Middleton, Wisconsin--(Newsfile Corp. - October 20, 2026) - Ballotpedia today released its list of 50 ballot measures to watch ahead of the November 3 general election, when voters in 39 states will decide 145 statewide measures.

"Voters in 39 states will be making policy decisions directly on November 3, on questions ranging from who can vote to how states tax income and wealth," said Ryan Byrne, Ballotpedia's Ballots Team Managing Editor. "This list is a starting point. Our goal is to give voters, journalists, and researchers clear, neutral information on every measure, including what it would do, who supports and opposes it, and how it fits into broader trends across the states."

By the numbers:

• 34 statewide measures on election policy, including six on citizenship requirements for voting, six on voter identification, and seven on the initiative and referendum process
• 48 statewide measures on taxes, spending, and business regulations, including eight on income and wealth taxes and 12 on property taxes
• 14 statewide measures on constitutional rights, across 11 policy topics
• 10 statewide measures on abortion, sex, and gender policy
• 6 statewide housing measures in four states, the most in a single year since 2006
• 41+ local data center measures in November, out of 49 across 13 states in 2026

What's on the ballot

The list spans seven topics: election and voting policy; abortion, sex, and gender policy; taxes, spending, and business regulations; energy, housing, and development; constitutional rights; firearms; and criminal justice and marijuana.

• Election and voting policy: Six states will decide on measures specifying that only U.S. citizens may vote in state and local elections, following 15 such measures approved between 2018 and 2025. Of seven initiative and referendum measures, five would add requirements or restrictions, and two would expand or reinforce the process.
  
  • Measures to watch include Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (repeal top-four ranked-choice voting), Massachusetts Question 3 (top-two primaries), and two 60% vote requirements for constitutional amendments in North Dakota and South Dakota.
• Abortion, sex, and gender policy: Measures in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia would establish a constitutional or legal right to abortion. Missouri Amendment 3 would repeal the reproductive freedom amendment approved in 2024 and prohibit abortion with specified exceptions. Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Washington will hold the first statewide votes on sex-based requirements for school sports. Colorado and Missouri will decide measures prohibiting certain medical or surgical procedures for transgender minors.
• Taxes, spending, and business regulations: California Proposition 40 would create the nation's first state wealth tax. Other measures include a graduated income tax (Colorado Amendment 87) and a 4.4% income tax rate cap (Colorado Proposition 136), as well as a repeal of Washington's tax on household income over $1 million (Initiative 645). Local measures include a proposed public bank in San Francisco.
• Energy, housing, and development: Six housing measures in four states address development funding, housing assistance, and zoning. Colorado Amendment 82 would establish a constitutional right to buy and sell natural gas for cooking or heating. All six local data center measures decided earlier in 2026 favored greater limits on development; November's measures would variously allow, limit, or add requirements to projects.
• Constitutional rights: Fourteen measures would establish, expand, or repeal state constitutional rights, including Vermont Proposal 4 (equal protection), Virginia Question 2 (remove the constitutional same-sex marriage ban), and Wisconsin Question 2 (prohibit government closure of places of worship during emergencies).
• Firearms: Arkansas Issue 2 (right to keep and bear arms) and Massachusetts Question 9 (firearm regulations referendum).
• Criminal justice and marijuana: Bail measures in Indiana, Louisiana, and Tennessee would expand when courts may deny bail, and two Colorado measures would increase penalties. From 2012 through 2020, proposals to reduce penalties or ease bail restrictions outnumbered proposals to increase them, 11 to five. From 2022 through 2026, all 16 such proposals would increase penalties or restrict bail. Massachusetts Question 8 would end recreational marijuana sales while allowing limited possession.

Go deeper

• Full list of 50 ballot measures to watch
• All 2026 statewide ballot measures
• Topic trend pages with measure summaries, endorsements, campaign finance, polling, and historical context

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. And as voters increasingly turn to search engines and AI to learn who and what is on their ballot, independent research ranks Ballotpedia among the sources those tools cite most often. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of volunteers into an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. A nonprofit dedicated to an educated, engaged electorate and a strong, healthy democracy, Ballotpedia employs professional editorial staff who research, write, and verify its content, and offers free access to 750,000+ articles at Ballotpedia.org.

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