Why ballot measures dominate 2024 election
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The race for the White House is drawing most of the attention this year, but it's down-ballot referendums where voters will make the most impact.
Why it matters: Direct democracy is hot – particularly in an era where partisan gridlock thwarts the lawmaking process.
- Moreover, ballot measures on abortion rights, voting methods, legalizing marijuana and educational choice hold the potential for major policy shifts nationwide.
By the numbers: This year, voters in 41 states will have considered 159 ballot measures, with most appearing on Nov. 5, according to Ballotpedia, a tracking service.
- The vast majority were referred to voters by state lawmakers and commissions, while the remainder came from citizens who collected petitions to qualify.
What they're saying: The presidential election is a prime time for ballot measures because of the high turnout, said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, the executive director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a progressive group.
- Other factors include partisan blockages at the state level, political parties trying to turn out issue-driven voters and the Dobbs decision, which has led to a record number of abortion-related referendums.
The big picture: The referendum count is on par with even-year elections when the average number of ballot measures is 161, said Ryan Byrne at Ballotpedia.
- 10 states — including Arizona, Colorado, Florida and New York — are deciding whether to protect access to abortion or place limits on it.
- Five states and Washington, D.C., are considering overhauls to how elected leaders are picked, whether through changes to primary elections, ranked choice voting or both.
- Three states — Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota — are weighing whether to legalize marijuana.
The intrigue: Though the overall numbers are consistent, the 57 citizen-led initiatives this year are the most in a presidential election year since the 76 in 2016.
What's more striking is the high stakes behind the questions voters face.
- "The ballot measures have a potentially significant effect," Byrne said in an interview. "They are important issues in and of themselves."
Zoom in: Colorado is a microcosm for many ballot trends.
- There, voters will decide 14 statewide initiatives — ranging from abortion and ranked choice voting to hunting mountain lions and taxing firearms — matching the record and exceeding the average in even-year elections.
- Another roughly 100 measures must be decided at the local level.
Between the lines: Colorado upped the ante to get constitutional measures on the ballot in 2016 by requiring 55% approval.
- So far, it hasn't worked as hoped, nor did it deter lawmakers from referring measures to voters.
- In a Democratic-dominated state, the ballot remains the one way Republicans can get their issues before voters.
What we're watching: Now the question is whether voters will take the time to cast votes on each of the down-ballot questions.
