2024 ballot initiatives address abortion, marijuana, electoral systems, wages, taxes, and more

As of July 11, 2024, 127 state ballot measures have been certified to appear on ballots this year. While most (103) are legislative referrals, 24 are citizen-initiated ballot measures, and there are 30 more initiatives pending signature verifications across 12 states.

From 2010 to 2022, the average number of citizen-initiated ballot measures for an even-numbered year, like 2024, was 53. The number of total certified ballot initiatives has decreased since 2016, when 76 were on the ballot. In 2018, there were 58. In 2020, there were 43. In 2022, there were 24. This year, 2024, is likely to have the most citizen-initiated measures since at least 2018.

There are two signature deadlines remaining for 2024. In Colorado, signatures must be filed at least three months before the general election, which is August 5. In Oklahoma, the signature verification deadline is August 27.

A ballot initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure. The ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide. There are 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures, although the process in Mississippi is suspended.

Of the 54 ballot initiatives that are either certified for the ballot or have had signatures submitted, 39 can be categorized into five topics: abortion, electoral systems, wages and paid leave, marijuana, and taxes.

Abortion: Abortion has been a topic for statewide ballot measures since the 1970s. A record number of abortion-related measures will be on the general election ballot this year. As of July 11, constitutional amendments have been certified to appear on the ballot in six states: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota. This year ties with the previous high in 2022 when six measures were also on the ballot. However, six additional initiatives are pending signature verification in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska. Except for one ballot initiative in Nebraska, which would prohibit abortions after the first trimester, the certified and proposed ballot measures address state constitutional rights to abortion.

Electoral Systems: Initiatives have been employed to propose changes to election processes and systems. In 2024, voters in Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, and South Dakota will address initiatives to change electoral systems, and initiatives have been proposed in Arizona and Montana, as well as Washington, D.C. In Alaska, the ballot initiative would repeal top-four ranked-choice voting, which voters adopted four years ago in 2020. Voters in Idaho will vote on adopting that system—top-four ranked-choice voting. Nevadans will decide on an initiative for top-five ranked-choice voting. In South Dakota, an initiative to adopt top-two primaries is on the ballot. There is also a legislative referral in Oregon to adopt ranked-choice voting.

Wages and Paid Leave: Initiatives related to wages, paid leave, or both are on the ballot in two states, Alaska and California, and could be on the ballot in four more—Arizona, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Nebraska. In Alaska, the initiative would increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour and require employers to provide paid sick leave. In California, the initiative would increase the minimum wage to $18.00 per hour. The Arizona State Legislature has also referred a constitutional amendment, Proposition 138, to the ballot, which would allow tipped workers to be paid 25% less per hour than the minimum wage in certain cases. The proposed ballot initiative in Arizona would increase the minimum wage to $18.00 and end the tipped wage. Since the ballot initiative is a statute and the legislative referral is a constitutional amendment, the constitutional amendment would affect the tipped wage should voters approve both.

Marijuana: Voters in six states could address marijuana-related policies this year. Measures are certified in Florida and South Dakota, where voters will be deciding on legalizing marijuana for personal or recreational use. Signatures were also submitted for an initiative to legalize marijuana in North Dakota. In Arkansas and Nebraska, voters could decide on ballot measures to legalize or expand medical marijuana programs. Voters in Oregon could decide on a ballot initiative about labor policies for cannabis workers.

Taxes: There are always ballot measures related to taxes from legislatures. However, citizen-initiated tax measures often involve more expensive campaigns and propose more significant changes. Tax-related initiatives are certified in California, Colorado, South Dakota, and Washington. Voters in California will decide on Proposition 35, which would authorize a tax on managed care organizations for Medi-Cal. In Colorado, voters will decide on an initiative to limit property taxes. South Dakotans will vote on an initiative to prohibit state sales taxes on anything sold for human consumption, excluding alcoholic beverages and prepared food. In Washington, the campaign Let’s Go Washington is sponsoring three initiatives related to taxes—one to repeal the capital gains excise tax, one to prohibit carbon tax programs, and one to allow people to opt out of a payroll tax-based program called WA Cares. North Dakota and Oregon could also see tax-related ballot initiatives. Signatures were filed for an initiative in North Dakota to prohibit property taxes, except to provide payments for certain bonded indebtedness. In Oregon, voters could decide on an initiative to increase the corporate minimum tax and distribute revenue from the increase to residents as a rebate estimated at $750 per year.