By David A. Lieb, Associated Press
While electing officials charged with enacting and enforcing laws, voters in dozens of states also decide on more than 140 ballot propositions that affect how people legally live, work and die.
While 10 states consider measures related to abortion or reproductive rights on Tuesday’s ballots, about a half-dozen states are weighing legalizing marijuana for recreational or medical use. About two dozen measures focus on future elections, including several that specifically prohibit non-citizens from voting. Other state measures affect wages, taxes, housing and education.
Many of the ballot measures were initiated by citizen petitions that bypass state legislatures, although others were presented to voters by legislators.
Marijuana legalization
Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota are deciding whether to. legalize recreational marijuana for adults. The election marks the third vote on the issue in both North Dakota y South Dakota. In Nebraska, voters are considering a pair of measures that would legalize medical marijuana and regulate the sector.
Approximately half of the states currently allow recreational marijuana and a dozen more allow medical marijuana.
In Massachusetts, a ballot measure would legalize the possession and supervised consumption of natural psychedelics, including psilocybin mushrooms. It would be the third state to do so, after Oregon y Colorado.
Immigration
An Arizona Measure crafted in the midst of an immigration surge, would make it a state crime to enter from a foreign country except through official ports of entry and for someone already in the United States illegally to apply for public benefits using false documents.
The border crossing measure is similar to. a contested Texas law which, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, violates federal authority.
School Choice
A proposal amendment to the Kentucky Constitution. would allow legislators to use state funds for private schools. A measure in Colorado would create a constitutional right to school choice for K-12 students.
In Nebraskavoters decide whether to repeal a new state law that funds private college tuition with state money.
Most states offer some type of state-backed program to help cover private school costs.
Sports betting
Missouri voters are deciding whether to become the latest in legalize sports betting. A total of 38 states and Washington, D.C., have already legalized sports betting. allow sports bettingwhich has expanded rapidly since the U.S. Supreme Court. paved the way for it in 2018.
Taxes
A proposal from Colorado would make it the second state after California to impose a tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, the proceeds of which will be used primarily for crime victim services. The federal government already taxes the sale of guns and ammunition.
North Dakota voters are considering a measure to. eliminate property taxes. If passed, local governments could need more than $3 billion biennially in replacement revenue from the state.
A South Dakota measure would repeal the state sales tax on grocery sales, a measure already adopted in most other states.
An Oregon measure would increase the minimum tax on large businesses to fund a tax break for residents.
Housing
California voters are deciding whether to repeal a 1995 law that limits local rent control ordinances. If passed, it would open the way for local governments to expand limitations on the fees landlords can charge.
A unique proposal in Arizona links real estate taxes to responses to homelessness. It would allow property owners to apply for property tax refunds if they incur costs because a local government refused to enforce ordinances against illegal camping, loitering, begging, public consumption of alcohol and drugs, and other things.
Climate
Washington state voters are considering whether to repeal a 2021 law that would limits carbon emissions and creates a market for companies that exceed the mark to buy rights from others. Washington was the second state to launch such a program, after California.
Citizen Voting
Republican-led legislatures in eight states – Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin – have proposed state constitutional amendments that declare that only citizens may vote.
A 1996 U.S. law prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and many states already have similar laws. But Republicans have insisted the possibility of non-citizen voting following the influx of immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. Although non-citizen voting has historically been infrequent, voter registration reviews prior to the election pointed to potential non-citizens registered in several states.
Some municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont and Washington D.C. allow non-citizens to vote in certain local elections.
Voting methods
Connecticut voters are considering allowing no-excuse absentee voting, joining the majority of states that already allow it.
The Montana and South Dakota measures would create an open primary election in which candidates from all parties would appear on the same ballot, with a specified number of them moving on to the general election. Measures in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada also propose open primaries with candidates from all parties, from which a specified number would move on to the general election by ranked-choice voting. An Oregon measure would require ranked-choice voting in both the primary and general election.
Ranked-choice voting is currently used in Alaska and Maine. But Alaska voters are considering whether to repeal provisions of a 2020 initiative that instituted open primaries and ranked-choice general elections.
Arizona voters are deciding between ballot proposals that would require open primaries with all-party candidates or the current partisan primary method. If both measures pass, the one that receives the most votes will go into effect.but that could be decided by a court.
Redistricting
An Ohio initiative would create a citizen commission to handle redistricting of House districts and state legislative seats, taking this task away from elected officials.
Minimum Wage
Proposals in Missouri and Alaska would gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, while requiring paid sick leave. A measure in California would gradually increase the minimum wage for all employers to $18 an hour.
A measure in Nebraska would force many companies to provide sick leave, but would not change wages.
A Massachusetts measure would gradually raise the minimum wage for tipped employees to equal that of other employees. In contrast, an Arizona measure would allow tipped workers to be paid 25% less than the minimum wage, as long as tips exceed the minimum wage threshold.
Assisted Suicide
West Virginia voters are deciding whether to amend the state constitution to ban medically assisted suicide. The measure would run counter to 10 states and Washington, D.C., where physician-assisted suicide is permitted.