summaries using two formulas, the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL). The formulas account for the number of syllables, words, and sentences in the ballot language but not the difficulty or complexity of the ideas expressed in the ballot language.

The entire report can be viewed here: Ballot measure readability scores, 2024.

In 2024, the average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for the ballot titles (ballot questions) of all 159 statewide 2024 ballot measures was 20 (graduate school reading level). The average ballot title grade for all measures in a single state averaged together ranged from -2 in Florida to 42 in Maine. Citizen-initiated measures received an average title grade of 15 years of education, and referred measures received an average title grade of 17 years.

The following map illustrates the average readability grade levels for ballot titles of each state. The lowest average score was seven in New Hampshire, and the highest average score was 28 in Alabama.

Bond and tax issues on the ballot

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

Fourteen bond issues were on the ballot in four states in 2024. 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.

Bond issues	Approved a	Defeated d
14	14	0

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. Below is a chart that breaks down the measures by type of tax-related policy.

Footnotes

[1] The Guardian, "Abortion rights activists worry about Democrats piggybacking on the cause: ‘This is not a ploy'," May 9, 2024

[2] Roll Call, "Interview: Sean Hannity Interviews Donald Trump on Fox News - June 5, 2024," June 5, 2024

[3] Fox News, "Trump opposes Florida's Amendment 4, which offers unfettered abortion access: 'It's radical'," August 30, 2024

[4] NPR, "'I'll be voting no.' Trump clarifies his stance on the abortion amendment in Florida," August 30, 2024

[5] NBC News, "GOP efforts to crack down on noncitizen voting extend to state ballot measures," September 14, 2024

[6] This includes combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute measures.

[7] $172,153,063.82

[8] $3,248,171.02

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

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[7]

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2024 U.S. state ballot measures
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