WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BALLOT MEASURE LANDSCAPE RIGHT NOW
2025 Ballot Measures to Watch
As of May 31, there are twenty measures are currently confirmed for the November 2025 ballot, including two in Colorado, 17 in Texas, and one in Washington. Six measures have already appeared on statewide ballots this spring in Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
BISC is currently tracking 61 other measures that continue to vie for the 2025 ballot, including one that has been certified to the Maine legislature and one that is facing a legal challenge.
On Ballot March 29, 2025
- Fiscal Policy
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 1: State Taxation Policy (LR) – The proposed constitutional amendment aims to reform Louisiana’s fiscal policies, tax structure, and government spending regulations as outlined in Article VII of the state constitution. Key provisions currently in the constitution would be relocated to state law. The amendment includes several significant changes, such as:
- Requiring a supermajority vote for tax legislation
- Implementing a flat income tax rate
- Modifying property tax exemptions
- Freezing the sales tax exemption on food
- Adjusting severance and cigarette taxes
- Dissolving certain education trust funds to address unfunded liabilities and support teacher salary increases.
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 1: State Taxation Policy (LR) – The proposed constitutional amendment aims to reform Louisiana’s fiscal policies, tax structure, and government spending regulations as outlined in Article VII of the state constitution. Key provisions currently in the constitution would be relocated to state law. The amendment includes several significant changes, such as:
- Criminal Legal
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 2: Jurisdiction of Courts (LR) – The amendment would allow the Louisiana Legislature to establish specialized trial courts with a two-thirds supermajority vote, replacing the current simple majority rule for creating limited jurisdiction courts. It also expands the Louisiana Supreme Court’s authority to discipline lawyers, including those admitted for specific cases and out-of-state attorneys.
- BISC Analysis: BIPOC Youth Disproportionately Affected by Prosecution Policies: Due to ongoing prejudices in the justice system as well as compounding factors such as socioeconomic status, it is children of color who are most likely to receive harsh sentences when tried as adults. The Equal Justice Initiative reports that before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide offenses, 70% of those 14 or younger who were sentenced to die in prison were children of color. And Black youths make up 77% of Louisiana’s juvenile detention system. As lawmakers continue to pursue “tough on crime” policies, it will fall to voters to advocate for meaningful justice and rehabilitation.
- BISC Analysis: BIPOC Youth Disproportionately Affected by Prosecution Policies: Due to ongoing prejudices in the justice system as well as compounding factors such as socioeconomic status, it is children of color who are most likely to receive harsh sentences when tried as adults. The Equal Justice Initiative reports that before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide offenses, 70% of those 14 or younger who were sentenced to die in prison were children of color. And Black youths make up 77% of Louisiana’s juvenile detention system. As lawmakers continue to pursue “tough on crime” policies, it will fall to voters to advocate for meaningful justice and rehabilitation.
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 3: Legislative Authority to Determine Crimes for Trying Juveniles as Adults (LR) – The proposed amendment would remove the current list of crimes specified in the state constitution that allow juveniles to be tried as adults under special circumstances. Instead, it would grant the Louisiana Legislature the authority to determine, through state law, which crimes can lead to juveniles being tried as adults.
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 2: Jurisdiction of Courts (LR) – The amendment would allow the Louisiana Legislature to establish specialized trial courts with a two-thirds supermajority vote, replacing the current simple majority rule for creating limited jurisdiction courts. It also expands the Louisiana Supreme Court’s authority to discipline lawyers, including those admitted for specific cases and out-of-state attorneys.
- Democracy
- [FAILED] Louisiana Act 4: Elections to fill newly-created judgeships and judicial vacancies (LR) – The amendment would revise the process for filling judicial vacancies in Louisiana. It would require special elections to fill vacancies to be held on the next gubernatorial or congressional election date if within 12 months of the vacancy, aligning with state law. Currently, the constitution mandates the governor to call a special election within 12 months of the vacancy. Until the election, the Louisiana Supreme Court would appoint an interim judge to serve the remainder of the term, who would remain ineligible to run for the office.
On Ballot April 1, 2025
- Democracy
- [PASSED] Wisconsin Photographic identification for voting (LR) – Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?
- Passed in 2011, Wisconsin’s existing photo ID requirement was already considered one of the strictest in the nation. While the measure did not change the state’s existing voter ID requirements, it makes them more difficult to repeal and limits the courts’ ability to protect voters who may be disenfranchised.
- The legislatively-referred question appeared on the same ballot as the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. At 4-3, the court currently had a slim liberal majority and the GOP was likely hoping to shift the tides in their favor.
- Notably, the successful candidate (backed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin) was the lead attorney in an unsuccessful lawsuit that challenged the current voter ID law in 2011.
- BISC Analysis: The Specter of Non-Citizen Voting: Unfounded claims of widespread non-citizen voting fraud have resulted in a slate of proposed (and passed) ballot measures that seek to address this non-issue. But while the claims may be based in fiction, the potential impacts are very much a reality. A 2024 survey revealed that proving citizenship can be a challenge for 1 in 10 U.S. citizens and worse: more than 3.8 million people don’t have any form of proof of citizenship documentation, whether that be a birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship. Additionally the lack of documentation “disproportionately affects marginalized racial and ethnic groups.” As state legislatures look to further limit voting rights, they are both threatening voter accessibility for U.S. citizens and stripping undocumented community members of their ability to weigh in on state and local issues as previously permitted.
- [PASSED] Wisconsin Photographic identification for voting (LR) – Shall section 1m of article III of the constitution be created to require that voters present valid photographic identification verifying their identity in order to vote in any election, subject to exceptions which may be established by law?
On Ballot May 6, 2025
- Fiscal Policy
- [PASSED] Ohio HJR 8: Local Public Infrastructure Bond (LR) – This ballot measure would amend the Ohio Constitution to permit the issuance of additional general obligation bonds of up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds, limited to $250 million per year, to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure improvement projects.
- BISC ANALYSIS: The Practicality and Pragmatism of Community Care Ballot Measures: While voters may disagree on which candidates they trust most or the priorities of their political parties, they are more likely to agree on practicalities that stand to improve their lives. Take for example the slate of voter-approved measures that have won minimum wage increases and paid sick leave in recent years, or the nearly 69% approval for a Nevada measure to exempt diapers from the sales tax. Or consider the fact that nearly every Medicaid Expansion ballot initiative in the country has passed. Of course, no measure is a sure thing; in November voters in California rejected a public infrastructure-related measure while Massachusetts voters rejected a measure to require tipped workers be paid the full minimum wage. But at a time when voters feel disenfranchised and disconnected from the debates taking place inside our state capitol buildings or the halls of Congress, direct democracy allows us to directly engage and make a tangible impact in our day-to-day lives — right down to funding repairs for the local roads we drive to work and water treatment for the cities and towns we call home.
- [PASSED] Ohio HJR 8: Local Public Infrastructure Bond (LR) – This ballot measure would amend the Ohio Constitution to permit the issuance of additional general obligation bonds of up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds, limited to $250 million per year, to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure improvement projects.
On Ballot November 4, 2025
- Democracy
- Maine: An Act to Require an Individual to Present Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting (CI) – Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?
- Maine historically has one of the highest rates of voter participation in the nation — a distinction that could easily be threatened by passage of this initiative.
- BISC Analysis: Voter ID Marketing Masks Broader Vote Suppression: Why is it that the initiative has been branded by many as simply a ‘Voter ID’ measure despite its laundry list of other anti-voting proposals? The answer could lie in the banal acceptance of voter ID requirements. Across the country, 36 states already require voters to present some form of identification at the polls and on April 1, nearly 63% of Wisconsin voters opted to enshrine such a requirement in their state constitutions. Many see it as an easy (it’s not) and sensible step to protect against widespread election fraud (of which there is no sound evidence), but nothing about this initiative should be interpreted as easy or sensible. From ending ongoing absentee status for seniors and people with disabilities to shortening the absentee voting period to limiting the number of ballot drop boxes, this measure is committed to making voting infinitely more challenging.
- Maine: An Act to Require an Individual to Present Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting (CI) – Do you want to change Maine election laws to eliminate two days of absentee voting, prohibit requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, end ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, ban prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limit the number of drop boxes, require voters to show certain photo ID before voting, and make other changes to our elections?
- Fiscal Policy
- Texas: Prohibit Taxes on Certain Securities Transactions (LR) – This amendment would ban the legislature from taxing securities transactions or imposing occupation taxes on entities that trade securities. It aligns with federal definitions and exempts general business, sales, and mineral taxes, ensuring only targeted securities taxes are restricted.
- Washington: Allow Investment of Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Fund (LR) – The constitutional amendment would allow Washington’s WA Cares Fund (a payroll tax-funded, state-run long-term care program providing up to $36,500 in lifetime benefits) to be invested in stocks and equities, aiming to improve the fund’s long-term solvency after a state analysis warned current funding may be insufficient.
Certified to the Legislature
- Criminal Legal System
- Maine: An Act to Protect Maine Communities by Enacting the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (CI) – The initiative would create a process for obtaining an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), enabling family members, household members, or law enforcement to request an order that limits a person’s access to dangerous weapons if they present a significant risk of causing physical harm.
Ballot Measure Progress
Progressive policies are passing at the ballot in Red, Blue, and Purple states such as Florida, Arizona, Missouri, and Ohio. Through the power of direct democracy, the people are transforming power, advancing racial equity, and galvanizing a new progressive base.
Through the power of direct democracy, citizens have passed policies such as:
- Minimum wage increases
- Protecting and expanding reproductive freedoms
- Decriminalization of marijuana
- Paid Family Leave
- Medicaid expansion
- Taxing the wealthy
- Restoration of voting rights
- Reparations
- Transforming public safety
Attacks on the Ballot Measure Process
In 2017, BISC monitored just 33 bills relating to the ballot measure process. Compare that to 2023 legislative sessions in which 165 bills were introduced in 39 states that would impact the ballot initiative process, 76 of which sought to restrict or undermine the process.
As of May 31, BISC has tracked 282 bills from 2025 legislative seasons related to direct democracy. At least 148 of these have featured some level of attack on the People’s Tool. We continue to monitor 71 active bills across 14 states and Washington D.C. related to direct democracy (at least 30 of which feature some level of attack). 49 bills have already passed in state houses and three others have been vetoed by governors.
What does an attack on direct democracy look like?
Some tactics used by lawmakers who are attempting to weaken the ballot initiative process include:
- Proposing legislation to make the ballot process harder to access
- Bringing forth legal challenges against initiatives that have been already been approved by voters
- Blocking the implementation of ballot measures that have already passed
Why are the attacks happening?
Efforts to undermine and weaken ballot measures have been increasing since the 2016 election in response to progressive wins and people-powered democracy at the ballot box.
In many states, some politicians and wealthy special interests are trying to make it harder for voters to propose and pass ballot initiatives under the cover of so-called “reforms.” These attacks have escalated and have become more nuanced, sophisticated, and would have deeper impacts on the initiative process. These restrictive measures take a variety of forms, but they all serve the same function: to undermine the will of the people and diminish their decision-making power. BISC and our partners are fighting back against these attacks and spearheading the movement to #DefendDirectDemocracy.
As we continue to face rising restrictions on voting rights, reproductive freedoms, and civil liberties, it is more important than ever to protect our freedom to shape the laws that govern us — especially through ballot initiatives. Together, we can fight against the anti-democracy initiatives that threaten our livelihoods and work to build a democracy rooted in equity and justice, where all people are treated with dignity and thrive.
For more information on our analysis or to schedule an interview with one of our policy experts, please contact our Strategic Communications Director, Caroline Sanchez Avakian at [email protected]