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State Ballot Measure Monthly: August 2024

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August 6, 2024

By Ballot Measures Project Staff

This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers the certifications of state ballot measures, as well as notable ballot measure news, from July 10 through August 6.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • An Idaho initiative to enact top-four ranked-choice voting was certified for the ballot. Measures to adopt, repeal, or preempt RCV will also be on the ballot in Alaska, Missouri, Nevada, and Oregon.
  • Five initiatives were certified for the ballot in Massachusetts—the most in at least the last seven election cycles.
  • The campaign behind an initiative in Ohio to adopt a non-politician redistricting commission reported $26.95 million in contributions—a record for a ballot measure proposing to create a redistricting commission.

    • 2024 ballot measures

    Overview: Nationally, 140 ballot measures have been certified in 39 states for elections in 2024.

    Signatures submitted: Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for the following citizen-initiated ballot measures:

    Changes in 2024 ballot measure numbers

    Comparison to earlier years

    So far, 140 state ballot measures have been certified for 2024. From 2012 through 2022, an average of 128 state ballot measures through the second week of June of a general election year. An average of 157 total ballot measures were certified for even-numbered year ballots from 2012 through 2022.

    2024 certifications

    See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2024

    From July 10 through August 6, 15 statewide measures qualified for the ballot in 10 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington.

    July 16

    • Idaho Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative: The initiative would repeal the state's partisan primary system and replace it with a nonpartisan top-four primary system where all candidates seeking that office appear on one ballot and the top four vote-earners advance to the general election. Candidates would be able to list their party affiliation, but it would not mean they represent the party. Candidates would also not be required to list their party affiliation. This primary system would be used at elections for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislature, elective state office, and county elective office. The initiative would also implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) at the general election. RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots.
    • Massachusetts Question 1, Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative: Question 1 would add a new section to state law authorizing the state auditor to audit the accounts, programs, activities, functions of all departments, offices, commissions, institutions, and activities of the state legislature and any authorities or districts created by the state legislature. The state auditor and employees of the state auditor department would also be given access to accounts, books, documents, vouchers, and other records relating to the scope of the audit.
    • Massachusetts Question 2, Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative: Question 2 would repeal the requirement that students must achieve a certain competency level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam to graduate high school. The initiative would require that students participate in the assessment program without achieving a certain competency level and complete all local or district graduation requirements (number of class credits, satisfactory grades, and regular attendance).
    • Massachusetts Question 3, Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative: Question 3 would provide transportation network drivers with the right to form unions for collective bargaining with transportation network companies, like Uber and Lyft. The transportation network companies would be authorized to form multi-company associations to represent the companies in bargaining with associations of drivers. The initiative would require the state to oversee the negotiations between the parties and approve the negotiated recommendations on wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of work.
    • South Dakota Regulation of Carbon Dioxide Pipelines Referendum: The measure is a referendum on Senate Bill 201 (SB 201). SB 201 provides requirements for regulating carbon dioxide pipelines used in carbon capture and storage systems. These systems take carbon emissions from emission sources, such as oil and gas plants or factories, transport them through pipelines, and store them underground to reduce their emission into the atmosphere. SB 201 also allows counties to impose a surcharge on certain pipeline companies.

    July 23

    • Massachusetts Question 5, Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative: Question 5 would gradually increase the minimum wage for tipped employees until it meets the state minimum wage in 2029 and continues to permit tipping in addition to the minimum wage. As of 2024, the minimum wage for tipped employees in Massachusetts was $6.75 in addition to tips, and the minimum wage for non-tipped employees was $15.00.
    • Nevada Voter Identification Initiative: The initiative would amend the constitution to require that Nevada residents present a form of photo identification to verify their identity while voting in person or to verify their identity using the last four digits of their driver's license or social security number when voting by mail.
    • Ohio Establish the Citizens Redistricting Commission Initiative: The initiative would establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), which would be responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. The commission would have 15 members: five Republicans, five Democrats, and five individuals who are independents or members of other political parties. The ballot measure would require “the statewide proportion of districts… that favors each political party shall correspond closely to the statewide partisan preferences of the voters of Ohio.” Districts would be required to be contiguous and in compliance with the U.S. Constitution and federal laws, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Commissioners would also be required to consider communities of interest and the ability of "politically cohesive and geographically proximate racial, ethnic, and language minorities to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of choice."

    July 30

    • Oregon Measure 118, Corporate Tax Revenue Rebate for Residents Initiative: The measure would increase the corporate minimum tax on sales exceeding $25 million by 3%, removing the minimum tax cap, and distributing increased revenue to Oregon residents who spend more than 200 days in the state. The rebate would not be subject to an income tax and would not be used to determine eligibility or need amount for any state public benefits and medical assistance.
    • Washington Natural Gas Access Initiative: This initiative would prohibit state and local governments from restricting access to natural gas and would prohibit the state building code council from prohibiting, discouraging, or penalizing the use of natural gas in any building. The initiative would require gas companies and utility companies, or any cities or towns that provide natural gas, to provide natural gas to any person or corporation even if other energy services or energy sources may be available. Under the initiative, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission would be prohibited from approving any multiyear rate plan requiring or incentivizing a natural gas company or utility company to terminate natural gas service or implementing requirements that would make access to natural gas service cost-prohibitive.

    August 6

    • Colorado Prohibit Hunting of Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and Lynx Initiative: This initiative would define and prohibit trophy hunting as "intentionally killing, wounding, pursuing, or entrapping a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx; or discharging or releasing any deadly weapon at a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx." The ballot initiative would provide exceptions, such as killing a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx to defend human life. It would also allow for non-lethal methods to defend livestock, property, or motor vehicles. There would be other exceptions for accidents, veterinarians, and special licenses.
    • Oregon Measure 119, Unionization of Cannabis Workers Initiative: The initiative would require cannabis businesses to submit to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission a signed labor peace agreement requiring the business to remain neutral when labor organizations communicate with employees about collective bargaining rights with its licensure or renewal application.
    • North Dakota Prohibit Property Taxes Initiative: This measure was designed to prohibit property taxes in the state except for those designed to pay for bonded indebtedness. The measure would limit the debt of a political subdivision (such as counties, cities, and towns) to 2.5% of the value of real property in the subdivision. Incorporated cities would be able to raise the debt limit to 4% through a two-thirds supermajority vote and school districts would be able to raise the debt limit to 5% through a simple majority vote. Cities would be able to become indebted by an additional 2% for water and sewer projects. A political subdivision would not be able to issue general obligation bonds to be paid back through property taxes after January 1, 2025.

    Headlines

    Ohio redistricting initiative campaign, with $26.9 million, surpasses previous redistricting measure campaigns in contributions

    Voters in Ohio will decide on a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to establish the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC), a 15-member non-politician commission responsible for adopting state legislative and congressional redistricting plans. On July 23, the initiative was certified for the general election on Nov. 5.

    The campaign supporting the initiative, Citizens Not Politicians, raised $26.95 million, as of the campaign finance reports released on July 31. That's a record for a ballot measure to create a non-politician redistricting commission, also known as an independent redistricting commission. In 2018, for example, Michigan Proposal 2 saw $17.00 million in contributions, $16.60 million of which was for the support campaign. Colorado Amendment Y and Amendment Z, a pair of ballot measures to create a redistricting commission, saw $5.81 million. In Utah, where voters decided on Proposition 4, $2.80 million was raised.

    Since 2000, there have been two other citizen-initiated ballot measures to create non-politician redistricting commissions in Ohio. In 2012, voters rejected Issue 2, which saw $16.41 million. Supporters raised $8.20 million, and opponents raised $8.21 million. In 2005, voters rejected Issue 4, which saw $10.75 million. Supporters received $5.04 million, and opponents received $5.71 million.

    Before this year's Ohio ballot initiative, the most expensive redistricting commission initiative was California Proposition 20, which transferred congressional redistricting from the legislature to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Proposition 20 saw $20.84 million, with supporters raising $15.29 million, and opponents raising $5.55 million.


    As of July 31, there was no organized opposition PAC against the ballot initiative in Ohio. This is not uncommon at this stage of the election cycle, since the initiative was certified on July 23. Historically, the campaigns supporting these types of ballot initiatives received significantly more contributions than opponents, except in Ohio. In 2012, opponents received $11,997 more than supporters. In 2005, opponents received $673,456 more.

    Through July 31, the largest donors to Citizens Not Politicians were the Sixteen Thirty Fund ($6.67 million), the American Civil Liberties Union ($3.58 million), Article IV ($3.5 million), Our American Future Foundation ($2.45 million), and the Ohio Progressive Collaborative and TIDES Foundation, both contributing $2.00 million.

    Outside of California and Florida, the ballot initiative is the most expensive of 2024 thus far. It is the only statewide measure on the ballot for Ohio's 2024 general election. The next campaign finance deadline in Ohio is Oct. 24, 2024.

    See also

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