1939 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1939.
In the United States, a ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.
- HBM Factbooks
- List of ballot measures by state
- Other years
Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks
The inventory of statewide ballot measures is part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks, which document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and voters on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they've covered, and the role they have played in our civic life. Click here to access the state historical ballot measure factbooks.
List of ballot measures by state
California
See also: California 1939 ballot measures
November 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | Income taxes; Bond issues; Public employee retirement funds | Require the state to issue at least 30 $1 warrants for life to all electors above the age of 50, enact a 3% gross income tax, create a state bank to handle warrants, and require $20,000,000 of bonds for the warrants. |  | 993,204 (34%) | 1,933,557 (66%) | |
| Proposition 2 | Complementary and alternative healthcare; Healthcare governance | Convert the role of Secretary of Chiropractic Board to a full time position nd adjust powers and processes of the Chiropractic Board. | | 801,173 (30%) | 1,894,764 (70%) | |
| Proposition 3 | Business regulations | Regulate the business and licensure of brokers and personal property brokers and regulate loans for $300 or less. |
| 1,853,663 (71%) | 753,480 (29%) | |
| Proposition 4 | Business regulations | Regulate the business and licensure of brokers and personal property brokers and regulate loans for $300 or less. |
| 1,850,811 (72%) | 732,873 (28%) | |
| Proposition 5 | Business regulations | Create the Oil Conservation Commission to regulate crude petroleum oil and natural gas production. | | 1,110,316 (39%) | 1,755,625 (61%) |
Georgia
See also: Georgia 1939 ballot measures
June 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Water; County and municipal governance | Allow the City of Atlanta to issue revenue certificates for the waterworks and sanitary department |
| 17,312 (62%) | 10,410 (38%) | |
| Amendment 10 | Local government finance and taxes; Bond issues | Allow the City of Carrollton to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,598 (62%) | 10,361 (38%) | |
| Amendment 11 | Bond issues; Highways and bridges | Allow the Governor to issue highway bonds to refund highway certificates |
| 17,234 (59%) | 11,762 (41%) | |
| Amendment 12 | Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Macon to retire its deficit and pay its current debt |
| 16,915 (62%) | 10,160 (38%) | |
| Amendment 13 | Local government finance and taxes; Public employee retirement funds; Public school teachers and staff | Authorize the General Assembly to enact laws to allow Fulton County to create a pension fund for county school employees |
| 16,908 (62%) | 10,534 (38%) | |
| Amendment 14 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Authorize the City of Quitman to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,643 (62%) | 10,263 (38%) | |
| Amendment 15 | Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Fitzgerald to levy a tax for advertising the city to secure new industries |
| 16,335 (61%) | 10,602 (39%) | |
| Amendment 16 | Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Quitman to obtain temporary loans and issue debt certificates |
| 16,452 (61%) | 10,375 (39%) | |
| Amendment 17 | Civil service; Local government organization | Allow the General Assembly to enact laws to create a Civil Service Commission in Fulton County |
| 16,708 (61%) | 10,766 (39%) | |
| Amendment 18 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Greenville to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,519 (62%) | 10,329 (38%) | |
| Amendment 19 | Water; Bond issues | Allow the City of Savannah to issue bonds to construct a water supply plant |
| 21,885 (68%) | 10,129 (32%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Public education funding | Allow the Board of Education of Fulton, Floyd, and DeKalb counties to make temporary loans |
| 17,393 (63%) | 10,417 (37%) | |
| Amendment 20 | Highways and bridges; Local government organization | Authorize the continuation of the Coastal Highway District as a corporate and political body comprising six counties and to permit the issuance of bonds for paving and related purposes |
| 17,079 (60%) | 11,270 (40%) | |
| Amendment 21 | Local government finance and taxes; Bond issues | Allow the City of Sylvania to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,560 (62%) | 10,251 (38%) | |
| Amendment 22 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Ocilla to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,504 (62%) | 10,317 (38%) | |
| Amendment 23 | Public education funding; Bond issues | Allow the Liberty County Willie Consolidated School District to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,557 (62%) | 10,281 (38%) | |
| Amendment 24 | Local government finance and taxes; Bond issues | Allow Bacon County to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,543 (62%) | 10,285 (38%) | |
| Amendment 25 | Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City Council of Augusta to make temporary loans and retire the City's debt |
| 17,059 (63%) | 10,230 (37%) | |
| Amendment 26 | Local government finance and taxes; Bond issues | Allow the City of Nashville to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,505 (62%) | 10,294 (38%) | |
| Amendment 27 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Ocilla to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,484 (62%) | 10,284 (38%) | |
| Amendment 28 | County and municipal governance; Bond issues | Allow the City of Savannah to purchase land bonds |
| 16,727 (62%) | 10,387 (38%) | |
| Amendment 29 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Ray City to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,491 (62%) | 10,272 (38%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Public education funding; Bond issues | Allow the Johnson County Kite Consolidated School to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,863 (62%) | 10,290 (38%) | |
| Amendment 30 | Local government finance and taxes; Healthcare facility funding; Bond issues | Allow Tift County to issue bonds to construct and maintain a hospital |
| 17,008 (63%) | 9,973 (37%) | |
| Amendment 31 | State legislative authority; Local government officials and elections | Authorize the Legislature to enact laws allowing for the appointment of a chief clerk, assistant, or deputy in Fulton County and to fill vacancies in specified county offices for the remainder of the unexpired terms |
| 16,738 (61%) | 10,500 (39%) | |
| Amendment 32 | Bond issues; Public education funding | Allow the Fulton County Board of Education to assume the school bonds of East Point and College Park |
| 17,039 (63%) | 10,218 (37%) | |
| Amendment 33 | Local government finance and taxes; Bond issues | Allow the Town of Bowdon to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,517 (62%) | 10,204 (38%) | |
| Amendment 4 | Bond issues; Public education funding | Allow the Tattnall County Reidsville School District to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,854 (62%) | 10,279 (38%) | |
| Amendment 5 | Salaries of government officials | Allow the increase in salary of the DeKalb County circuit court judge |
| 15,875 (58%) | 11,352 (42%) | |
| Amendment 6 | State judicial authority; Civil trials; Criminal trials | Allow Superior Court Judges to hear matters not requiring a jury verdict during judicial vacation |
| 18,375 (64%) | 10,335 (36%) | |
| Amendment 7 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Pearson to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,628 (62%) | 10,366 (38%) | |
| Amendment 8 | County and municipal governance; Bond issues | Allow Grady County to issue warrant refunding bonds |
| 16,550 (61%) | 10,502 (39%) | |
| Amendment 9 | Bond issues; Local government finance and taxes | Allow the City of Blackshear to issue refunding bonds |
| 16,609 (62%) | 10,345 (38%) |
Maine
See also: Maine 1939 ballot measures
September 11
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highways and Bridges Bond Issue Increase Amendment | Bond issues; Transportation | | 16,500 (44%) | 21,265 (56%) |
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1939 ballot measures
April 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal 1 | State judicial selection | Establish non-partisan elections for certain judicial offices |
| 376,246 (61%) | 241,252 (39%) | |
| Proposal No. 2 | State judicial authority | Give Circuit Court Commissioners the same powers as Justices of the Peace | | 205,711 (37%) | 351,961 (63%) |
New Jersey
See also: New Jersey 1939 ballot measures
November 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Question No. 1 | Bond issues | An act authorized $21 million in bonds for unemployment assistance. |
| 391,604 (53%) | 344,483 (47%) |
New York
See also: New York 1939 ballot measures
November 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Gambling policy | Permit pari-mutuel betting on horse races |
| 1,225,495 (67%) | 594,811 (33%) |
North Dakota
See also: North Dakota 1939 ballot measures
July 11
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diversion of State Highway Construction Funds Initiative | Public assistance programs; Taxes | | 39,789 (19%) | 172,513 (81%) | |
| Gross Income Tax Initiative | Taxes | | 36,117 (18%) | 168,976 (82%) | |
| Municipal Liquor Sales Initiative | Alcohol laws | | 41,814 (20%) | 170,538 (80%) | |
| Repeal Grain Storage Commissioner Referendum | Administrative organization; Agriculture policy | | 41,152 (20%) | 165,851 (80%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1939 ballot measures
November 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjustment of Civil Service Provisions Referendum | Civil service | Adjust civil service commission provisions and benefits | | 634,269 (36%) | 1,132,279 (64%) | |
| Establishment of Old Age Pensions Initiative | Public employee retirement funds; Public assistance programs | Provide pensions to those over the age of 60 | | 464,670 (23%) | 1,546,207 (77%) | |
| Establishment of State Board of Education Amendment | Administration of government; Education | Replace the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction with the State Board of Education | | 747,545 (40%) | 1,137,054 (60%) | |
| Initiative and Referendum Signature Requirements Initiative | Initiative and referendum process | Replace the signature requirements based on electors with flat signature requirements - 100,000 for constitutional amendments and 50,000 for statutes | | 406,612 (21%) | 1,485,919 (79%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
- • Campaign finance
- • Endorsements
- • Polls
Footnotes
