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Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Voters in six states will consider ballot measures this November, including a proposed redistricting amendment in California that is part of a national battle over who will control the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 elections. Colorado, Maine, New York, Texas, and Washington also have measures up for a vote this year. Seventeen of the 26 total measures will appear on Texans’ ballots. Unlike in 2024, when access to reproductive care was put to voters in 10 states, no single issue dominates across the country. Some voters will, however, see propositions similar to those popular on 2024 ballots, including adding language to constitutionally limit the right to vote to citizens and initiatives to require voter ID. Below are some of the issues the measures address. Redistricting California’s Proposition 50 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that would allow use of a new congressional district map until 2030. The map is designed to favor Democratic candidates for the U.S. House. Drawing a new map was endorsed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom after Texas Republicans, with the encouragement of President Donald Trump, began discussing—and subsequently passed—a new congressional map in their state that favors Republicans and is expected to flip five current Democratic seats. If Proposition 50 passes, five California congressional seats are expected to become either competitive for or easily winnable by Democratic candidates. Congressional maps are usually redrawn only after release of the once-a-decade census results. Midcycle redraws like Texas’ are rare. Proposition 50 would also require that, following the 2030 elections, and thus the 2030 census, power to draw congressional lines return to the state’s nonpartisan redistricting committee. Voting Voters in Texas will decide whether to amend their constitution to stipulate that “persons who are not citizens of the United States” cannot vote in their state. This proposed amendment is similar to what voters in eight states considered in 2024; all eight approved the language. Both state and federal law already limit voting to citizens only, and noncitizens voting in elections is extremely rare. In Maine, voters—via one citizen-initiated question—will decide whether to amend state law to make several voting-related changes. Multiple of the changes relate to limiting absentee voting, like eliminating two days of absentee voting, banning prepaid postage on absentee-ballot return envelopes, ending ongoing absentee-voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, and requiring voters to provide proof of photo ID before voting absentee. The measure would also require photo ID for in-person voting. Maine saw its second-highest absentee-voting levels in 2024 (bested only by the 2020 election, during the pandemic). Limiting access to mail voting is a focus of the Trump administration. The League of Women Voters has urged the state’s citizens to vote no on the question. Gun Laws Question 2 on Maine’s ballot relates to firearm restrictions. The citizen-initiated measure asks voters whether state law should be amended to “allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger” to themself or others. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is against the measure. She argues that gun laws already on the books allow law enforcement to take necessary steps to remove firearms from those who are a danger and that any removal process should be initiated by contacting law enforcement and not be left up to family members or friends to navigate court procedures. Difficulties family members could encounter if they choose the court process, such as feelings of confusion or intimidation regarding what is required, might deter them from following through with getting the necessary help, she writes. Parental Rights A proposed constitutional amendment in Texas would affirm “that parents are the primary decision makers for their children,” according to the ballot title. The Texas Tribune describes the amendment as codifying in the state constitution rights that are currently defined mostly in federal court cases. Judicial Conduct Another proposed Texas amendment would change the makeup of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, including by increasing the number of the panel’s citizen appointees, who are selected by the governor, from five to seven. This would give the governor the power to appoint a majority of the commission’s 13 members. The amendment would also alter how the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court selects the tribunals that review the commission’s recommendations for removal or retirement of a judge and restrict the commission’s ability to issue private reprimands in certain circumstances. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, previously removed acting commissioners for their 2019 decision to reprimand a judge who was refusing to conduct same-sex marriages. Environment Texas’ ballot also includes a proposed amendment that would dedicate a portion of certain tax revenue to the state’s water fund and provide for the allocation of that revenue. The amendment comes at a time when, according to at least one estimate, a major drought could render the state unable to meet its water-supply needs as soon as 2030. If the amendment passes, funds could be used to repair aging infrastructure and develop new water sources. A proposed amendment in New York would allow for the development of winter sports facilities on more than 300 acres of a sports complex in the Adirondack Mountains but would also require preserving more than 2,500 acres of land in the area. Criminal Law Texas’ Proposition 4 would make several changes to the state constitution’s provisions relating to certain criminal offenses—including capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, and indecency with a child—to deny the accused bail if the state shows, “by a preponderance of the evidence,” that bail is not sufficient to prevent the defendant’s “nonappearance” in court or ensure the safety of the community. Taxes and State Investments A majority of the ballot measures in Texas relate to taxes. Some of these measures involve a ban on capital-gains taxes for individuals or estates, a tax exemption related to “border security infrastructure,” school-tax exemptions for older adults, and increased property-tax exemptions that would allow the state’s homeowners to pay lower taxes for public-school funds. A Colorado proposition would lower some citizens’ tax-deduction limits in order to generate funds for Healthy School Meals for All programs. A proposed amendment in Washington would allow a specific state fund to be invested in stocks. Currently, the state constitution forbids investment of public funds in private stocks, thus limiting state investments to less risky options, like government bonds. The amendment had bipartisan support in the state Legislature. Most of the measures up for vote next month would amend states constitutions and were initiated by state legislators, who voted to put the measures up for public approval. Maine’s, however, are citizen-initiated legislative changes rather than constitutional amendments. The measures need a simple majority of the public vote to pass.
