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Debt limits ballot measures

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Voters have decided on debt limits ballot measures across the U.S. As a state ballot measure topic, this includes measures to cap the amount of debt a government can incur. The topic is grouped within the budget and tax policy area.

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Upcoming ballot measures

See also: 2026 ballot measures and 2027 ballot measures

The following is a list of state ballot measures related to this topic that are certified or potential for this year and future elections:
There are no ballot measures related to this topic that have qualified for the ballot.

List of state ballot measures

Click the tabs to view state ballot measures related to this topic, organized by year or state.

2023

  1. Maine Question 1, Voter Approval of Borrowing Above $1 Billion by State Entities and Electric Cooperatives Initiative (2023) Approved
  2. New York Proposal 1, Remove Debt Limit on Small City School Districts Amendment (2023) Approved

2012

  1. Washington SJR 8221, State Debt Modifications Amendment (2012) Approved

2010

  1. Washington State Debt Limits Amendment, SJR 8225 (2010) Approved

2006

  1. Arizona Proposition 104, Allow Municipalities to Include Public Safety and Transportation Debt in Debt Limit Amendment (2006) Approved
  2. New Mexico Building Lease Agreements, Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006) Approved

2003

  1. New York Amendment 1, Spending on Sewage Facilities Excluded from Debt Limits Amendment (2003) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 2, Small City School Districts Excluded from Debt Limits Amendment (2003) Defeated

2002

  1. Maine Question 3, Exempt Certain Short-Term Loans from the Debt Limit Amendment (2002) Approved
  2. Utah Amendment 5, Change Definition of Cities Eligible to Exceed Debt Limits for Funding Water, Sewer, and Lighting Infrastructure Measure (2002) Approved

1996

  1. Nevada Question 6, State Debt Limit Building Retrofitting Exemption Amendment (1996) Defeated
  2. Utah Proposition 4, Permit the State to Guarantee School District Debt Amendment (1996) Approved

1994

  1. Nevada Question 5, Installment and Lease Purchase Agreements Amendment (1994) Defeated

1993

  1. New York Amendment 1, Contracting, Paying and Refunding Local Debt Amendment (1993) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 2, Debt Limits for Sewage Facilities Amendment (1993) Approved
  3. New York Amendment 3, Contracting, Paying and Refunding State Debts Amendment (1993) Approved

1992

  1. Colorado Amendment 1, Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) Initiative (1992) Approved

1990

  1. Virginia Question 3, Securing Local Debt from Transportation Amendment (1990) Defeated
  2. Virginia Question 4, Securing State Debt from Transportation Amendment (1990) Defeated

1988

  1. Georgia Amendment 15, Municipal Bonded Indebtedness Measure (1988) Defeated
  2. New Mexico Ballot Proposal: Allowing County Indebtedness for Books and Library Resources (1988) Approved

1986

  1. Georgia Amendment 1, Debt for Water and Sewer Facilities Measure (1986) Approved

1984

  1. Nevada Question 6, Exemption of State Debts Amendment (1984) Defeated

1982

  1. Alabama Debt Limitation Amendment (March 1982) Approved

1976

  1. Nevada Question 10, Limits of Initiative Questions Amendment (1976) Defeated

1974

  1. Nevada Question 4, Sales and Use Tax Penalty Measure (1974) Approved

1973

  1. Maine Question 4, Regulation of Municipal Borrowing Amendment (1973) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 1, County and City Debt Amendment (1973) Approved

1972

  1. Georgia Amendment 8, State Finances and Debt Amendment (1972) Approved

1971

  1. New York Amendment 2, Excluding Debt for the Development of Sewage Facilities from the Debt Limit Amendment (1971) Defeated

1968

  1. Nevada Question 2, Public Debt Limit Amendment (1968) Defeated
  2. South Dakota Amendment B, State Debt Limit Measure (1968) Defeated

1966

  1. New York Amendment 3, Allowing Local Governments to Take on Debt for Low Rent Housing Amendment (1966) Defeated

1963

  1. New York Amendment 5, Local Sewage Facility Debt Exclusion Amendment (1963) Approved

1962

  1. Minnesota Amendment 2, Authorizing the State to Contract Debts for Public Improvements Amendment (1962) Approved

1961

  1. New York Amendment 5, Debt in a Economic Recession Amendment (1961) Defeated

1960

  1. Missouri Amendment 4, Municipal Indebtedness Measure (1960) Approved
  2. Nevada Question 2, Public Debt Limit Amendment (1960) Defeated

1958

  1. New York Proposition 1, Debt for Slum Clearance and Low-rent Housing Bond Measure (1958) Approved
  2. New York Proposition 2, Debt for Limited-Profit Housing Companies Bond Measure (1958) Approved

1957

  1. New York Amendment 4, State Housing Loans Amendment (1957) Approved

1955

  1. Maine Constitutional Amendment 3, School Building Authority and Municipal Debt Limits Amendment (September 1955) Approved

1954

  1. Maine Question 1, Municipal Debt Limit Increase Amendment (September 1954) Approved
  2. South Dakota Amendment B, Local Government and School District Debt Limit Measure (1954) Approved

1953

  1. New York Amendment 7, Counties, Cities, Towns, and Villages Contract Indebtedness Amendment (1953) Approved

1951

  1. Maine Question 12, State's Borrowing Power Amendment (September 1951) Approved
  2. Maine Question 7, Municipal Debt Limit Increase Amendment (September 1951) Defeated
  3. Maine Question 9, School Building Authority and Municipal Debt Limits Amendment (September 1951) Approved

1950

  1. South Dakota Amendment B, School District Indebtedness Limit Measure (1950) Defeated

1949

  1. New York Amendment 6, Village Indebtedness for Low-Rent Housing Amendment (1949) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 7, Indebtedness Changes for Counties, Cities, Towns and Villages Amendment (1949) Approved

1948

  1. North Carolina Debt Limitations Amendment (1948) Approved

1945

  1. Georgia Amendment 5, City of Atlanta School Debt Measure (August 1945) Approved
  2. Georgia Amendment 9, Fulton County Approval of Debt Measure (August 1945) Approved

1943

  1. Georgia Amendment 15, Revenue-Anticipation Obligations Debt Exemption Measure (August 1943) Approved
  2. Georgia Amendment 17, Joint Hospital Contracts and Taxes Measure (August 1943) Approved

1936

  1. South Dakota Amendment D, Debt Limit for Internal Improvements Measure (1936) Approved

1934

  1. Maine Question 2, State Debt Limit Increase Amendment (September 1934) Approved
  2. South Dakota Amendment A, Prohibit State from Extending Credit Measure (1934) Defeated

1933

  1. Maine Amendment 2, Increase State Debt Limit Measure (September 1933) Defeated

1932

  1. Georgia Amendment 6, Consolidation of School Districts Measure (1932) Approved
  2. Georgia Amendment 8, State Assumption of Local Road Construction Debt Measure (1932) Approved

1928

  1. Georgia Amendment 2, Temporary County Loans Measure (1928) Approved

1927

  1. New York Amendment 2, City Debt Limit Amendment (1927) Approved

1926

  1. Michigan Condemnation of Excess Property for Road Improvements Amendment (1926) Defeated

1924

  1. North Carolina State Debt Limitations Amendment (1924) Approved

1923

  1. New York Amendment 4, Debt Limitation of a City or County Amendment (1923) Defeated

1922

  1. Michigan Excess Condemnation for Public Purposes Amendment (1922) Defeated
  2. Utah Question 1, Increase the State Debt Limit Amendment (1922) Defeated

1920

  1. Michigan Condemnation of Excess Property Amendment (1920) Defeated
  2. Missouri Amendment 3, Allow Large Cities to Increase Bonded Debt for Public Utility Acquisition Measure (1920) Approved
  3. Missouri Amendment 7, City Debt Limit Increase for Utilities Measure (1920) Approved
  4. New York Amendment 1, State Indebtedness Amendment (1920) Approved
  5. South Dakota Amendment C, Municipal Debt for Street Railways and Lighting Measure (1920) Defeated
  6. Utah Question 3, Increase the State Debt Limit Amendment (1920) Defeated

1919

  1. Maine Question 4, State Debt Limit Increase Amendment (1919) Approved

1918

  1. Missouri Amendment 5, Allow Local Governments to Increase Debt for Road, Waterworks, and Lighting Measure (1918) Defeated
  2. New York Amendment 1, Contraction of State Debts Amendment (1918) Approved
  3. South Dakota Amendment G, State Internal Improvement Measure (1918) Approved
  4. South Dakota Amendment H, Debt for State Development Measure (1918) Approved

1917

  1. New York Amendment 2, City Debt Limit Amendment (1917) Approved

1915

  1. New York Amendment 2, State Debt Amendment (1915) Defeated

1914

  1. Missouri Amendment 2, Increase Kansas City Debt Limit for Public Utilities Measure (1914) Defeated
  2. Missouri Amendment 5, Increase Debt Limit for Subway Construction Measure (1914) Defeated
  3. North Carolina Amendment 7, Taxation and Revenue Article Revision Amendment (1914) Defeated

1912

  1. Colorado Measure 28, Limitations on County Debts Amendment (1912) Defeated
  2. Missouri Amendment 2, Increase of Debt Limit for St. Louis County Sewer Construction Measure (1912) Defeated
  3. Utah Amendment 2, Increase Debt Limit for Large Cities Measure (1912) Defeated
  4. Utah Amendment 5, Change Payment Requirements for State Debt Measure (1912) Defeated

1911

  1. Maine Question 3, Municipal Indebtedness Amendment (September 1911) Approved

1910

  1. Michigan Increase Bonded Indebtedness for Certain Counties Amendment (1910) Approved
  2. Missouri Amendment 6, Raise County Debt Limit for the Construction of Poorhouses Measure (1910) Defeated
  3. South Dakota Debt Limit for Water and Sewage Amendment (1910) Defeated
  4. Utah Amendment 4, Change the Debt Limit to 1.5 Percent of All Taxable Property in the State Measure (1910) Approved
  5. Utah Amendment 5, Permit Cities to Create Additional Debt to Supply Public Works Measure (1910) Approved

1909

  1. New York Amendment 2, Interest Rates on Debts Amendment (1909) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 4, Indebtedness of Cities Amendment (1909) Approved

1908

  1. Missouri Amendment 6, Debt Exemption for Municipal Utilities Measure (1908) Defeated
  2. Missouri Amendment 8, Indebtedness for Subway Construction Measure (1908) Defeated
  3. South Dakota Revise Taxation Articles Amendment (1908) Defeated

1907

  1. New York Amendment 1, Indebtness for Second Class Cities Amendment (1907) Approved

1905

  1. New York Amendment 1, Limitation on Indebtedness Amendment (1905) Approved
  2. New York Amendment 2, Payment of State Debts Amendment (1905) Approved
  3. New York Amendment 6, Debt Limitations Amendment (1905) Approved

1902

  1. South Dakota Municipal Debt Limits for Water, Street Railways and Lighting Amendment (1902) Approved

1900

  1. Oregon Measure Nos. 154-155, Municipal Debt Limit Amendment (June 1900) Defeated

1899

  1. New York Amendment 2, Limitation of Indebtedness Amendment (1899) Approved

1896

  1. South Dakota Civil Township Debt Limit Amendment (1896) Approved

1894

  1. Nevada State Question 37, Local Government Debt Amendment (1894) Defeated

1892

  1. Washington Increase State Debt Limit Amendment (1892) Defeated

1890

  1. South Dakota State Debt Limit Amendment (1890) Defeated

1880

  1. North Carolina Restrict State Assumption of 1868-1870 Debt Amendment (1880) Approved

1873

  1. North Carolina Repeal Provision Requiring Tax to Pay State Debt Amendment (August 1873) Approved

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