As 2023 coincides neither with the calendar for regular federal elections nor with most elections for state offices (save for Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia), most 2023 ballot measures either coincided with municipal or judicial elections or were held on separate dates as the sole questions on the ballot. With 47 ballot measures sent to the statewide ballot in multiple states, 2023 had the highest number of statewide ballot measures approved for the ballot in an odd-year election since 2007, when 45 measures (four citizen initiatives, 41 legislative referrals) were certified for statewide ballots. Ballot measures were also held at the local and tribal level.
List by state
Colorado Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Legislature Failed Proposition HH Reduce property tax rates; allow the state to retain and spend revenues that it would otherwise be required to refund to residents under the Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR); create a new, increased cap on state revenue, allowing the state to retain and spend additional revenue each year up to the Proposition HH Cap; allocate revenue to local governments to make up for decreased property tax revenues; and create a limit on local government property tax revenue. Nov7 682,66740.69% 995,25959.31% Legislature Approved Proposition II Allow the state to keep revenue that exceeds official projections from increased taxes on cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine products, which voters approved as Proposition EE; and require the state to spend this revenue on preschool programs. Nov7 1,130,04767.53% 543,40532.47%
Louisiana Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 1, Ban on Private or Foreign Funding of Election Costs Amendment Prohibit state and local governments from using funds, goods, and services donated by foreign governments or nongovernmental (private) sources for the purpose of conducting elections. Oct14 734,32472.57% 277,56427.43% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 2, Constitutional Right to Worship in a Church or Place of Worship Amendment Provide in the state constitution that "the freedom to worship in a church or other place of worship is a fundamental right that is worthy of the highest order of protection;" and provide that a legal challenge brought against a state or a local government action for conflicting with the right would be required to be examined by a court with strict scrutiny. Oct14 805,67679.20% 211,62120.80% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 3, State Retirement System Funding Amendment Require a minimum of 25% of state revenue that is designated as nonrecurring to be applied to the balance of the unfunded liability of the state retirement system. Oct14 559,54056.16% 436,71743.84% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 4, Prohibit Property Tax Exemptions for Nonprofits Owning Damaged Residential Property Amendment Prohibit a nonprofit organization from receiving a property tax exemption if they own residential property that is in such a state of disrepair that it is dangerous to the public's health or safety, as determined by the governing authority of the municipality or parish the property is located in. Oct14 661,33266.00% 340,63234.00% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 1, Gubernatorial Deadlines on Bills and Legislative Veto Sessions Amendment Providing that the governor's deadline to act on a bill is based on the legislative session in which the bill was passed rather than whether or not the legislature is in session and that the legislature may consider vetoed bills during a regular or extraordinary session rather than convening a separate veto session. Nov18 387,20761.03% 247,26638.97% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 2, Remove Constitutional References to Inactive State Funds Amendment Repeal constitutional provisions establishing various state funds that are now inactive and allows for remaining money in the funds to be transferred to the state general fund. Nov18 346,76654.70% 287,21145.30% Legislature Approved Louisiana Amendment 3, Property Tax Exemptions for First Responders Amendment Authorize local governments to provide an additional property tax exemption of up to $2,500 for first responders including fire fighters, emergency medical service personnel, emergency response dispatchers, peace officers, police officers, and sheriffs. Nov18 338,82353.00% 300,47747.00% Legislature Failed Louisiana Amendment 4, Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund Amendment Allow the state legislature, through a two-thirds supermajority vote, to use up to $250 million of funds in the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to alleviate a budget deficit. Nov18 278,00944.01% 353,622 55.99%
Maine Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Citizens Approved Maine Question 1 Require voter approval for certain state entities, municipal electric districts, electrification cooperatives, or consumer-owned transmission utilities to incur a total outstanding debt that exceeds $1 billion. Nov7 260,67065.47% 137,47834.53% Citizens Approved Maine Question 2, Prohibit Foreign Spending in Elections Initiative Prohibit foreign governments, or entities with at least 5% foreign government ownership or control, from spending money to influence ballot measures or candidate elections. Nov7 348,78186.33% 55,22613.67% Citizens Failed Maine Question 3, Pine Tree Power Company Initiative Create the Pine Tree Power Company, an electric transmission and distribution utility governed by an elected board, and would allow the company to purchase and acquire all investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities in Maine. Nov7 122,96130.26% 283,401 69.74% Citizens Approved Maine Question 4, "Right to Repair Law" Vehicle Data Access Requirement Initiative Require motor vehicle manufacturers to standardize on-board vehicle diagnostics and make access to vehicle systems available to owners and third-party independent shops for repairs. Nov7 341,57484.38% 63,20815.62% Legislature Approved Maine Question 5, Change Time Period of Judicial Review of Initiative Petitions Amendment Change the timeline for the judicial review of initiative petitions, including: changing the judicial review period from within 100 days of a petition being filed to within 100 business days of a petition being filed; and allowing for the judicial review period to begin 30 days after a general election when an initiative petition is filed within 30 days of a general election. Nov7 227,60257.70% 166,87642.30% Legislature Approved Maine Question 6, Require Indian Treaty Obligations and Other Constitutional Provisions Included in Official Printing Amendment Require Maine Indian Treaty Obligations, codified as Section 5 of Article X of the Maine Constitution, and Sections 1 and 2 of Article X to be included in official printed copies of the constitution. Nov7 289,81872.95% 107,46627.05% Legislature Failed Maine Question 7, Remove Residency Requirement for Initiative Petition Circulators Amendment Remove a constitutional provision, previously found unconstitutional by a federal appellate court, that says a circulator for a citizen initiative or referendum petition must be a citizen of Maine. Nov7 122,64631.26% 269,699 68.74% Legislature Failed Maine Question 8, Repeal Constitutional Provision Prohibiting Voting for Individuals Under Guardianship Due to Mental Illness Amendment Remove a constitutional provision, previously found unconstitutional by a federal district court in 2001, that says individuals under guardianship for reasons of mental illness cannot vote for governor, senators, and representatives. Nov7 184,06346.58% 211,120 53.42%
New York Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Legislature Approved New York Proposal 1, Remove Debt Limit on Small City School Districts Amendment Eliminate the constitutional debt limit for small city school districts, which amounted to 5% of the average full value of the last five years' property tax rolls within the district. Nov7 1,504,08364.34% 833,75835.66% Legislature Approved New York Proposal 2, Exclude Indebtedness for Sewage Facilities Amendment Allow municipalities to exclude from their constitutional debt limits indebtedness for the construction or reconstruction of sewage facilities for an additional ten years (2024-2034). Nov7 1,582,38268.00% 744,69632.00%
Ohio Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Legislature Failed Ohio Issue 1 Increase the voter approval threshold for new constitutional amendments to 60%; require citizen-initiated constitutional amendment campaigns to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from half (44) of the counties; and eliminate the cure period of 10 days for campaigns to gather additional signatures for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments when the original submission did not have enough valid signatures. Aug8 1,329,05242.89% 1,769,482 57.11% Citizens Approved Ohio Issue 1 Provide a state constitutional right to "make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to" decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy, and allow the state to restrict abortion after fetal viability, except when “necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.” Nov7 2,227,38456.78% 1,695,48043.22% Citizens Approved Ohio Issue 2 Legalize marijuana in Ohio, including: allowing the sale and purchase of marijuana, which a new Division of Cannabis Control would regulate; allowing adults who are at least 21 years old to use and possess marijuana, including up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana; and enacting a 10% tax on marijuana sales. Nov7 2,226,39957.19% 1,666,316642.81%
Oklahoma Origin Status Measure Description (Result of a "yes" vote) Date Yes No Citizens Failed Oklahoma State Question 820 Legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years old and older, allowing adults to possess up to one ounce (28.35 grams) of marijuana and grow up to six mature marijuana plants and up to six seedlings, and enacting a tax on marijuana sales. Mar7 217,07838.33% 349,284 61.67%
Texas