2024 Election: Ballot Measures and Why They are Important
What is a Ballot Measure?
Ever wonder what those long-winded, confusing questions are at the end of your ballot? How were they formed, and how did they actually get to be on the ballot?
These questions are called “ballot measures.” They may also be referred to as initiatives or referendums, and they are a mechanism that allow for citizens to weigh in and decide policy issues.
Citizens who feel strongly that a policy change needs to be made can collect signatures to have this policy change added to the ballot as a ballot measure. This is called the “initiative process” and a group that supports or opposes a ballot measure is called a “ballot measure committee.”
The Origin of Ballot Measures
In 1778, Massachusetts became the first state to hold a statewide legislative referendum, in which citizens voted to ratify the state constitution. New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island all followed suit shortly thereafter. Eventually, Congress deemed the process of legislative referendum mandatory, and today, all states participate in this process.
Many more initiatives are brought forward than are actually voted on. During the 2000 election cycle, over 350 initiatives were filed, but only 76 were actually placed on a ballot. The number of measures that succeed in even getting placed on the ballot waxes and wanes over the years. This November 2024, will mark the election with the highest number of ballot measures voted on since 2018. Lots of voters have policy on their minds!
Ballot Measures Affect Voter Turnout
It’s notable that voter turnout in states with an initiative on the ballot is approximately 3 to 8 percent higher than in states without an initiative on the ballot.1 Bottom line, it's because people care about the policy issues that these ballot measures address and they want to make sure they can weigh in on whether or not the policies around them change.
Ballot measures typically address local issues such as public school, property taxes, and daily governing. However, it’s increasingly common for state-wide policy issues to appear on the ballot, sometimes even driving national policy debate.
2024 Ballot Measures
On November 5, 2024, 160 statewide ballot measures will appear on ballots across 41 states, which is just one less than the average over the last 14 years. The topics of these measures vary, but popular topics include abortion, citizenship, electoral systems, wages, and marijuana usage. Sixteen states will place voting-related measures on the ballot.
- 41 States with Ballot Measures in 2024: If you live in one of the following states you will have a ballot measure(s) to vote on this upcoming election: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, ID, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.
- 10 States with Ballot Measures on Abortion in 2024: Ten states will have policies dealing with abortion. These include: AZ, CO, FL, MD, MO, MT, NE, NV, NY, and SD.
How to Prepare to Vote on Ballot Measures
- It's no small thing to understand the pro's and con's of each ballot measure that may be on your ballot. Good News - help is on the way!
Prepare to Vote on Ballot Measures Using the Sample Ballot Lookup Tool
- You can read and understand your ballot measure(s) in advance of Election Day by using our Sample Ballot Look-up tool. It will boil down the details and give you a summary of what the Yes and No positions on any particular ballot measure mean.
- You can look at concise and detailed version of the various measures.
- A sample ballot will typically include a layman’s version of the ballot measure text for voters’ convenience.
- Try the Sample Ballot Lookup Tool today!
Ballot measures typically deal with policies that affect our daily lives. Before you head out to your polling place this year, or return your mail-in ballot, be sure to review your sample ballot to be aware of any ballot measures ahead of time. Do any research you feel is necessary and get out there to vote! Your future is shaped by your vote.
1 https://ballotpedia.org/History_of_initiative_and_referendum_in_the_U.S.
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_ballot_measures