Ballotpedia’s top 10 ballot measures to watch in 2020
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By Ballot measures project staff
It's Dec. 2 and 43 statewide measures have qualified for 2020 ballots across the country. That number is likely to quadruple between now and Election Day. Here are 10 measures we're watching.
Qualified ballot measures
Californians will decide whether to uphold or overturn a first-in-the-nation to replace the use of cash bail with risk assessments for detained suspects awaiting trial. After Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed the law on August 28, 2018, the American Bail Coalition organized a PAC to finance the campaign to repeal the law through a veto referendum. The campaign successfully collected the required number of signatures, which suspended the law until voters decide the referendum on Nov. 3, 2020.
The ballot initiative would amend the 41-year-old Proposition 13 to require commercial and industrial properties, except those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on their market value. Proposition 13, which limits property taxes, has been described by political scientist Jack Citrin as the third rail of California politics and as a "sacred doctrine that should never be questioned" by former Gov. Brown (D).[1][2] Next year’s ballot initiative has become a fixture of the state's presidential primary, having received endorsements from seven Democratic candidates including Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders.
Since the 2016 election, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has picked up an additional five states in 2019, bringing the compact 31 electoral votes closer to going into effect. The compact would go into effect if states representing at least 270 electoral college votes join. In Colorado, which was the largest state to join the compact post-2016, a campaign called Protect Colorado's Vote collected signatures to place a veto referendum on the ballot for Nov. 3, 2020. Now, voters will decide whether Colorado should join the compact or continue to allocate its electoral votes to the candidate who receives the most votes in Colorado.
The citizen-initiated constitutional amendment would amend the Florida Constitution to provide that only a citizen of the U.S. can vote in Florida elections. Currently, the state constitution provides that every citizen of the U.S. can vote in Florida. Amendment 1 would preempt laws allowing non-citizens to vote in state or local elections. The nonprofit Citizen Voters, Inc. provided the funding for the campaign behind Amendment 1 and is also funding a similar ballot initiative in Colorado.
In March, Maine voters will decide on a veto referendum relating to vaccination requirements. The veto referendum seeks to overturn a law to eliminate religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements for K-12 and college students and employees of healthcare facilities. Currently, four states—California, Mississippi, New York, and West Virginia—do not provide for non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for students. Maine will be the first state to vote on vaccine requirements since 1922.
Potential ballot measures
DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber each contributed $30 million to fund a potential ballot initiative campaign should Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) sign a law establishing a three-factor test to decide a worker's status as an independent contractor or employee. After Newsom signed the law on Sept. 18, a ballot initiative was filed to define app-based drivers as independent contractors and enact several wage and labor policies. The companies Instacart (Maplebear, Inc.) and Postmates also joined the campaign, each contributing $10 million. The ballot initiative could be one of the most expensive in California history.
The ballot initiative would expand the provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CCPA resulted from negotiations between the California State Legislature and Californians for Consumer Privacy, which had qualified a ballot initiative in 2018 but withdrew it after compromise legislation was signed. Alastair Mactaggart, who chairs Californians for Consumer Privacy, said his intention "is to go to the ballot" in 2020. Mactaggart contributed $3 million to the 2018 initiative's campaign and he could finance the new campaign as well.
- Marijuana Legalization Initiatives
Since 2012, voters in nine states have approved marijuana legalization measures. In 2020, there could be marijuana legalization ballot measures in several states, including Arizona, New Jersey, and South Dakota. Arizona would be a second attempt for legalization proponents, as an initiative was defeated in 2016. New Jersey, a state without the initiative process, could vote to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot after the legislature failed to pass a statute. Signatures were submitted for a South Dakota ballot initiative at the beginning of November.
- Ranked-Choice Voting Initiatives in Alaska and Massachusetts
Voters in Alaska and Massachusetts could vote on ballot initiatives to enact ranked-choice voting. In 2016, Maine was the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting, which also came through a ballot initiative. The campaign in Massachusetts reported filing 130,000 signatures two weeks ago. 80,239 valid signatures are needed to qualify for the ballot. In Alaska, the campaign is currently collecting signatures. Both efforts have the support of Unite America, which has pledged to contribute millions between the campaigns and other efforts.[3]
The ballot initiative would require a background check for firearm transfers that involve unlicensed dealers or that are between private citizens, with exceptions. Currently, background checks are required when a person purchases a firearm from a licensed dealer in Ohio. The ballot initiative would require that private citizens and unlicensed dealers facilitate their transfers through a licensed dealer who can run a background check. In 2016, Nevada and Maine voted on similar ballot measures but their results diverged—Nevada approved and Maine rejected the proposal.
See also
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Footnotes
- ↑ Citrin, Jack. "Proposition 13 and the Transformation of California Government." The California Journal of Politics & Policy 1 (1): 1-9.
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "An experienced Jerry Brown vows to build on what he’s already done," October 19, 2014
- ↑ Unite America, "Unite America Announces Investments in Four Reform Campaigns," September 19, 2019
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