2023 ballot measures

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2023 U.S. state ballot measures
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In 2023, 41 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in eight states—Colorado, Louisiana, Maine, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. That's the highest number of state ballot measures for an odd-numbered year since 2007.

• Between March and August 2023, voters in three states decided on five ballot measures. Voters approved three and rejected two of these measures.

• On October 14, voters in Louisiana approved four constitutional amendments, including Amendment 1, which addressed private financing of election administration, and Amendment 2, which provided state constitutional rights regarding places of worship.

• On November 7, voters in five states decided on 28 ballot measures, including six citizen-initiated ballot measures (two in Ohio, and four in Maine). Voters approved 23 and rejected five ballot measures on November 7.

• On November 18, the last statewide ballot measure election of 2023, voters in Louisiana decided on an additional four constitutional amendments. Voters approved three and rejected one constitutional amendment.

From 2011 to 2021, the average number of statewide ballot measures in an odd-numbered year was 33.

Trends in 2023

Types of ballot measures

From 2011 to 2021, an average of 33 statewide ballot measures — 5 initiated measures and 28 referred measures — appeared on ballots in odd-numbered years. An initiated measure is a proposed law that people collect signatures for to put on the ballot. A referred measure is a proposed law that a legislature or commission, or constitutional provision in the case of automatic referrals, puts on the ballot for voters to decide.

Type	2023	2021	2019	2017	2015	2013	2011	Average (2011-2021)
Initiated ballot measures	7	4	2	4	5	3	12	5
Initiated constitutional amendments	1	1	0	1	1	1	4	1
Initiated state statutes	6	3	1	3	4	2	6	3
Veto referendums	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	1
Referred ballot measures	34	35	34	23	23	28	22	28
Legislative constitutional amendment	31	23	19	16	16	17	21	19
Legislative state statute	2	1	2	0	1	1	1	1
Commission-referred measure	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Automatically referred measure	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Bond issues	0	8	1	3	2	5	0	3
Advisory question	1	3	12	3	4	5	0	5
Total:	41	39	36	27	28	31	34	33

The following chart illustrates the numbers of initiated measures and referred measures for each odd-numbered year from 2001 to 2023. The year with the most initiated measures, at 19, was 2005. The year with the most referred measures, at 59, was 2003.

Topics

• Abortion: In 2022, following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, there were six ballot measures addressing abortion, including three constitutional amendments to establish a state constitutional right to abortion. Voters approved each one. In 2023, there was one—Ohio Issue 1—which voters approved.

See also: History of abortion ballot measures

• Marijuana: Heading into November, marijuana was legal in 23 states and D.C. Fourteen (14) of those 23 states had legalized marijuana through the ballot measure process. Voters in Ohio approved Issue 2, which legalized the recreational or personal use of marijuana in the state. About 49.07% of the U.S. population lived in a state where marijuana was legal before Issue 2. Approval of Ohio Issue 2 increased that percentage to 52.56%. Earlier in 2023, voters rejected an initiative to legalize marijuana in Oklahoma.

See also: Marijuana laws and ballot measures in the United States

• RCV: Voters in seven local jurisdictions decided on ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures in 2023. Voters approved the six measures to adopt RCV and rejected one measure to repeal the electoral system.

See also: History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures

Campaign finance

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2023

As of December 16, Ballotpedia identified $189.62 million in contributions to support or oppose statewide measures on ballots in 2023, which was more than the previous three odd-numbered year election cycles.

States with most contributions

As of December 16, the following five states had the most ballot measure campaign contributions:

Note: The total contributions for a state are not equal to the aggregate contributions for the ballot measures in that state because some PACs support or oppose more than one ballot measure.

State	Measures	Contributions
Ohio	3	$126,716,040
Maine	8	$48,427,278
Colorado	2	$5,806,727
Oklahoma	1	$5,314,399
Texas	14	$2,877,979

Measures with most contributions

As of December 16, the campaigns surrounding the following five ballot measures had received the most contributions:

Measure	Support	Opposition	Total	Outcome
Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative	$53,825,871	$36,086,325	$89,912,196
Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure	$23,554,336	$22,023,777	$45,578,113	d
Maine Question 3, Pine Tree Power Company Initiative	$1,208,361	$39,965,654	$41,174,015
Maine Question 1, Voter Approval of Borrowing Above $1 Billion by State Entities and Electric Cooperatives Initiative	$24,943,829	$0	$24,943,829
Ohio Issue 2, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	$6,739,421	$927,900	$7,667,321

Comparison to prior years

The following graph shows the total contributions to state ballot measure committees in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023.

By date

March 7

1. Oklahoma State Question 820, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (March 2023) d

April 4

1. Wisconsin Question 1, Conditions of Release Before Conviction Amendment (April 2023) a
2. Wisconsin Question 2, Conditions for Cash Bail Amendment (April 2023) a
3. Wisconsin Question 3, Work Requirement for Welfare Benefits Advisory Question (April 2023) a

August 8

1. Ohio Issue 1, 60% Vote Requirement to Approve Constitutional Amendments Measure (2023) d

October 14

1. Louisiana Amendment 1, Ban on Private or Foreign Funding of Election Costs Amendment (October 2023) a
2. Louisiana Amendment 2, Constitutional Right to Worship in a Church or Place of Worship Amendment (October 2023) a
3. Louisiana Amendment 3, State Retirement System Funding Amendment (October 2023) a
4. Louisiana Amendment 4, Prohibit Property Tax Exemptions for Nonprofits Owning Damaged Residential Property Amendment (October 2023) a

November 7

1. Colorado Proposition HH, Property Tax Changes and Revenue Change Measure (2023) d
2. Colorado Proposition II, Tobacco and Nicotine Product Tax Revenue Measure (2023) a
3. Maine Question 1, Voter Approval of Borrowing Above $1 Billion by State Entities and Electric Cooperatives Initiative (2023) a
4. Maine Question 2, Prohibit Foreign Spending in Elections Initiative (2023) a
5. Maine Question 3, Pine Tree Power Company Initiative (2023) d
6. Maine Question 4, "Right to Repair Law" Vehicle Data Access Requirement Initiative (2023) a
7. Maine Question 5, Change Time Period of Judicial Review of Initiative Petitions Amendment (2023) a
8. Maine Question 6, Require Indian Treaty Obligations and Other Constitutional Provisions Included in Official Printing Amendment (2023) a
9. Maine Question 7, Remove Residency Requirement for Initiative Petition Circulators Amendment (2023) d
10. Maine Question 8, Repeal Constitutional Provision Prohibiting Voting for Individuals Under Guardianship Due to Mental Illness Amendment (2023) d
11. New York Proposal 1, Remove Debt Limit on Small City School Districts Amendment (2023) a
12. New York Proposal 2, Exclude Indebtedness for Sewage Facilities Amendment (2023) a
13. Ohio Issue 1, Right to Make Reproductive Decisions Including Abortion Initiative (2023) a
14. Ohio Issue 2, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2023) a
15. Texas Proposition 1, Right to Farming, Ranching, Timber Production, Horticulture, and Wildlife Management Amendment (2023) a
16. Texas Proposition 10, Tax Exemption on Medical Equipment and Inventory Amendment (2023) a
17. Texas Proposition 11, Authorize Bond Issues in Conservation and Reclamation Districts in El Paso County Amendment (2023) a
18. Texas Proposition 12, Abolish Galveston County Treasurer Amendment (2023) a
19. Texas Proposition 13, Increase Mandatory Retirement Age for State Judges Amendment (2023) d
20. Texas Proposition 14, Creation of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund Amendment (2023) a
21. Texas Proposition 2, Property Tax Exemption for Child-Care Facilities Amendment (2023) a
22. Texas Proposition 3, Prohibit Taxes on Wealth or Net Worth Amendment (2023) a
23. Texas Proposition 4, Property Tax Changes and State Education Funding Amendment (2023) a
24. Texas Proposition 5, Rename State University Research Fund and Establish Ongoing Revenue Source Amendment (2023) a
25. Texas Proposition 6, Creation of the Water Fund Amendment (2023) a
26. Texas Proposition 7, Creation of State Energy Fund Amendment (2023) a
27. Texas Proposition 8, Creation of Broadband Infrastructure Fund Amendment (2023) a
28. Texas Proposition 9, Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Teacher Retirement System Amendment (2023) a

November 18

1. Louisiana Amendment 1, Gubernatorial Deadlines on Bills and Legislative Veto Sessions Amendment (2023) a
2. Louisiana Amendment 2, Remove Constitutional References to Inactive State Funds Amendment (2023) a
3. Louisiana Amendment 3, Property Tax Exemptions for First Responders Amendment (2023) a
4. Louisiana Amendment 4, Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund Amendment (2023) d

By state

Colorado

See also: Colorado 2023 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRSS	Proposition HH	Property and Taxes	Enact changes to state property taxes and revenue limitations, including reducing property tax rates and allowing the state government to retain revenue that would otherwise be required to be reimbursed under TABOR		682,667 (41%)	995,259 (59%)
LRSS	Proposition II	Taxes and Tobacco	Allow the state government to retain and spend surplus revenue obtained from the higher taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine products, as outlined in Proposition EE of 2020	a	1,130,047 (68%)	543,405 (32%)

Louisiana

See also: Louisiana 2023 ballot measures

October 14, 2023:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	Elections	Prohibit state and local governments from using funds, goods, and services donated by foreign governments or nongovernmental (private) sources for the purpose of conducting elections	a	734,324 (73%)	277,564 (27%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	Con rights and Religion	Provide in the Louisiana Constitution that "the freedom to worship in a church or other place of worship is a fundamental right that is worthy of the highest order of protection"	a	805,676 (79%)	211,621 (21%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	Pension and Budgets	Require a minimum of 25% of nonrecurring state revenue to be applied to the balance of the unfunded liability of the state retirement system	a	559,540 (56%)	436,717 (44%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Housing, Property, and Taxes	Prohibit a nonprofit organization from receiving a property tax exemption when residential property is in disrepair and dangerous to the public's health or safety	a	661,332 (66%)	340,632 (34%)

November 18, 2023:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Amendment 1	State leg	Provide that the legislature may consider vetoed bills during a regular or extraordinary session rather than convening a separate veto session; clarify that the governor's deadline to act on a bill is based on the legislative session in which the bill was passed	a	387,207 (61%)	247,266 (39%)
LRCA	Amendment 2	Budgets	Repeals constitutional provisions establishing various state funds that are now inactive and transfers remaining money in the funds to the state general fund	a	346,766 (55%)	287,211 (45%)
LRCA	Amendment 3	Property and Taxes	Authorizes local governments to provide an additional property tax exemption of up to $2,500 for first responders including fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel, emergency response dispatchers, peace officers, police officers, and sheriffs.	a	338,823 (53%)	300,477 (47%)
LRCA	Amendment 4	Budgets	Allows the state legislature, through a two-thirds supermajority vote, to use up to $250 million of funds in the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to alleviate a budget deficit		278,009 (44%)	353,622 (56%)

Maine

See also: Maine 2023 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
IndISS	Question 1	Direct dem, Energy, and Budgets	Require voter approval for certain state entities, municipal electric districts, electrification cooperatives, or consumer-owned transmission utilities to incur an outstanding debt that exceeds $1 billion	a	260,670 (65%)	137,478 (35%)
IndISS	Question 2	Campaign finance and Elections	Prohibit election spending by foreign governments, including entities with partial (5% or more) foreign government ownership or control	a	348,781 (86%)	55,226 (14%)
IndISS	Question 3	Admin of gov't, Energy, and Utilities	Create the Pine Tree Power Company, an electric transmission and distribution utility governed by an elected board		122,961 (30%)	283,401 (70%)
IndISS	Question 4	Business reg and Transportation	Allow motor vehicle owners and independent repair facilities to have access to the vehicle on-board diagnostic systems	a	341,574 (84%)	63,208 (16%)
LRCA	Question 5	Direct dem	Change the judicial review period from within 100 days of a petition being filed to within 100 business days from the deadline for filing a petition	a	227,602 (58%)	166,876 (42%)
LRCA	Question 6	Con language and American Indians	Repeals Article X, Section 7 of the Maine Constitution, which would provide for Section 1, Section 2, and Section 5, which concern American Indian provisions, to be included in any printed copies of the State Constitution	a	289,818 (73%)	107,466 (27%)
LRCA	Question 7	Direct dem	Remove the requirement that an initiative petition signature gatherer must be a resident and registered voter of Maine		122,646 (31%)	269,699 (69%)
LRCA	Question 8	Elections and Suffrage	Removes a constitutional provision, found unconstitutional in 2001, that says individuals under a guardianship for reasons of mental illness cannot vote for governor, senators, and representatives		184,063 (47%)	211,120 (53%)

New York

See also: New York 2023 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposal 1	Education and Budgets	Remove the debt limitations in the New York Constitution from small city school districts	a	1,504,083 (64%)	833,758 (36%)
LRCA	Proposal 2	Utilities and Budgets	Exclude indebtedness for the construction or reconstruction of sewage facilities contracted prior to 2034	a	1,582,382 (68%)	744,696 (32%)

Ohio

See also: Ohio 2023 ballot measures

August 8, 2023

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Issue 1	Direct dem and Supermajority req	Require a 60% vote to approve a constitutional amendment; increase the signature distribution requirement; and eliminate the signature cure period		1,329,052 (43%)	1,769,482 (57%)

November 7, 2023

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	Issue 1	Abortion and Con rights	Provide that each individual has the right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions	a	2,227,384 (57%)	1,695,480 (43%)
IndISS	Issue 2	Marijuana	Legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 years of age or older	a	2,226,399 (57%)	1,666,316 (43%)

Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma 2023 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CISS	State Question 820	Marijuana	Legalize marijuana in Oklahoma		217,078 (38%)	349,284 (62%)

Texas

See also: Texas 2023 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 10	Taxes	Authorizes an ad valorem tax exemption on equipment and inventory manufactured by medical or biomedical companies	a	1,370,569 (55%)	1,121,576 (45%)
LRCA	Proposition 11	Local gov't, Forests and parks, and Budgets	Authorizes the state legislature to permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County to allow the county to issue bonds to fund parks and recreational facilities	a	1,526,830 (63%)	883,339 (37%)
LRCA	Proposition 12	Local gov't	Abolishes the Galveston County treasurer	a	1,212,667 (53%)	1,078,056 (47%)
LRCA	Proposition 13	State judiciary	Increases the mandatory retirement age for state judges from 75 to 79		932,834 (37%)	1,567,129 (63%)
LRCA	Proposition 14	Forests and parks and Budgets	Creates the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund	a	1,928,021 (77%)	591,658 (23%)
LRCA	Proposition 1	Con rights, Food and agri, and Natural resources	Establishes a right to farming, ranching, timber production, horticulture, and wildlife management in the state constitution	a	2,025,803 (79%)	537,666 (21%)
LRCA	Proposition 2	Property and Taxes	Allow local governments to exempt child-care facilities from property taxes	a	1,629,151 (65%)	885,704 (35%)
LRCA	Proposition 3	Taxes	Prohibit a wealth or net worth tax	a	1,712,458 (68%)	809,815 (32%)
LRCA	Proposition 4	Education, Property, and Taxes	Increase homestead tax exemption to $100,000 and increase state funding for public education	a	2,121,784 (83%)	421,177 (17%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Education and Budgets	Renames the National Research University Fund to the Texas University Fund and establishes an ongoing revenue source from the accrued interest of the economic stabilization fund	a	1,622,620 (64%)	898,790 (36%)
LRCA	Proposition 6	Water and Budgets	Creates the Texas Water Fund to finance water projects	a	1,969,996 (78%)	566,712 (22%)
LRCA	Proposition 7	Energy, Utilities, and Budgets	Creates the Texas Energy Fund and authorizes funding to modernize electric generation facilities	a	1,644,279 (65%)	888,410 (35%)
LRCA	Proposition 8	Utilities and Budgets	Creates the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund to finance high-speed broadband access	a	1,750,736 (69%)	770,112 (31%)
LRCA	Proposition 9	Pension	Authorizes the state legislature to make cost-of-living adjustments or other benefit enhancements to eligible annuitants of the teacher retirement system	a	2,145,585 (84%)	416,824 (16%)

Wisconsin

See also: Wisconsin 2023 ballot measures

April 4:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Law enforcement	Authorize the state legislature to define serious harm in relation to the conditions a judge imposes on an accused person released before conviction	a	1,163,303 (67%)	584,624 (33%)
LRCA	Question 2	Law enforcement	Authorize judges to impose cash bail on an accused person of a violent crime based on circumstances, like the need to protect the community from serious harm and the probability the accused will not appear in court	a	1,186,025 (68%)	569,286 (32%)
AQ	Question 3	Welfare	Advise the state legislature to require able-bodied childless adults to look for work in order to receive tax-payer funded welfare benefits	a	1,417,035 (80%)	363,941 (20%)

See also

• Laws governing ballot measures
• States with initiative or referendum