Ballotpedia:Analysis of the 2018 local ballot measures in top cities by population
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December 19, 2018
By The Ballot Measures Team
In 2018, Ballotpedia covered a total of 301 local ballot measures in top U.S. cities by population outside of California. The 301 measures were on ballots in 29 states and the District of Columbia.
For more information on California, see our analysis of California measures.
Quick stats
Measures by election date
- See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2018
Ballotpedia covered local ballot measures in top cities outside of California on 20 separate election dates throughout the year. Of the 301 measures covered, 199 (66 percent) were on ballots during the general election on November 6, 2018.
To view all election dates, click here.
Measures by outcome
Of the 301 local ballot measures in top U.S. cities, 263 measures (87 percent) were approved, and 35 measures (12 percent) were defeated. One measure in Washington, D.C., was approved and later repealed.
Results for two measures in Chicago were not counted due to a legal challenge.
Notable measures
Below is a sample of notable measures in top U.S. cities by population in 2018.
- Anchorage, Alaska, Proposition 1, Access to Public Bathrooms and Locker Rooms Based on Sex at Birth (April 2018)
In April, voters in Anchorage, Alaska, were asked whether or not to restrict access to bathrooms and other facilities on the basis of sex at birth rather than gender identity. The group Yes on 1 Protect Our Privacy led the support campaign for this initiative, with funding from Alaska Family Council. The Yes on 1 campaign raised approximately $128,000, while the opposition campaign, Fair Anchorage, raised approximately $820,000. Proposition 1 was defeated with 52.64 percent of voters opposing the measure.
- Washington, D.C., Initiative 77, Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Workers (June 2018)
In June, Washington D.C., voters approved an initiative designed to increase minimum wage requirements for tipped employees. Under Initiative 77, local businesses would have been required to pay tipped employees the same minimum wage as other employees by 2026. Voters approved the measure with 55.74 percent of the vote. However, the Washington D.C. Council repealed Initiative 77 in October 2018.
- Portland, Oregon, Measure 26-201, Renewable Energy Initiative (November 2018)
Voters in Portland, Oregon, decided in November on an initiative requiring certain local retailers to pay a 1 percent surcharge on retail sales within the city to fund renewable energy projects and job training. The measure summary included energy projects that do not use fossil fuels, nuclear power, or certain hydropower, among other projects. Measure 26-201 was approved with 65 percent of the vote.
Election policy
- See also: Electoral system
Six measures asked voters to consider changes to their local voting procedures and campaign finance laws in November 2018. See below for more information on these measures in Fargo, North Dakota; Lane County, Oregon; Memphis, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; and New York City.
Note: Ballotpedia's coverage of election policy measures went beyond cities with the largest populations to include smaller jurisdictions with notable ballot measures.
Voting procedures
Fargo
- Fargo, North Dakota, Measure 1, Approval Voting Initiative (November 2018)
In Fargo, North Dakota, voters approved an initiative designed to implement approval voting. Approval voting allows voters to vote for any number of candidates they choose. Under this electoral system, the candidate with the highest overall approval wins. The measure passed with 64 percent approval.
Lane County
- Lane County, Oregon, Measure 20-290, Score Then Automatic Runoff Voting Method (November 2018)
An initiative in Lane County, Oregon, proposed implementing the Score Then Automatic Runoff (STAR) voting method for local elections. The measure would have eliminated primary elections for county officials. Under the STAR voting method, voters rate candidates on a scale of one to five, and the candidate with the highest number wins. Measure 20-290 was defeated with 52 percent of voters opposing the STAR method.
Memphis
Voters in Memphis, Tennessee decided on two referendum measures regarding ranked-choice voting, also known as instant run-off elections.
- Memphis, Tennessee, Referendum Ordinance No. 5677, Eliminate Run-Off Elections (November 2018)
Referendum Ordinance No. 5677 asked voters whether or not to eliminate ranked-choice voting (or instant run-off elections), an electoral system that was approved by Memphis voters in 2008. Implementation of ranked-choice voting had been delayed by the Shelby County Election Commission, citing insufficient equipment as the cause for the delay. The commission announced in July 2017 that ranked-choice voting would begin in the city in October 2019. This measure would have blocked that implementation and would have established that the candidate with the highest number of votes in a local election be declared the winner. However, the referendum was defeated with 56 percent of voters in opposition.
- Memphis, Tennessee, Referendum Ordinance No. 5669, Eliminate Run-Off Elections (November 2018)
Referendum Ordinance No. 5669 was also designed to eliminate ranked-choice voting (or instant run-off elections) in Memphis. The measure would have restored voting procedures existing prior to the 2008 amendment; however, the referendum was defeated with 64 percent of voters in opposition.
Because both referendums were defeated in Memphis, ranked-choice voting was not eliminated.
Campaign finance
Baltimore
- Baltimore, Maryland, Question H, Fair Election Fund Charter Amendment (November 2018)
Baltimore voters approved Question H, a measure designed to establish public financing options for local political campaigns through the Fair Election Fund. The measure was approved with 72 percent of the vote.
New York City
- New York, New York, Question 1, Campaign Finance City Charter Amendment (November 2018)
In November, New York City voters approved a city charter amendment designed to change local campaign finance laws in November. Question 1 received 80 percent approval. The measure lowered the contribution limits that candidates for elected office may receive from contributors, while it also increased public matching funds available to candidates.
Every vote counts
Of the measures within the top 100 largest cities, Ballotpedia tracked 11 that were approved or defeated by a margin of less than 1 percentage point.
- Voters in Mesa, Arizona, were close to evenly divided over three measures concerning taxes, bond revenue, and budgeting for the city and Mesa Public Schools.
- Voters rejected Question 6, a proposed hotel tax increase, by a margin of 156 votes. A total of 74,137 voters were in favor, and 74,293 were opposed.
- Voters in the Mesa Public Schools district approved a $300 million bond issue by a margin of one-third of a point. A total of 937 votes out of 143,077 votes cast separated approval from rejection.
- Mesa Public Schools district voters rejected a measure to authorize a 15 percent budget override amounting to an estimated $61.4 million. The measure failed by a margin of nine-tenths of a percentage point.
- In San Antonio, Texas, voters were narrowly divided over Proposition C, which amended the city charter to give the firefighters' union authority to require the city to participate in binding arbitration. It was approved by a margin of three-quarters of a point; 5,462 votes separated approval from rejection out of 363,732 total votes cast.
- A general city charter revision was authorized in Detroit, Michigan, by the approval of Proposition R. There were 184 more voters in favor of charter revision than there were opposed to it out of 66,360 votes cast.
See also
- 2018 ballot measures
- Ballot measure readability scores, 2018
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2018
- Ballot measure campaign finance, 2018
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2018
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2018
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2018
- 2018 ballot measure polls
- 2018 ballot measure media endorsements
Footnotes
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