Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
State Ballot Measure Monthly: December 2024
| 2024 U.S. state ballot measures | |
|---|---|
2025 »
« 2023
| |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Scorecard | |
| Tuesday Count | |
| Deadlines | |
| Requirements | |
| Lawsuits | |
| Readability | |
| Voter guides | |
| Election results | |
| Campaigns | |
| Polls | |
| Media editorials | |
| Filed initiatives | |
| Finances | |
| Contributions | |
| Signature costs | |
| Ballot Measure Monthly | |
| Signature requirements | |
Have you subscribed yet?
Join the hundreds of thousands of readers trusting Ballotpedia to keep them up to date with the latest political news. Sign up for the Daily Brew.
| |
By Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor, and Victoria Rose, Team Lead
This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers the certifications of state ballot measures and notable ballot measure news from November 5 through December 11.
2024 elections
- See also: 2024 ballot measure election results
The year's final state ballot measure election was on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Louisiana. Voters approved four constitutional amendments. On Dec. 9, a recount for Alaska Ballot Measure 2 concluded, confirming that the initiative was defeated. With this final election and recount, a total of 102 ballot measures (64%) were approved, while 57 (36%) were rejected, in 2024. Results for state ballot measures can be found here.
The following table provides the number of approved and defeated state ballot measures in 2024:
| Date | Approved | Defeated |
|---|---|---|
| March 5 | 1 | 1 |
| April 2 | 2 | 0 |
| June 11 | 1 | 0 |
| August 6 | 1 | 1 |
| August 13 | 0 | 2 |
| November 5 | 93 | 53 |
| December 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 102 | 57 |
| Total (Percentage) | 64% | 36% |
2025 certifications
- See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2025
November 22: The Louisiana State Legislature voted to place four constitutional amendments on the ballot for March 29, 2025.
- Louisiana State Taxation Policy Amendment: The ballot measure would make several changes to Louisiana's tax policies, including lowering the maximum individual income tax rate from 4.75% to 3.75%, expanding tax deductions for seniors, and establishing a new limit on general revenue spending, among other changes.
- Louisiana Legislative Authority to Determine Crimes for Trying Juveniles as Adults Amendment: The ballot measure would allow the state legislature to determine in state law which felony crimes could result in a juvenile being tried as an adult. Currently, the constitution specifies which crimes the legislature can designate as eligible for juveniles to be tried as adults. In other words, legislators could enact laws to try juveniles as adults for a broader range of crimes than currently permitted.
- Louisiana Allow Legislature to Create Trial Courts of Specialized Jurisdiction and Provide Supreme Court Original Jurisdiction to Discipline Out-of-State Lawyers Amendment: The ballot measure would make two changes. First, the amendment would provide the Louisiana Supreme Court with original jurisdiction to discipline out-of-state lawyers, not just members of the state bar. Second, the amendment would allow the state legislature to establish trial courts with limited or specialized jurisdiction, such as business courts, through a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.
- Louisiana Use Earliest Election Dates for Filling Judicial Vacancies Amendment: The ballot measure would require judicial vacancies to be filled through a special election held on the earliest available date allowed by state law. If a gubernatorial or congressional election is scheduled within 12 months of the vacancy, the special election would take place on that date. The proposal would replace the current language, which allows a special election to be called anytime within 12 months of the vacancy.
2026 certifications
- See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2026
November 5: Voters approved two citizen-initiated constitutional amendments in Nevada on Nov. 5. However, these amendments must be approved again due to the state's two-election requirement. You can read more about this requirement below.
- Nevada Question 6, Right to Abortion Initiative: Question 6 would provide a state constitutional right to an abortion. In 2024, Question 6 was approved with 64.4% of the vote. Supporters raised $11.3 million for the ballot initiative, while opponents did not organize a committee.
- Nevada Question 7, Require Voter Identification Initiative: Question 7 would require that a resident must present photo identification when voting in person or the last four digits of his or her driver's license or social security number when voting by mail. In 2024, Question 7 was approved with 73.2% of the vote. Supporters raised $1.9 million, while opponents did not organize a committee.
November 22:
- Massachusetts Firearm Regulations Referendum: Voters will decide on a veto referendum to overturn firearms legislation in Massachusetts. A PAC called The Civil Rights Coalition is leading the campaign behind the referendum on House Bill 4885. On October 2, 2024, Gov. Maura Healey (D) issued an emergency preamble, causing H. 4885 to go into effect immediately. Otherwise, the bill would have been suspended pending voter approval or defeat in 2026. The legislation enacted several changes to the state's firearm regulations, including:
- requiring the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) to develop and maintain a real-time electronic system for firearm registration, requiring all firearms to be registered with the registrant's personal and licensing information;
- changing the law from a ban on people possessing, selling, or otherwise transferring assault weapons to a ban on assault-style firearms, except those registered by August 1, 2024 (Note: The terms assault weapons and assault-style firearms are legal terms in Massachusetts with specific definitions.);
- requiring a person to receive a basic firearms safety certificate to apply for a Firearm Identification Card (FID) or License to Carry (LIC);
- prohibiting manufacturing or assembling 3D-printed firearms without a valid LIC; and
- allowing school administrators and licensed healthcare providers to request that a court issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which requires individuals to surrender firearms, licenses, and permits, among other changes.
December 11:
- North Carolina Require Voter Identification Amendment: The constitutional amendment would require voters to present a photo identification to vote, including by mail. Currently, the constitution requires voters to present photo identification to vote in person. Voters approved the in-person voter ID requirement in 2018.
Headlines
More on Nevada's two-election approval requirement for initiated constitutional amendments
In Nevada, citizen-initiated constitutional amendments require voter approval in two general elections to take effect. While 18 states allow citizens to propose initiated constitutional amendments, Nevada is the only one with a two-election requirement.
On November 5, voters in Nevada considered three initiated constitutional amendments—one for the second time and two for the first time.
Question 3, approved in 2022, was on the ballot for a second vote in 2024. Question 3 would have enacted top-five primaries and ranked-choice voting. In 2022, Question 3 received 52.9% of the vote, but, in 2024, Question 3 received 47.0% of the vote. Therefore, Question 3 was defeated. The difference between 2022 and 2024 was 5.9 percentage points.
Voters approved Question 6—to provide a state constitutional right to abortion—and Question 7—to require voter identification—for the first time. Question 6 received 64.4% of the vote, and Question 7 received 73.2% of the vote. Both must receive voter approval for a second time on November 3, 2026.
Context
In Nevada, citizen-initiated constitutional amendments must be approved at two successive general elections. As of 2024, Nevada is the only state with this type of requirement. In 1962, voters approved Question 2, which replaced the state's indirect initiated constitutional amendment process with a direct initiative process that included the two-vote requirement. Following 1962, the first initiated constitutional amendment to be approved was in 1980, triggering the two-vote requirement for the first time.
From 1980 to 2024, voters approved 19 initiated constitutional amendments at least once. Excluding Question 6 and Question 7 from 2024, which must be approved again in 2026, voters approved 13 of 17 (76.5%) and rejected four (23.5%) during the second vote. The share of votes for 'yes' the second time declined for 14 of 17 (82.4%) ballot initiatives, with an average change of minus 8.7 percentage points. The ballot measure that had the largest decline was Question 3, which addressed energy regulations, of 2016 and 2018. In 2016, Question 3 received 72.4% of the vote. In 2018, Question 3 received 33.0%, a 39.4 percentage point decrease.
The ballot measure with the largest vote increase between elections was Question 9, which legalized medical marijuana, of 1998 and 2000. In 1998, Question 9 received 58.7%, and, in 2000, Question 9 received Question 9 received 65.4%.
| First Vote | Measure | Yes % | Outcome | Second Vote | Measure (2nd) | Yes % (2nd) | Outcome (2nd) | Enacted | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Question 8 | 77.29% | Approved | 1982 | Question 8 | 75.67% | Approved | Yes | -1.62% |
| 1980 | Question 9 | 70.31% | Approved | 1982 | Question 9 | 41.23% | Defeated | No | -29.08% |
| 1988 | Question 9 | 82.24% | Approved | 1990 | Question 9 | 72.32% | Approved | Yes | -9.92% |
| 1994 | Question 8 | 69.97% | Approved | 1996 | N/A[1][2] | N/A | Removed | No | N/A |
| 1994 | Question 9 | 70.44% | Approved | 1996 | Question 9A[3][4] | 54.30% | Approved | Yes | -16.14% |
| 1996 | Question 9B[3][4] | 41.00% | Defeated | No | -29.44% | ||||
| 1994 | Question 10 | 77.20% | Approved | 1996 | Question 10 | 70.98% | Approved | Yes | -6.22% |
| 1994 | Question 11 | 78.12% | Approved | 1996 | Question 11 | 70.52% | Approved | Yes | -7.60% |
| 1996 | Question 17 | 53.20% | Approved | 1998 | Question 17 | 56.74% | Approved | Yes | 3.54% |
| 1998 | Question 9 | 58.65% | Approved | 2000 | Question 9 | 65.38% | Approved | Yes | 6.73% |
| 2000 | Question 2 | 69.62% | Approved | 2002 | Question 2 | 67.20% | Approved | Yes | -2.42% |
| 2004 | Question 1 | 56.64% | Approved | 2006 | Question 1 | 54.65% | Approved | Yes | -1.99% |
| 2004 | Question 6 | 68.39% | Approved | 2006 | Question 6 | 68.71% | Approved | Yes | 0.32% |
| 2006 | Question 2 | 63.11% | Approved | 2008 | Question 2 | 60.81% | Approved | Yes | -2.30% |
| 2016 | Question 3 | 72.36% | Approved | 2018 | Question 3 | 32.95% | Defeated | No | -39.41% |
| 2016 | Question 4 | 71.80% | Approved | 2018 | Question 4 | 67.38% | Approved | Yes | -4.42% |
| 2018 | Question 6 | 59.28% | Approved | 2020 | Question 6 | 57.94% | Approved | Yes | -1.34% |
| 2022 | Question 3 | 52.94% | Approved | 2024 | Question 3 | 47.04% | Defeated | No | -5.90% |
| 2024 | Question 6 | 64.03% | Approved | 2026 | N/A | N/A | TBD | N/A | N/A |
| 2024 | Question 7 | 73.30% | Approved | 2026 | N/A | N/A | TBD | N/A | N/A |
Proposals in other states
Ballotpedia tracked four ballot measures related to two-election approval requirements. Voters approved one—Nevada's—and rejected three. In 2024, voters rejected North Dakota Constitutional Measure 2, which would have required initiated constitutional amendments to be approved at a primary and general election ballot.
| State | Year | Measure | Type | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 2024 | Constitutional Measure 2 | LRCA | Require that initiated constitutional amendments be approved at a primary and succeeding general election, among other changes |  |
| Florida | 2020 | Amendment 4 | CICA | Require that constitutional amendments be approved at two general elections | |
| North Dakota | 2020 | Constitutional Measure 2 | LRCA | Require that initiated constitutional amendments receive approval from voters and the legislature or voters at two elections | |
| Nevada | 1962 | Question 2 | LRCA | Make the initiated constitutional amendment process direct, rather than indirect, and require that an initiated constitutional amendment be approved at two successive general elections |  |
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa (D) issued Opinion No. 95-17 on August 30, 1995, which followed U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton. The opinion held that “… since the United States Supreme Court has determined that state-imposed term limits on congressional representatives violate the United States Constitution, the Secretary of State may not proceed with placing Question 8 on the general election ballot in 1996.”
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "Attorney General Opinion No. 95-17," August 30, 1995
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that Question 9 (1994) should be divided into two questions for the election on November 5, 1996. The court held, "Voters, while favoring term limits in general, may fail to distinguish between the varying impacts on different branches of government. ... Therefore, we direct that the next time the initiative appears on the ballot, it be severed and presented in the form of two questions, enabling voters to vote yes or no in regard to term limits for non-judicial public officers and yes or no in regard to term limits for judges and justices."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Nevada Supreme Court, "Nevada Judges Association v. Lau," January 31, 1996
See also
- 2025 ballot measures
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2025 ballot
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2025
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2025
Related articles
Footnotes
| |||||
