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State Ballot Measure Monthly: November 2023
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By Ballot Measures Project staff
This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers the ballot measure election results for November 7, 2023, the final pre-election campaign finance numbers, and new certifications for 2024 from Oct. 11 through Nov. 6.
Nationally, 41 ballot measures were certified in eight states for elections in 2023, which is the most for an odd-numbered year since 2007, when 43 measures were on statewide ballots. Voters in five states decided on 28 of those statewide ballot measures at the general election on Nov. 7. The next statewide ballot measure election is November 18, when voters will decide on four constitutional amendments in Louisiana.
For 2024, 52 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 23 states so far.
Election results
- See also: 2023 ballot measure election results
Voters in five states decided on 28 statewide ballot measures on Nov. 7. This year's ballot measures addressed issues such as abortion, marijuana, utilities, taxes, and state constitutional rights.
In October, we compiled a list of 10 ballot measures to watch on Nov. 7. Here’s what happened:
- Ohio Issue 1: Voters approved a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment establishing a right to "make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions," including decisions about abortion, contraception, and other reproductive matters. Issue 1 was the fourth amendment to add a right to abortion to a state constitution. The vote was 56% to 44%.
- Ohio Issue 2: Voters approved Issue 2, making Ohio the 24th state to legalize marijuana. The vote was 56% to 44%. Roughly 165 million people, or 49% of the country's population, live in a state where marijuana is legal. Now, with the approval of Issue 2, more than half of the U.S. population lives in a state where marijuana is legal. Ballotpedia has information on the historical and political context of marijuana legalization initiatives here.
- Maine Question 3: Maine Question 3 was defeated. Question 3 would have replaced investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, such as Central Maine Power (CMP), with a quasi-public, elected-board corporation called the Pine Tree Power Company. The vote was 29% to 71%.
- Maine Question 1: Maine Question 1 was initiated in response to legislation to create the Pine Tree Power Company. Voters approved Question 1, which requires voter approval for certain state entities, municipal electric districts, electrification cooperatives, or consumer-owned transmission utilities to incur a total outstanding debt that exceeds $1 billion. The vote was 66% to 34%.
- Maine Question 2: Voters approved Maine Question 2. The vote was 86% to 14%. The initiative prohibited foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from making expenditures to influence ballot measures or candidate elections in Maine. Federal law prohibited foreign nationals, including foreign governments, from spending funds to influence federal, state, or local candidate elections. However, federal law does not address ballot measures.
- Maine Question 4: Voters approved Maine Question 4, which is known as a right-to-repair law. Question 4 requires motor vehicle manufacturers to standardize onboard vehicle diagnostics and make access to vehicle systems available to owners and independent repair shops for repairs. The vote was 84% to 16%.
- Texas Proposition 1: Texans approved Proposition 1, a constitutional amendment establishing a state right to farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management. The vote was 80% to 20%.
- Texas Proposition 3: Voters approved Proposition 3, a constitutional amendment that prohibits the Legislature from enacting a wealth or net worth tax in the future. The vote was 70% to 30%. Currently, neither Texas nor any other state has instituted a wealth tax. Proposition 3 has the practical effect of requiring a new constitutional amendment, which needs a two-thirds legislative vote and voter approval before the Legislature can adopt a wealth or net worth tax law.
- Colorado Proposition HH: Voters rejected Proposition HH, a legislative statute that required voter approval under the Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). The vote was 39% to 61%. Proposition HH would have allowed the state to retain and spend revenue that otherwise would be refunded to residents under TABOR, decreased the tax on residential and other properties, allocated state revenue from the change to local governments to make up for decreased tax revenue, and made other changes.
- Local RCV: There were five local ranked-choice voting (RCV) measures on the ballot on Nov. 7. Voters approved RCV measures in at three Michigan cities—East Lansing, Kalamazoo, and Royal Oak. Voters also approved a non-binding measure to expand RCV in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Voters rejected an initiative to repeal RCV in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Campaign finance
- See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2023
Ballotpedia identified $189.82 million in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2023, which was more than the previous three odd-numbered year election cycles.
The campaigns surrounding the following five ballot measures had received the most contributions:
| Measure | Support | Opposition | Total | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative | $53,825,871 | $36,086,325 | $89,912,196 |  |
| Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure | $23,554,336 | $22,023,777 | $45,578,113 |  |
| Maine Question 3, Pine Tree Power Company Initiative | $1,208,361 | $39,965,654 | $41,174,015 | |
| Maine Question 1, Voter Approval of Borrowing Above $1 Billion by State Entities and Electric Cooperatives Initiative | $24,943,829 | $0 | $24,943,829 | |
| Ohio Issue 2, Marijuana Legalization Initiative | $6,739,421 | $927,900 | $7,667,321 | |
Comparison to prior years
The following graph shows the total contributions to state ballot measure committees in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. Contributions in 2023 surpassed contributions during the prior three odd-numbered-year election cycles.
2024 certifications
- See also: Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2024
From October 11 through November 6., one statewide measure was certified for the ballot in California for the election on March 5, 2024.
October 12, 2023
- California Proposition 1, Behavioral Health Services Program and Bond Measure: The ballot measure would enact several policies related to behavioral and mental health, including allowing revenue from the 1% tax on income above $1 million from Proposition 63 (2004) to be spent on treatment for substance use disorders. Proposition 1 would also issue $6.38 billion in bonds for supportive housing for homeless veterans with mental health or substance abuse issues, providing permanent supportive housing for those at risk of homelessness with behavioral health needs, and grants for behavioral health treatment and eligible housing under the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program. Proposition 1 originated in the California State Legislature as two separate bills, which Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed on Oct. 12.
See also
- 2023 ballot measures
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2023 ballot
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2023
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2023
Related articles
Footnotes
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