State Ballot Measure Monthly: February 2026

2026 U.S. state ballot measures
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February 11, 2026

By Ballot Measures Project staff

Welcome to the State Ballot Measure Monthly—covering the latest ballot measure certifications and news from January 7 to February 10.

In this edition, you will find the latest ballot measure updates for 2026, historical comparisons of recent ballot measure data, and the top headlines from the month.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Virginia State Legislature voted to send four amendments to the November ballot, including a measure to authorize mid-decade redistricting. A circuit court judge has blocked it from appearing on the ballot, but Democratic legislators appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court.

Virginia voters will be deciding on amendments to establish a right to reproductive freedom, to remove a provision providing that marriage is only between one man and one woman that was adopted in 2006, and to provide that persons convicted of felonies have their right to vote restored following release from incarceration.

Wisconsin voters will decide on two amendments to prohibit any governmental entity from discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration and to prohibit any political jurisdiction from outlawing gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency.

Ballot measures by the numbers

As of February 10, 65 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 32 states for elections in 2026.

By type

For elections in 2026, 10 of the 65 measures are initiatives, and 55 have been referred to the ballot so far. From 2010 to 2024, an average of 161 statewide ballot measures—53 initiated measures and 108 referred measures—appeared on ballots in even-numbered years. An initiated measure is a proposed law that people collect signatures for to put on the ballot. A referred measure is a proposed law that a legislature or commission, or constitutional provision in the case of automatic referrals, puts on the ballot for voters to decide.

The table below shows the type of measures certified by year.

Type	2026	2024	2022	2020	2018	2016	2014	2012	2010	Average (2010-2024)
Initiated ballot measures	10	57	30	43	68	76	40	61	50	53
Initiated constitutional amendments	3	23	11	15	26	25	8	19	17	17
Initiated state statutes	5	32	17	25	37	46	27	29	29	30
Veto referendums	2	2	2	4	5	5	5	13	5	6
Referred ballot measures	55	102	110	86	99	86	118	125	134	108
Legislative constitutional amendment	49	73	89	69	66	69	91	98	106	84
Legislative state statute	4	12	8	6	9	2	5	8	8	7
Commission-referred measure	0	0	0	0	7	0	1	0	0	1
Automatically referred measure	2	1	3	1	1	1	1	3	4	2
Bond issues	0	13	7	6	14	11	15	14	15	12
Advisory question	0	3	3	4	2	3	5	2	1	3
Total:	65	159	140	129	167	162	158	186	184	161

By state

Measures are certified in 32 states for 2026. Louisiana has the most measures certified, with six measures. The map below shows the number of measures certified in each state.

2026 certifications

See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2026

The tabs below display the measures certified and pending for elections in 2026.

Certifications

Potential measures

For elections in 2026, 65 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in 32 states. Seven new measures were certified for the 2026 ballot between January 7 and February 10. Below are summaries of the newly certified measures. To see the full list of certified ballot measures for 2026 by state, click here.

January 16:

• Virginia Use of Legislative Congressional Redistricting Map Amendment (2026): The measure would amend the Virginia Constitution to allow the Virginia General Assembly to conduct congressional redistricting between the issuance of the federal census each decade if another state first participates in congressional redistricting. Because Texas, Missouri, and other states enacted new district maps in 2025, the amendment would allow the general assembly to conduct congressional redistricting before the next scheduled redistricting process, planned for 2031. On January 27, Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled that the General Assembly violated procedural requirements to place the amendment on the ballot. The ruling blocked the amendment from being placed on the 2026 ballot. On January 28, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-88) and the other defendants filed an appeal in the case. The Supreme Court will decide the appeal in the case.
• Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2026): The amendment would add a section to the state constitution to establish a right to reproductive freedom. Currently, abortion is legal up until the third trimester based on a woman's last menstrual period in Virginia. State law allows for exceptions to the ban on abortions in the third trimester based on a threat to the mother's life or general health.
• Virginia Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment (2026): The amendment would remove a provision providing that marriage is only between one man and one woman that was adopted in 2006, with 57.1% of voters supporting it. The amendment would add a provision to the state constitution stating that "marriage is one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness." Since Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court case that invalidated state same-sex marriage bans, four states have voted to repeal their respective bans.
• Virginia Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Upon Release Amendment (2026): The amendment would provide that persons convicted of felonies have their right to vote restored following release from incarceration. Currently, persons convicted of felonies can have their right to vote reinstated on an individual basis by the governor.

January 21:

• Wisconsin Prohibit Government Discrimination or Preferential Treatment Amendment (2026): The amendment would prohibit any governmental entity from discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration. Ballotpedia tracked 11 ballot measures related to affirmative action between 1996 and 2026. Of these measures, six were approved, four were defeated, and one was approved by the state legislature.
• Wisconsin Prohibit Government Closure of Places of Worship During Emergencies Amendment (2026): The amendment would prohibit the state or any political subdivision from ordering the closure of or forbidding gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency, including public health emergencies. Similar amendments were approved in Texas (2021), Arkansas (2022), and Louisiana (2023).

January 23:

• Colorado Notification of U.S. Department of Homeland Security for Certain Criminal Charges and Immigration Status Initiative (2026): The initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution to establish law enforcement reporting requirements based on the type of crime an individual is charged with, their prior criminal history, and their immigration status on Nov. 3, 2026. The initiative is sponsored by Advance Colorado, which sponsored three measures in 2024.

Signatures submitted: There are four ballot measures pending signature verification.

1. Alaska Citizenship Requirement for Voting Initiative (2026)
2. Maine Birth Certificate Sex Requirement for Public School Sports Initiative (2026)
3. Missouri Congressional Map Referendum (2026)
4. Oklahoma State Question 836, Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative (2026)

Certified to the state legislature: There are currently 11 ballot measures pending before the Massachusetts State Legislature and two ballot measures before the Washington State Legislature.

1. Massachusetts Change State Tax Revenue Limit Initiative (2026)
2. Massachusetts Decrease State Income Tax Rate to 4% Initiative (2026)
3. Massachusetts Eliminate Recreational Marijuana Sales and Allow Limited Possession Initiative (2026)
4. Massachusetts Legislative Stipend Calculation and Payment Rules Initiative (2026)
5. Massachusetts Permit Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees Initiative (2026)
6. Massachusetts Permit Same-Day Voter Registration Initiative (2026)
7. Massachusetts Rent Control Initiative (2026)
8. Massachusetts Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative (2026)
9. Massachusetts Public Records Requirements for Legislature and Governor’s Office Initiative (2026)
10. Massachusetts Establish the Nature for All Fund Initiative (2026)
11. Massachusetts Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative (2026)
12. Washington Limit Participation in Female Sports to Students Verified as Biologically Female Initiative (2026)
13. Washington Parental Right to Review Education Materials, Receive Notifications, and Opt Out of Sexual-Health Education Initiative (2026)

Historical comparisons

Certifications by month for even-numbered year elections

The following heatmap shows the number of statewide ballot measures certified each month from 2012 through 2026, grouped by two-year election cycles leading up to even-numbered general elections. It highlights both the volume and timing of certifications, helping illustrate the overall rhythm of the ballot measure cycle. The bottom row displays the monthly averages across all years.

Ballot measures certified by year and month across two-year election cycles. Average is listed as the bottom row.

Headlines

• Redistricting on the ballot

  Virginia voters to decide constitutional amendment allowing legislative congressional redistricting amid recent map changes in six other states

  The Virginia General Assembly passed a constitutional amendment that would allow legislators to adopt a new congressional district map. Voters must approve the amendment. House Joint Resolution 4 (HJR 4), the constitutional amendment, would allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts between 2025 and 2030 if other states have conducted mid-decade congressional redistricting.
  Read More
• Trending topics

  Virginia will be the fifth state to vote on a constitutional amendment repealing same-sex marriage ban

  In Virginia, voters will decide on a constitutional amendment on Nov. 3, 2026, to repeal the provision defining marriage as between one man and one woman. It would also add new language prohibiting the state from denying marriage licenses to two adults based on sex, gender, or race. Historically, there were 34 measures in 30 states to prohibit same-sex marriage or define marriage as between one man and one woman. Of these measures, 31 were approved, and three were defeated.
  Read More
• Ballot initiative certifications

  Colorado voters to decide on initiative requiring law enforcement to notify DHS when individuals charged with certain crimes lack verified legal immigration status

  Voters in Colorado will decide on a constitutional amendment that would establish law enforcement reporting requirements based on the type of crime an individual is charged with, their prior criminal history, and their immigration status on Nov. 3, 2026. Advance Colorado, the sponsor of the initiative, also qualified an initiative that would increase the penalties for the manufacturing, sale, and possession of fentanyl, as well as require court-mandated treatment for certain types of felonies for possessing fentanyl.

See also

• 2026 ballot measures
• Ballot initiatives filed for the 2026 ballot
• Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2026
• Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2026

Related articles

• State Ballot Measure Monthly

Footnotes

2026 ballot measures

State ballot measures

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Local ballot measures

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Overviews

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