As 2023 coincides neither with the calendar for regular federal elections nor with most elections for state offices (save for Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia), most 2023 ballot measures either coincided with municipal or judicial elections or were held on separate dates as the sole questions on the ballot. With 47 ballot measures sent to the statewide ballot in multiple states, 2023 had the highest number of statewide ballot measures approved for the ballot in an odd-year election since 2007, when 45 measures (four citizen initiatives, 41 legislative referrals) were certified for statewide ballots. Ballot measures were also held at the local and tribal level.
List by state
editColorado
editNovember
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Colorado Proposition HH, which would make several alterations to Colorado’s tax laws, including reduction of property tax rates. The measure was defeated.
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Colorado Proposition II
Louisiana
editOctober
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 1, which would ban private or foreign funding of election costs in Louisiana elections
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 2, which would enshrine a right to worship in a church or place of worship,
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 3, which would require a minimum of 25% of state revenue to be applied to the balance of
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 4, which would prohibit property tax exemptions for nonprofits owning damaged residential property
November
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 1
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 2
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 3
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Louisiana Amendment 4
Maine
editNovember
edit- 2023 Maine Question 1, which would require voter approval before any state agencies, municipal electric districts, electrification cooperatives, or consumer-owned transmission utilities could assume more than $1 billion in debt. The state treasurer would be required to present an estimated cost of the debt increase with the ballot measure. The measure was approved.
- 2023 Maine Question 2
- 2023 Maine Question 3
- 2023 Maine Question 4
- 2023 Maine Question 5
- 2023 Maine Question 6
- 2023 Maine Question 7
- 2023 Maine Question 8
New York
editNovember
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 New York Proposal 1, concerning small city school districts. The measure was approved.
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 New York Proposal 2, concerning sewer systems. The measure was approved. [1]
Ohio
editAugust
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: August 2023 Ohio Issue 1, which would raise the threshold for ballot measures to amend the state constitution, requiring petition signatures from all 88 counties in the state instead of the current 44, removing a 10-day period for curing of petition signatures, and increasing the electoral threshold for passage from 50% to 60%. The measure was defeated. [2]
November
edit- Citizen-initiated amendment: November 2023 Ohio Issue 1, which would codify reproductive rights into the state constitution. The measure was approved.
- Citizen-initiated statute: 2023 Ohio Issue 2, which would legalize possession, use and sales of cannabis by statute. The measure was approved.
Oklahoma
editMarch
edit- Citizen-initiated statute: 2023 Oklahoma State Question 820, which would legalize the use of cannabis for recreational purposes for adults 21 years old and older. The measure was defeated. [3]
Texas
editNovember
edit- 2023 Texas Proposition 1
- 2023 Texas Proposition 2
- 2023 Texas Proposition 3
- 2023 Texas Proposition 4
- 2023 Texas Proposition 5
- 2023 Texas Proposition 6
- 2023 Texas Proposition 7
- 2023 Texas Proposition 8
- 2023 Texas Proposition 9
- 2023 Texas Proposition 10
- 2023 Texas Proposition 11
- 2023 Texas Proposition 12
- 2023 Texas Proposition 13
- 2023 Texas Proposition 14
Wisconsin
editApril
edit- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Wisconsin Question 1, which would raise the conditions necessary for release, removing the word "bodily" from the phrase "All persons, before conviction, shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions designed to ... protect members of the community from serious bodily harm". The measure was approved.
- Legislatively-referred amendment: 2023 Wisconsin Question 2, would insert an additional paragraph allowing judges wider latitude for when to apply cash bail for people accused of violent crimes. The measure was approved.
- Legislatively-referred advisory question: 2023 Wisconsin Question 3, which asks the question: "Shall able-bodied, childless adults be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits?” The measure was approved.[4]
Local ballot measures
editThe following is a list of notable ballot measures held at the local level.
California
editMarch
edit- Redondo Beach Measure CA5, would amend the city charter to allow for ranked-choice voting in city elections
Michigan
editNovember
edit- East Lansing, Michigan Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment, which would legalize ranked-choice voting in city elections
- Kalamazoo, Michigan Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment, which would legalize ranked-choice voting in city elections
- Royal Oak, Michigan Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment, which would legalize ranked-choice voting in city elections
Minnesota
editNovember
edit- Minnetonka, Minnesota Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment, which would repeal the use of ranked-choice voting for city elections
Vermont
editMarch
edit- Burlington Vermont Question 6, would legalize ranked-choice voting for mayor, school commissioner and ward election officer
Tribal ballot measures
editEastern Band of Cherokee Indians
editSeptember
edit- ECBI Question 1, which would allow the issuing of mixed drink permits for sale of mixed beverages on tribal land. The measure was approved.[5]
- ECBI Question 2, which would legalize the possession, use and regulation of cannabis on tribal land. The measure was approved.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ "2023 Statewide Ballot Proposals". NY State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ BeMiller, Haley (2023-05-10). "Ohio House OKs August election to change rules to amend constitution". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ Forman, Carmen (2023-03-07). "Oklahoma voters reject question to legalize recreational marijuana". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
- ^ Lehr, Sarah. "In statewide referendums, voters OK expansion of judges' power to set cash bail". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ^ Kays, Holly (2023-09-13). "Mixed drink referendum passes easily in Cherokee". Smoky Mountain News. Waynesville, North Carolina. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ Marusak, Joe (2023-09-08). "Marijuana legalization wins broad support in historic vote by NC Cherokee tribe". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ Kays, Holly (2023-09-13). "In landslide vote, EBCI says yes to cannabis". Smoky Mountain News. Waynesville, North Carolina. Retrieved 2023-09-15.