Ballot measure campaign finance, 2017
In 2017, 27 statewide ballot measures were on the ballot in nine states: Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. Voters approved 21 (75%) and rejected seven (25%) ballot measures.
Campaigns to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2017 received $108.82 million ($108,816,149) in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots. Ohio Issue 2, which received the most contributions in 2017, accounted for 71.1% of the year's total.
Overview
Comparison to other years
The following graph shows the total contributions to state ballot measure committees from 2017 to 2025.
To view ballot measure campaign finance totals for prior years, click here.
Contributions by state
States reported the following ballot measure campaign contributions:
Measures with most contributions
Campaigns surrounding the following nine ballot measures received contributions:
| Measure | Total | Support | Opposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Issue 2, Drug Price Standards Initiative | $77,413,422 | $18,287,880.67 | $59,125,541 |
| Ohio Issue 1, Marsy's Law Crime Victim Rights Initiative | $10,573,704 | $10,573,703.62 | $0 |
| Maine Question 1, Casino or Slot Machines in York County Initiative | $10,157,532 | $9,434,333.40 | $723,198 |
| New York Proposal 1, Constitutional Convention Question | $5,288,406 | $1,006,227.46 | $4,282,179 |
| Maine Question 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative | $3,150,757 | $2,722,971.89 | $427,785 |
| Texas Proposition 2, Home Equity Loan Amendment | $1,576,678 | $1,576,678.35 | $0 |
| Louisiana Amendment 1, No Property Tax on Properties Under Construction Measure | $535,900 | $535,900.00 | $0 |
| Texas Proposition 7, Financial Institutions to Offer Prizes to Promote Savings Amendment | $481,345 | $481,345.22 | $0 |
| Maine Question 1, Technology Sectors Funds and Business Loans Bond Issue (June 2017) | $119,750 | $119,750.00 | $0 |
2017 ballot measure contributions
The following tables list statewide measures on ballots in 2017, support and opposition contributions for each measure, and the outcome of each measure.
Citizen-initiated ballot measures
The following table lists citizen-initiated ballot measures, including veto referendums, that were placed on the ballot through a signature drive.
| Ballot Measure | Support Contributions | Oppose Contributions | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Question 1, Casino or Slot Machines in York County Initiative (2017) | $9,434,333.40 | $723,198.46 | 
|
| Maine Question 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative (2017) | $2,722,971.89 | $427,785.24 | 
|
| Ohio Issue 1, Marsy's Law Crime Victim Rights Initiative (2017) | $10,573,703.62 | $0.00 |
|
| Ohio Issue 2, Drug Price Standards Initiative (2017) | $18,287,880.67 | $59,125,540.98 |
|
Referred ballot measures
The following table lists referred ballot measures. Legislatures voted to place these measures on the ballot, or the measures, such as constitutional convention questions, were put on the ballot through an automatic legal process.
Contributions by year
The following table shows the total contributions, the average amount per measure, and the most expensive state ballot measure for each year from 2015 to 2025. Click the year in the first column to access that year's data.
