1888 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1888.
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
Colorado
See also: Colorado 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt and Bond Limitations Amendment | Bond issue requirements | Amend Article XI to establish constitutional limits on state and local public debt, including valuation-based caps, voter approval requirements, and restrictions on issuing bonds |
| |||
| Property Tax Rate Amendment | Property taxes | Temporarily increase the state property tax rate to five mills per dollar of assessed valuation for the years 1889 and 1890 |  | 749 (8%) | 8,778 (92%) | |
| State and County Debt Limitations Amendment | Bond issue requirements | Limit the purposes for which the state and counties could contract debt, restricting borrowing to specified public purposes such as defense, suppressing insurrection, or funding certain pre-existing obligations |
| 15,212 (53%) | 13,385 (47%) | |
| State Debt Purposes Amendment | Bond issue requirements | Restrict the purposes for which the state could contract debt and limiting the amount of such debt, including setting valuation-based caps and requiring voter approval |
| 13,921 (51%) | 13,209 (49%) |
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allow for Multiple Detroit and Saginaw Circuit Judges Amendment | Salaries of government officials; State judicial selection | Provide for the election of more than one circuit judge in the judicial circuits covering Detroit and Saginaw County |
| 21,221 (52%) | 19,382 (48%) | |
| Department of Banking Measure | Administrative organization; Banking policy | Establish a department of banking |
| 48,531 (71%) | 20,300 (29%) |
Minnesota
See also: Minnesota 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Food policy; Business regulations |
| 194,932 (94%) | 13,064 (6%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Property |
| 153,908 (76%) | 48,649 (24%) | |
| Amendment 3 | State legislative processes and sessions |
| 150,003 (74%) | 52,946 (26%) |
Nevada
See also: Nevada 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State legislative processes and sessions | Move the start of the legislative session to the third Monday of January instead of the first. |
| 7,553 (94%) | 502 (6%) | |
| Question 2 | State legislative authority; State legislative processes and sessions | Allow the Senate to elect its own President. |
| 7,452 (94%) | 516 (6%) | |
| Question 20 | Impeachment rules | Remove the Lieutenant Governor from constitutional impeachment provisions for state officers. |
| 7,143 (95%) | 393 (5%) | |
| Question 23 | State legislative authority; Public economic investment policy; Public education funding | Allow the legislature to apportion school funds among counties and invest the principal in bonds of other states. |
| 7,485 (93%) | 545 (7%) | |
| Question 24 | State legislative authority; Property taxes; Public education funding | Authorize the legislature to increase the education tax rate from one-half mill to two mills on the dollar. |
| 7,492 (93%) | 527 (7%) | |
| Question 25 | Public assistance programs | Require the State, instead of counties, to provide care for needy persons. |
| 5,132 (65%) | 2,807 (35%) | |
| Question 27 | State legislative authority; Ballot measure process | Reduce the time required to enact constitutional amendments by two years | | 3,122 (42%) | 4,228 (58%) | |
| Question 3 | State legislative processes and sessions; State legislative authority | Amend restrictions on the legislature's power to pass special legislation. |
| 7,380 (93%) | 543 (7%) | |
| Question 5 | State legislative processes and sessions; State legislative structure | Remove the Lieutenant Governor as President of the Senate. |
| 7,146 (94%) | 453 (6%) | |
| Question 8 | State executive elections; State executive branch structure | Repeal the constitutional provision for electing a Lieutenant Governor. |
| 5,441 (73%) | 2,047 (27%) | |
| Question 9 | State legislative processes and sessions | Provide gubernatorial succession to the Senate President and Assembly Speaker in specific cases. |
| 5,611 (74%) | 1,965 (26%) | |
| State Question 19 | State constitutional conventions | Call for a constitutional convention |
| 1,644 (38%) | 2,740 (63%) |
New York
See also: New York 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Constitutional wording changes | Establish the procedures for printing, submitting and voting on a proposed constitutional amendment at the general election |
| 498,114 (90%) | 55,822 (10%) |
North Carolina
See also: North Carolina 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase Size of State Supreme Court Amendment | State judiciary structure | Increase the size of the North Carolina Supreme Court from three justices to five justices |
| 121,659 (81%) | 29,377 (19%) |
Wisconsin
See also: Wisconsin 1888 ballot measures
November 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Public education governance; State executive elections | Provide for a state superintendent of education elected by the public with qualifications and salary designated by law | | 12,967 (41%) | 18,342 (59%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
