Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count is unshaken at 183 questions
October 12, 2010
By Bailey Ludlam
The Tuesday Count is steady for yet another week. A total of 183 ballot questions in 37 states are on ballots for 2010. However, of those 183 measures, voters will cast their ballots on only 159 come this November 2nd.
Although most state voter guides have been completed and sent to registered voters, lawsuits to remove measures from the ballot remain pending in some states: Arkansas and Oklahoma (SQ 746 and SQ 751). In some states any pending court rulings may not necessarily remove measures from the ballot but instead prevent cast votes from being counted.
Two other measures were on the chopping block this week but all survived. Judges in Florida and Montana courts ruled that all challenged measures will appear on the upcoming November ballots. Specifically, Class Size, Amendment 8 in Florida and Loan Interest Rate Limit, I-164 in Montana were challenged. Opponents requested that the courts remove them from ballots. In Florida, the appeal was filed too late to remove the measure from the ballot but the ruling could have prevented cast votes from being counted.
Despite the remaining legal challenges, campaigns for 2010 ballot measures are well underway. If you're searching for state official voter guides, take a look here. Polls and media endorsements are also beginning to flood the news. Make sure to check back frequently as we approach November 2nd.
And although most campaigns are spending all of their time and effort on the 2010 elections, some are already looking ahead at 2011. In Mississippi supporters of an effort to ban eminent domain in the state delivered petitions to the secretary of state early this month. To qualify for the ballot, its supporters were required to gather about 89,284 valid signatures. Supporters said they gathered an estimated 119,251 signatures. Two measures have already been certified for the 2011 ballot in Mississippi: a Voter Identification Initiative and Life Begins at the Moment of Fertilization Initiative.
"BEST" and "WORST": your turn to participate
2010 has proven to be a relatively quiet year but nevertheless some measures have raised eyebrows and fueled heated discussions. As such, we've compiled a list of 58 of the most notable, most discussed and in some cases, most controversial ballot measures. We've heard from the usual commentators (supporters and opponents of measures) but now we're asking you, "What's your take?" From now through the election, we'll be collecting the lists we find and the lists you send us. We'll be soliciting lists as well. If you manage a website or an e-list, we encourage you to ask your readers what they think. We'll tweet any list you publish, and we're starting a scorecard here as well. To learn more, go here. View our current lists and commentary for 2010 here.
SPOTLIGHT: Sharia law in Oklahoma, voters decide if its O.K.
One particular issue, scheduled to appear on the November 2, 2010 ballot in Oklahoma is raising questions not only in the South but also in other regions of the United States. State Question 755, also known as the Sharia Law Amendment or International Law Amendment, proposes requiring that courts rely on federal or state laws when handing down decisions concerning cases and would prohibit them from using international law or Sharia law when making rulings.
| Regional Breakdown of 2010 ballot measures: Southwest |
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Supporters of the controversial issue argue that SQ 755 is a pre-emptive strike against Sharia law to prevent what has occurred in the United Kingdom. The UK has been known to implement Sharia Law in some its court cases. Some lawmakers also argue that the citation of international law in court decisions is inappropriate in a sovereign state. Opponents, however, argue that the proposal is offensive and that there other state issues that require attention.
If approved by voters, Oklahoma would be the first state to pass such legislation.
REGIONAL BREAKDOWN: the Southwest
In the second of a five part series, Ballotpedia rounded up ballot measures in the Southwest. Issues such as marijuana and health care are slated to appear in more than one state in the region. The Southwest boasts a heavy dose of statewide ballot questions, as four out of the nine states have at least nine ballot questions slated for their respective general election ballots in November. Local measures in the region are plentiful as well, particularly in the states of Arizona, California and Colorado. The states that Ballotpedia has included in the Southwest region are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah.
Check out the full breakdown here.
See also
| 2010 ballot measures |
| Tuesday Count • 2010 Scorecard |
| Analysis • Issues on ballot |
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2010
- Analysis of the 2010 ballot measures
- 2010 ballot measures
- Local ballot measure elections in 2010
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