The Hot Sheet

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BALLOT MEASURE LANDSCAPE RIGHT NOW

The Toplines

  • BISC tracked 145 measures on the November 2026 ballot, more than half of which were proposed by state legislatures.
  • BISC continues to monitor 210 active bills related to direct democracy as of September 4.
  • Research shows that efforts to suppress the power of the people are fueling resistance and driving voters to take action to defend our democracy.
  • This year may be heavy on defense, but the 2026 ballot also included many initiatives to strengthen our rights and build the future our communities deserve.

Emerging Trend

Attacks on Democracy Igniting Voter Engagement

In the lead-up to this November’s general election, Americans witnessed escalating attacks on our democratic rights. The laundry list of examples includes voter roll purges, a Supreme Court decision to weaken the voting power of Black and Brown communities, a (failed) legislative measure that proposed the country’s most extreme standard for ballot initiatives, and an FBI raid on an Ohio voting rights organization. 

But, unsurprisingly, the public blowback to these nefarious proposals has been fierce. Efforts to undermine the power of the people are driving increased political engagement from voters eager to defend their individual liberties and American democracy at large. Only time and election results will tell if voters’ attitudes toward these attacks was enough to stifle further bad-faith attempts, but the research looks promising.

For example, BISC’s multi-state research on ballot initiatives shows that not only are voters overwhelmingly opposed to government attacks on direct democracy, 4 in 5 say they are less likely to support lawmakers who interfere with the People’s Tool or attempt to overturn the will of the people. And recent research from the HIT Strategies Black Opps Project reveals that attempts to undermine Black political power are increasingly motivating Black voters to defend their freedoms at the polls. For example, 75% of Black voters say they are willing to take three or more political actions (e.g. voting, signing petitions, registering voters, etc.) compared to 62% in October 2025. 

Examples of upcoming anti-democratic ballot measures that could fuel voter resistance include a Nevada photo ID voting requirement, a legislatively-referred measure in Utah requiring citizen-led efforts to pass by at least 60% if they include certain tax-related changes, and an Idaho ban on citizen-backed proposals regarding marijuana and other substances.

2026 Ballot Measure Landscape

As of September 14, BISC is tracking 145 measures certified for the November 2026 ballot.

BISC tracked 145 measures certified for the November 2026 ballot.

2026 Ballot Measures to Watch

Bodily Autonomy

Democracy

  • FAILED: Arizona Prop. 144: Voter Identification and Citizenship Voting Requirements Amendment (LR)
    • Requires all voters — including those voting by mail — to show proof of identity. Limits acceptable documentation to government-issued ID, eliminating existing options like a utility bill, bank statement, or insurance card. Gives the state legislature the power to create any other voting restrictions they want.
    • Oppose 
  • PASSED: Michigan Proposal 2: Money Out of Politics (CI)
    • Bans political contributions from regulated monopoly utilities and blocks corporations that hold or seek large state/local contracts over $250,000 from funding political campaigns. 
    • Support
  • FAILED: Missouri Prop. A: Congressional Redistricting Referendum (CR)
    • As a referendum, a ‘yes’ vote would approve the legislature’s gerrymandered congressional map and allow for the dismantling of District 5 in Kansas City, home to the state’s second-largest population of Black voters and other voters of color. A ‘no’ vote would overturn the fraught gerrymandering effort and preserve the state’s existing congressional districts.
    • Oppose
  • PASSED: Virginia Question 3: Voting Rights Restoration for Returning Citizens Upon Release (LR)
    • Restores the fundamental right to vote to returning citizens upon release from incarceration after they’ve served time for felony convictions.
    • Support

Direct Democracy

  • PASSED: Missouri Amendment 6: Initiative to Defend Direct Democracy (CI)
    • Protects and strengthens the constitutional right to the initiative and referendum process by prohibiting legislators from weakening the tool, requiring ballot language to be clear and unbiased, and making it harder for lawmakers to overturn voter-approved measures by requiring 80% approval in both legislative chambers to send any changes back to a vote of the people.
    • Support

Economic Justice

  • PASSED: Colorado Prop. NN: ABOR Revenue Cap Increase for K-12 Education (LR)
    • Raises the TABOR Revenue Cap to allow the state to increase investments in K-12 public education by 2% annually for the next 10 years.
    • Support
  • PASSED: Florida Amendment 3: Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments (LR)
    • Increases the state’s existing homestead tax exemption, reduces the assessment growth cap on non-homesteaded properties, and makes it possible to phase out non-school property taxes — primarily to the benefit of major property owners like billionaires and large corporations. 
    • Oppose
  • PASSED: Vermont Proposal 3: Right to Collectively Bargain (LR)
    • Provides that employees have a state constitutional right to join a union and engage in collective bargaining, including negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions. 
    • Support

To follow results for these and other ballot measures, head to BISC’s 2026 Election Tracker in our Ballot Hub!

For more information on our analysis or to schedule an interview with one of our policy experts, please email [email protected].