Measure for Measure: Know Which Ballot Initiatives Deserve Your Vote
We are less than 3 weeks from the midterm elections, but your Congressman and Senator may not be the only choices on your ballot. Last week, we reported on the pro-life ballot initiatives. You can find that linked here. However, there are many more referenda that span a wide range of topics. Just like those on abortion, they can be complex and worded in confusing ways. We will go through several of those to ensure that you fully understand what is at stake on your ballot.
Affordability may be on the ballot in different ways — through a candidate’s policy stances or even ballot initiatives. Utah’s Constitutional Amendment B is a great example of how the state can rein in the ability to increase taxes. The initiative would require citizen-initiated statewide measures that create, expand, or increase certain taxes to receive at least 60% voter approval. This prevents tax increases that were approved by a razor-thin majority. Similarly, Iowa’s Amendment 1 would require two-thirds of the state legislature to approve tax increases. Utahns and Iowans, vote YES on Amendment B and Amendment 1.
One of the popular ballot measures is election integrity. The U.S. House of Representatives passed citizenship and identification requirements for federal elections, but these measures stalled in the Senate. If signed into law, these requirements would only be for federal elections. States would need to pass their own laws to regulate state elections. Alaska’s Measure 3, Arizona’s Proposition 144, Arkansas’s Issue 1, Kansas’s Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment, South Dakota’s Amendment J, and West Virginia’s Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment require that voters be American citizens to vote in state elections.
Arizona’s amendment also includes the use of identification to vote in state elections. Other states have joined this initiative, including Colorado’s Amendment 84, Nevada’s Question 7, North Carolina’s Require Voter Identification Amendment, and Ohio’s Issue 3. Surprisingly, California’s Proposition 39 falls under the same category. Not only does it require voter I.D., but it also requires that election officials maintain accurate voter rolls and must report the percentage of verified citizens each year. If you reside in any of these states, vote YES to require citizenship and identification to vote.
Alaska has another ballot initiative (Measure 2) that will repeal its ranked-choice voting system. Ranked-choice voting is a complicated way of choosing a candidate. Voters rank their candidates from best to worst. If the first-picked candidate does not receive enough votes to advance, your vote goes toward your second-picked candidate instead of a run-off. The voter could simply vote for only one or two candidates, but if neither advances, their vote no longer counts. This is called “exhausting the ballot.” Voters could end up ceding their votes to a candidate that does not properly represent their values. This year, this type of voting system is favoring Democrats in Alaska, which may cost Republicans seats in the House and Senate. Alaskans, vote YES on Measure 2.
While these states are seeking to keep illegal immigrants from voting in our elections, Colorado has a ballot initiative (Amendment 81) to require state law enforcement to notify the federal government when charging an illegal alien or unable to confirm their citizenship status. This is a problem across the nation, especially in blue districts where liberal prosecutors and judges refuse to report violent illegal immigrants to the Department of Homeland Security, giving them a pass to offend again. Coloradans, vote YES on Amendment 81.
Unfortunately, the state of Virginia has a way to turn all these amendments upside down. Virginia’s Question 3 would automatically restore voting rights to convicted felons upon their release from incarceration. Under the current system, the governor has the authority to restore these rights on a case-by-case basis. However, Governor Abigail Spanberger has taken that power to an extreme by restoring voting rights for over 66,000 felons, many of whom are deceased. Families of deceased individuals reportedly received notices indicating that their loved ones had regained voting rights and were once again eligible for jury duty. Felons have histories of breaking laws that are meant to keep families safe. We should not automatically restore their voting rights with a sweeping authorization. Virginians, vote NO on Question 3.
Virginians will have yet another decision to make on the ballot. Currently, Virginia’s state constitution recognizes marriage as a union between one man and one woman. However, Question 2 seeks to repeal that language. The measure cites the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which affirmed same-sex marriage nationwide. It also goes further by prohibiting the state from denying same-sex marriage licenses. This means that if a state worker has sincerely held beliefs against gay marriage, they could be prosecuted for refusing to issue a license. Virginians, vote NO on Question 2.
Vermont has decided to put sex on the ballot. Proposal 4 will add “sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression” to the list of groups that cannot be treated unequally. Categories such as race, national origin, and sex are inherent traits and religion is a freedom afforded under the United States Constitution. Creating new classifications, however, leaves other groups vulnerable to discrimination. For example, faith-based adoption agencies could be forced to place children with same-sex couples or men who identify as women would be able to use women-only private spaces. Vermonters, vote NO on Proposal 4.
Four states are choosing to stand up for women and girls on their ballots this year. Arizona’s Proposition 318, Colorado’s Proposition 134, Nebraska’s Measure 442, and Washington’s Initiative 638 seek to prohibit males from playing in female sports. Arizona’s measure goes a step further by clarifying that biological males will not be allowed in female private spaces such as locker rooms and bathrooms. This comes on the heels of executive orders at the federal level, 27 state laws, and a Supreme Court case (West Virginia v. B.P.J.) that continue to affirm the rights of biological women. For residents of these 4 states, vote YES to protect girls’ sports.
Parents will be particularly interested in Washington’s Initiative 1. This initiative would re-enact parental rights that were restricted by the state legislature last year. Parents would be allowed to review materials that their child is learning and their student’s school records. School officials would be required to notify a parent of any medical service being offered to their child and be allowed to opt out of certain services or lessons. Last year’s Supreme Court case of Mahmoud v. Taylor set precedent for parents to opt out their children from lessons that conflict with their sincere religious beliefs, further bolstering this ballot initiative. Washingtonians, vote YES on Initiative 1.
Despite this long list of ballot initiatives, there are still more! The National Conference of State Legislatures has a database of these initiatives where you can filter by state and topic. Make sure you read the full language of each measure on your ballot — not just the summary. You can also visit our Eagle Forum PAC endorsement page to see which candidates and ballot initiatives we support in your state.
