July 2026 Hot Sheet: State Advocates Fight to Defend Direct Democracy
By: Hillary-Anne Crosby, Senior Manager of Public Policy Communications
Welcome back to The Hot Sheet!
Here, we give you a quick rundown of what you need to know about the ballot measure landscape — the trends, legislative analysis, highlights of what’s on the ballot, and why it all matters.
For more in-depth analysis, our latest voter attitudes research, and information on the measures we’re tracking, head to our Ballot Measure Hub.
The Toplines
- As of July 8, BISC is tracking a total of 213 ballot measures, with 127 measures certified for the 2026 ballot.
- BISC continues to monitor 209 active bills related to direct democracy as of July 1. At least 77 of these feature some level of attack on the People’s Tool.
- State advocates are using ballot initiatives to defend direct democracy amid ongoing attacks on the process.
- An extreme legislatively-referred ballot measure in Missouri could make it nearly impossible to pass citizen-led constitutional amendments.
- In Utah, a legislatively-referred measure is attempting to require supermajority support to pass any tax-related measures proposed by citizens.
- Unhappy with years of successful progressive ballot initiatives, extremist lawmakers are pushing for a double-standard to put citizen-led efforts at a disadvantage.
- There’s still time to sign up for Roadtrip to Victory, BISC’s free virtual summer training series running until Labor Day!
2026 Qualified Ballot Measures
As of July 8, BISC is tracking 127 measures certified for 2026 ballots. 8 of these are on primary ballots in Alaska, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
As of July 1, BISC continues to monitor 209 bills related to direct democracy filed around the country. Of these, at least 77 feature some level of attack on the People’s Tool.
Emerging Trend
Issue: Direct Democracy
Missouri Amendment 4: Concurrent Supermajority Requirement for Citizen-Led Amendments (LR)
What It Does: This measure would require that any citizen-led ballot initiative proposing a constitutional amendment would have to receive majority support both statewide and in each congressional district in order to pass. (Legislatively-referred amendments would still need only a simple majority.) The measure also bars foreign nationals from donating to ballot measure campaigns and gives the Missouri attorney general the exclusive authority to prosecute petition fraud.
Why It Matters: The amendment adds minority rule to the Missouri constitution, enabling as few as 5% of the state’s voters to crush a popular measure. Under the proposal, past initiatives like Medicaid Expansion and restored abortion rights would have failed. While 60% supermajority requirements in states like Florida have made it incredibly difficult to pass initiatives, no other state laws even come close to Amendment 4’s extreme standards.
Utah SJR 2: Supermajority Requirement for Tax-Related Ballot Initiatives (LR)
What It Does: This constitutional amendment requires that any tax-related citizen-initiated ballot measures must pass by at least 60% in order to take effect. Legislatively-referred measures would not be affected and would continue to pass with a simple majority.
Why It Matters: This is thought to be the latest step in an ongoing strategy to make all of Utah’s citizen-led initiatives harder to qualify and pass. Following increased petition requirements and together deadlines, this proposal comes as extremist lawmakers grow more frustrated over state courts blocking their efforts to overturn or weaken voter-approved measures. Critics of SJR 2 and advocates for direct democracy argue that these kinds of attacks fly in the face of the Utah Constitution and a state supreme court ruling that affirmed Utahns have the right to the People’s Tool.
BISC ANALYSIS: Extremist Lawmakers Pushing a Dubious Double-Standard: In both cases, these measures would increase demands on citizen-led efforts while safeguarding the status quo for legislators’ own measures. While Americans across the political spectrum would agree that our democracy is anchored in majority rule, extremist lawmakers in Missouri and Utah are attempting to add minority rule to their state constitutions. The People’s Tool has been used in these states to create life-changing policies for communities when their gridlocked legislators refused to act; but rather than following the leads of their voters, legislators are instead trying to rewrite the rules of the game. The double-standard proposed in these supermajority requirements would allow lawmakers to focus on laws that benefit their priorities and those of special interests while allowing progressive policies to languish at the ballot box when they can’t clear an impossibly high hurdle.
In Case You Missed It
BISC’S Free Summer Training Series: Road Trip to Victory: Running June 17 through Labor Day, this nine-module training program is designed for ballot measure leaders navigating real-time campaign challenges. Led by experienced practitioners from across the country, sessions are grounded in today’s political environment and focused on practical strategies campaigns can use immediately. While primarily designed for active 2026 campaigns, the series is also open to organizers planning for 2027 and beyond. Sign up today!
BISC’S Substack: Direct Democracy Dispatch: At this pivotal moment for our democracy, it’s never been more important to keep up with the rapidly changing ballot measure landscape and find resources to support the campaigns driving real change. Whether it’s sharing campaign updates, uplifting the ballot measure leaders running these campaigns, breaking down the top ballot measure news stories of the day, or analyzing the latest trends, #DirectDemocracyDispatch is home to everything you need to stay engaged, informed, and involved as the 2026 elections approach. Subscribe to our Substack now so you don’t miss a thing!
BISC’s Resource Library: Our Partner Portal Resource Library houses ballot measure information ranging from campaign tools, templates, and past campaign materials (Values, MOUS, RFPs, etc.) — to campaign debriefs and memos highlighting best practices. This library is a unique resource that can help campaigns and organizations build strategies and operationalize racial equity. To request access to the library, please email [email protected]