By year’s end, voters may have decided on as many as 160 statewide ballot measures, the most since 2018, when voters decided on 167 measures.
The number could go higher if a measure currently undergoing signature verification in Arkansas is approved. Or it could be smaller, depending on the outcome of court cases that could remove some measures from the ballot before Election Day. Earlier in 2024, voters in five states decided on nine ballot measures. In November, voters will decide on 147 statewide ballot measures in 41 states. In December, voters in Louisiana will decide on four more.
Let’s look at some of the biggest trends for state ballot measures this year: abortion policies, citizenship and voting, electoral systems, minimum wage and benefits, criminal justice, and drug use policies.
By year’s end, voters may have decided on as many as 160 statewide ballot measures, the most since 2018, when voters agreed on 167 measures. The number could go higher if a measure currently undergoing signature verification in Arkansas is approved. Or it could be smaller, depending on the outcome of court cases that could remove some measures from the ballot before Election Day. Earlier in 2024, voters in five states decided on nine ballot measures. In November, voters will decide on 147 statewide ballot measures in 41 states. In December, voters in Louisiana will decide on four more.
Some of the biggest trends for state ballot measures this year include abortion policies, citizenship and voting, electoral systems, minimum wage and benefits, criminal justice, and drug use policies.
This year, voters will decide on a record number of abortion-related measures, with 11 such measures on the ballot—the most on record for a single year. Measures in 10 states would guarantee a constitutional right to abortion, while a Nebraska initiative would prohibit abortions after the first trimester of pregnancy.
In addition, eight states will decide on measures that would prohibit noncitizen voting. Voters in these states will decide on legislatively referred constitutional amendments that would prevent the state or local governments from allowing noncitizen voting.
Furthermore, voters will decide on a record number of statewide ballot measures on electoral processes. This includes measures to adopt ranked-choice voting in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., as well as a Missouri measure to ban ranked-choice voting. Arizona voters will decide on competing measures related to partisan primaries and ranked-choice voting.
Moreover, voters in three states–Arizona, California, and Colorado–will decide on ballot measures related to criminal justice, law enforcement, and police funding. These measures address various aspects of criminal and immigration law, as well as police funding and penalties for certain crimes.
Lastly, voters in Alaska, California, Massachusetts, and Missouri will decide on minimum wage initiatives, with proposed increases to the minimum wage and additional paid sick leave requirements in Alaska and Missouri, and a raise to $18 per hour in California.
The attorney general is the state’s chief law enforcement officer. The office’s duties include prosecuting organized crime and public corruption, collecting debts, taxes, and accounts due to the state, and representing Pennsylvania and its agencies in court.
In the 2020 general election, Josh Shapiro (D) defeated Heather Heidelbaugh (R) by 50.9% to 46.3%. After he was elected governor in 2022, Shapiro appointed Henry as attorney general.
Ten states are holding attorney general elections in 2024. All 50 states have an attorney general who serves as the state’s chief legal officer. Heading into the 2024 elections, there are 22 Democratic, 27 Republican, and one independent attorney general.
DePasquale was Pennsylvania’s Auditor General from 2013 to 2021. Previously, he served in the state House and chaired the York County Democratic Party. DePasquale said, “People know I’ve got the spine to take on big corporations, big insurance companies, and to run complex investigations. And that’s what I’ll do as your attorney general.”
DePasquale said his key accomplishments as auditor general included finding 3,000 untested rape kits and 50,000 unanswered phone calls at the child abuse hotline. As attorney general, he said his priority would be protecting democracy and making sure every vote is counted, as well as protecting “abortion rights, protecting consumers, protecting our environment and also making sure that we have public safety across the state.”
Sunday has been York County’s District Attorney since 2018 and previously served in the U.S. Navy. On his campaign website, Sunday listed a 30% decrease in crime during his first term and a 40% reduction in the prison population since its peak among his accomplishments as district attorney.
Sunday said his top priority if elected would be addressing the opioid epidemic: “My philosophy of criminal justice is accountability and redemption. You have to have both. You must hold people accountable, but on the other side of it, we have to embrace redemption, and we have to do work that encompasses prevention as well.”
Justin Magill (Constitution Party), Eric Settle (Forward Party), Richard Weiss (G), and Rob Cowburn (L) are also running for attorney general.
Pennsylvania has a divided government where neither party holds triplex control. Ballotpedia defines a triplex as when one political party holds the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Pennsylvania has a Democratic governor and attorney general and a Republican secretary of state. The attorney general’s office is the only one of the three offices up for election in 2024.
Circling back around to ballot measures, let’s take a closer look at Oklahoma’s State Question 832, an initiative that would increase the state’s minimum wage. While the ballot measure was initially filed for the November 2024 ballot, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) issued an executive order placing the initiative on the June 16, 2026, primary election ballot.
According to Oklahoma Watch’s Keaton Ross, “In a statement, Stitt said setting the question for the next eligible statewide election would save the state $1.8 million. The move stands in contrast to his decision in September 2022, when he opted to set an initiative petition on recreational marijuana for a special election on March 7, 2023.”
The measure would have increased the state minimum wage to $9 per hour in 2025, $10.50 per hour in 2026, $12 per hour in 2027, $13.50 per hour in 2028, and $15 per hour in 2029. Beginning in 2030, the wage would be adjusted for inflation.
Governor Stitt’s executive order placing the measure on the June 2026 ballot included a provision stating that if the initiative is approved, it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and would not apply retroactively. This means if the measure is approved, the state’s minimum wage would not increase in 2025 or 2026 but would increase to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, 2027
Since 2009, Oklahoma’s minimum wage has been $7.25 (the federal minimum wage). As of 2024, Oklahoma was one of 20 states that used the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25. The other 30 states have state minimum wages above the federal minimum wage. The average state minimum wage in 2024 was $10.69.
Supporters of the initiative, such as Raise The Wage Oklahoma, which is leading the “Yes on SQ 832” campaign, argue that the costs of living have increased while wages have largely remained the same. They emphasize the importance of raising wages for workers in essential jobs, including those caring for vulnerable individuals in nursing homes and hospitals and those working in childcare industries.
Opponents, such as the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce, believe that increasing the minimum wage would lead to disastrous consequences. They argue that it would result in price increases amid record inflation, negatively impacting working families, businesses, and the state as a whole. They are confident that the voters of Oklahoma will agree with their position and are prepared to campaign vigorously to educate the public about the potential negative effects of the initiative.
Between 1996 and 2022, voters decided on 28 ballot measures to increase a state’s minimum wage. Of these, 26 initiatives (92.86%) were approved, while two (7.14%) were rejected. The last time voters rejected a minimum wage increase was in 1996 when measures in Missouri and Montana were turned down.
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