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State Ballot Measure Monthly: October 2022
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By Ballot Measures Project staff
This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers the certified 2022 ballot measures, recent reports, campaign finance, and notable ballot measure news from September 15 through October 14.
Overview: Nationally, 140 ballot measures were certified in 38 states.
- On November 8, voters in 37 states decided on 132 statewide ballot measures.
- On December 10, voters in one state, Louisiana, will decide on three ballot measures.
- Earlier in 2022, voters in four states decided on five ballot measures. Voters approved three and rejected two of these measures.
From 2010 to 2020, the average number of statewide ballot measures in an even-numbered year was 164.
Ballotpedia's top 15 ballot measures to watch
On Oct. 12, Ballotpedia released a top 15 ballot measures to watch report on this year's general election ballot measures. To read the full report, click here.
This year's ballot measures address issues like abortion, marijuana, voting policies, firearms, sports betting, and state constitutional rights.
We've compiled a list of 15 statewide ballot measures to watch on Nov. 8, 2022. Click on the following links to read more about each ballot measure. The list order is based on topics or similar issues.
- Michigan Proposal 3: Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative
- Kentucky Amendment 2: No State Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment
- California Proposition 26: Legalize Sports Betting on American Indian Lands Initiative
- California Proposition 27: Legalize Sports Betting and Revenue for Homelessness Fund Initiative
- Nevada Question 3: Top-Five Ranked Choice Voting Initiative
- Michigan Proposal 2: Voting Policies in Constitution Amendment
- Massachusetts Question 4: Remove Proof of Citizenship or Immigration Status for Driver's License Applications Referendum
- Missouri Amendment 3: Marijuana Legalization Initiative
- Colorado Proposition 122: Decriminalization and Access Program for Certain Psychedelic Plants and Fungi Initiative
- California Proposition 31: Flavored Tobacco Products Ban Referendum
- Massachusetts Question 1: Tax on Income Above $1 Million for Education and Transportation Amendment
- Nebraska Initiative 433: $15.00 Minimum Wage Initiative
- Oregon Measure 114: Changes to Firearm Ownership and Purchase Requirements Initiative
- Iowa Amendment 1: Right to Keep and Bear Arms Measure
- Alabama Question: Recompiled Constitution Ratification Measure
On the Ballot: Pre-election ballot measure preview
- See also: On the Ballot
On the Ballot is a podcast presented by Ballotpedia that connects people to politics. The Oct. 13 episode featured a discussion of this year's ballot measures and trends.
Each week, Ballotpedia's election experts will unpack the week's top political stories with our host, Victoria Rose. Ballotpedia's here to give you the facts, so you can form your own opinion. Available weekly on Thursday afternoons, stream On the Ballot on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. To learn more about On the Ballot and listen to other episodes, click here.
States with certified measures
Across the U.S., 140 statewide ballot measures are certified for the ballot in 38 states, including 132 statewide ballot measures for November 8. The following map illustrates which states have statewide ballot measures this year:
Types of ballot measures
From 2010 to 2020, an average of 164 statewide ballot measures — 56 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.
| Type | 2022 | 2020 | 2018 | 2016 | 2014 | 2012 | 2010 | Average (2010-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiated ballot measures | 30 | 43 | 68 | 76 | 40 | 61 | 50 | |
| Initiated constitutional amendments[1] | 11 | 15 | 26 | 25 | 8 | 19 | 17 | |
| Initiated state statutes | 17 | 25 | 37 | 46 | 27 | 29 | 29 | |
| Veto referendums | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 5 | |
| Referred ballot measures | 110 | 86 | 99 | 86 | 118 | 125 | 134 | |
| Legislative constitutional amendment | 89 | 69 | 66 | 69 | 91 | 98 | 106 | |
| Legislative state statute | 8 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |
| Commission-referred measure | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Automatically referred measure | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Bond issues | 7 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 15 | |
| Advisory question | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total: | 140 | 129 | 167 | 162 | 158 | 186 | 184 |
Campaign finance
- See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2022
Ballotpedia identified $1.10 billion in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2022.
In 2020, for comparison, $1.27 billion was raised through December 31, 2020, to support or oppose 129 statewide ballot measures.
States with most contributions
Of the 38 states with ballot measures in 2022, California has seen 79.0% of the total contributions to ballot measure PACs, Massachusetts has seen 5.8%, and Colorado has seen 3.8%.
The following five states had the most ballot measure campaign contributions:
| State | Measures | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7 | $724,847,875 |
| Michigan | 3 | $102,391,250 |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $71,457,334 |
| Colorado | 11 | $45,640,682 |
| Nevada | 3 | $25,443,272 |
Measures with most contributions
The most expensive ballot measures of 2022 are California Proposition 26 and Proposition 27. Both address sports betting legalization. Together, the two initiatives account for $426,945,402 in contributions, or 55% of the total ballot measure campaign contributions in 2022.
The campaigns surrounding the following 10 ballot measures had received the most contributions:
Headlines
Number of citizen-initiated measures below average
This year’s annual total—140—is more than the number of statewide ballot measures in 2020, which was 129. However, the annual total is below the previous decade's (2010-2020) average of 164.
The number of citizen-initiated ballot measures and legislative referrals has decreased since 2010. The number of citizen-initiated measures in 2022 is 30, which is the lowest number during the prior decade. In 2020, there were 43 citizen-initiated measures.
There could be several reasons for the lower number of initiatives in 2022. For 2022, 851 initiatives were proposed, and 3.5% made the ballot. In 2016, for instance, 1,069 initiatives were proposed, and 7.1% made the ballot. Overall, there is a correlation between the number of initiatives proposed and the number certified for the ballot, and there is also a decade-long trend toward fewer proposed initiatives making the ballot. There are also fewer initiatives, on average, during mid-term years compared to presidential years. From 2010 to 2022, presidential years featured an average of 60 citizen-initiated measures, whereas mid-term years featured an average of 47 citizen-initiated measures. Campaigns have also stated that COVID-19, labor shortages, and new laws have had effects on signature drive costs in 2022.
An additional factor for ballot initiative campaigns is recent signature increases. Of the 26 states that allow for some form of initiative or referendum, 22 states base their signature requirements on turnout at specific elections, which either occurred in 2018 or 2020. According to the U.S. Elections Project, the midterm turnout in 2018 was 50%, the highest since 1912, and 13.3 percentage points above 2014. The presidential election turnout in 2020 was 66.8%, the highest since 1900, and 6.7 percentage points above 2016. In California, which saw the largest signature increase, the requirement increased by 70.3%.
See also
- 2022 ballot measures
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2022 ballot
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2022
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2022
- List of ballot measures by state
- List of ballot measures by year
Related articles
Footnotes
- ↑ This includes combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute measures.
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