1889 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1889.
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
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1889 ballot measures
April 1
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Courts and Compensation Amendment | State judicial selection; Salaries of government officials | Provide for the election of more than one circuit judge in the judicial circuit covering Kent County |
| 49,478 (71%) | 19,834 (29%) | |
| Duration of Corporations Amendment | Business regulations | Revise provisions relating to the duration of corporations |  | 35,269 (55%) | 28,950 (45%) | |
| Salary of the Governor Amendment | Salaries of government officials | Revise provisions relating to the salary of the Governor |
| 111,854 (61%) | 72,494 (39%) |
Nevada
See also: Nevada 1889 ballot measures
February 11
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State legislative processes and sessions | Require biennial legislative sessions starting the third Monday of January following elections. |
| 4,709 (59%) | 3,229 (41%) | |
| Question 19 | Local government officials and elections; Dueling bans; Sex and gender issues | Prohibit duel participants from holding office and allow women over 21 to hold school offices after meeting residency requirements. |
| 4,441 (56%) | 3,478 (44%) | |
| Question 2 | State legislative processes and sessions; State legislative vote requirements | Allow each legislative house to judge elections, set rules, and expel members by a two-thirds vote. | | 1,797 (23%) | 6,143 (77%) | |
| Question 20 | State legislative vote requirements; State legislative processes and sessions; Impeachment rules | Grant the Assembly sole power to impeach and require a two-thirds Senate vote to convict in impeachment trials. | | 1,722 (22%) | 6,081 (78%) | |
| Question 22 | Gambling policy | Authorize the legislature to establish a state lottery and designate its annual payments to the state treasury. | | 3,671 (45%) | 4,523 (55%) | |
| Question 23 | Higher education funding; Revenue allocation | Dedicate proceeds from public lands and other sources exclusively to education funding, with surplus interest available for State University support. |
| 5,627 (69%) | 2,575 (31%) | |
| Question 24 | Public education funding; Property taxes; Higher education funding | Authorize a special tax of up to two mills per dollar of taxable property to fund Nevada’s University and common schools. |
| 4,691 (58%) | 3,359 (42%) | |
| Question 25 | Public assistance programs | Require the state to provide aid to residents who are elderly, infirm, or otherwise in need, as prescribed by law. | | 3,176 (40%) | 4,777 (60%) | |
| Question 27 | State legislative vote requirements | Establish procedures for constitutional amendments, requiring two-thirds legislative approval and majority voter ratification. | | 3,819 (49%) | 4,044 (51%) | |
| Question 3 | State legislative authority | Prohibit the legislature from passing local or special laws on specified matters, while preserving its authority over certain regulations and rates. |
| 4,215 (54%) | 3,593 (46%) | |
| Question 6 | State legislative processes and sessions | Set legislative pay by law, limit expense reimbursements to $60 per session, and grant the Assembly Speaker and Senate President an extra $2 per day. | | 2,926 (37%) | 4,967 (63%) | |
| Question 8 | State legislative authority | Repeal Section 17 of Article V of the Nevada Constitution. | | 1,507 (19%) | 6,460 (81%) | |
| Question 9 | Local government organization; State legislative authority; Administrative organization | Allow the legislature to modify, consolidate, or abolish certain county offices and to regulate their election, duties, and pay. |
| 4,800 (61%) | 3,114 (39%) | |
| Question 9 | State executive powers and duties; State legislative authority | Transfer gubernatorial powers to the Senate President or Assembly Speaker during vacancies, with the Governor retaining military command in wartime. | | 1,818 (23%) | 6,071 (77%) |
New Hampshire
See also: New Hampshire 1889 ballot measures
March 12
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State legislatures measures | It proposed to modify the time when legislative terms commenced from June to January. |
| 38,352 (77%) | 11,654 (23%) | |
| Question 2 | State legislatures measures | It proposed to compensate legislators with a fixed salary. |
| 37,872 (76%) | 12,218 (24%) | |
| Question 3 | State legislatures measures | It proposed to fill Senate vacancies by holding a new election. |
| 34,990 (74%) | 12,224 (26%) | |
| Question 4 | State executive official measures | It proposed that the speaker of the House would act as governor if both the governor and president of the Senate were unable to perform their duties. |
| 35,768 (76%) | 11,530 (24%) | |
| Question 5 | Alcohol laws | It proposed to prohibit the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages.Note: Although this measure gathered more "yes" votes, it did not pass because New Hampshire requires that an amendment receive greater than two-thirds of the vote to be approved. | | 25,786 (46%) | 30,796 (54%) | |
| Question 6 | Constitutional wording changes | It proposed making article six of the Bill of Rights non-sectarian in language.Note: Although this measure gathered more "yes" votes, it did not pass because New Hampshire requires that an amendment receive greater than two-thirds of the vote to be approved. | | 27,737 (58%) | 20,048 (42%) | |
| Question 7 | State legislatures measures | It proposed to provide legislative representation to towns based on population. |
| 30,002 (70%) | 12,846 (30%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1889 ballot measures
November 5
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | State legislative elections; Redistricting policy | | 245,444 (49%) | 259,420 (51%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Revenue allocation; Tax and revenue administration; State legislative authority | | 245,438 (47%) | 273,268 (53%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Elections and campaigns | | 257,662 (50%) | 254,215 (50%) |
South Dakota
See also: South Dakota 1889 ballot measures
October 1
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constitutional Ratification Measure | State constitution ratification | Ratify the 1889 Constitution that was decided at the constitutional convention |
| 70,131 (96%) | 3,267 (4%) | |
| Prohibition of Alcohol Measure | Alcohol laws | Support the prohibition on alcohol |
| 40,231 (54%) | 34,510 (46%) |
Washington
See also: Washington 1889 ballot measures
October 1
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Prohibition Amendment | Alcohol laws | Prohibit the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcohol | | 19,546 (38%) | 31,487 (62%) | |
| State Capital Location Measure | State capitals | Select a permanent location for a state capital | | 25,490 (46%) | 29,683 (54%) | |
| State Constitution Ratification Question | State constitution ratification | Approve the proposed Washington State Constitution |
| 40,152 (77%) | 11,879 (23%) | |
| Women's Suffrage Amendment | Women's suffrage; Sex and gender issues | Provides for women's suffrage in state constitution | | 16,527 (32%) | 35,613 (68%) |
Wisconsin
See also: Wisconsin 1889 ballot measures
April 2
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State judiciary | Provide for the state supreme court to be made up of five justices |
| 125,759 (90%) | 14,712 (10%) |
Wyoming
See also: Wyoming 1889 ballot measures
November 5
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Constitution Ratification Measure | State constitution ratification | Ratify the first Wyoming Constitution |
| 6,272 (77%) | 1,923 (23%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
