Abortion and citizenship dominate ballot initiative successes

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 made abortion one of the marquee issues of this campaign season, and in 10 states, the issue showed up as ballot initiatives. In Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York, voters chose to guarantee reproductive freedom, while in Florida, the measure – which needed 60% to pass – failed with 57% of the vote. South Dakotan, meanwhile, rejected a right to abortion, while Nebraska passed a prohibition on abortions after the first trimester.

The results do confirm abortion as the animating issue many Democrats thought it would be — but also indicate many voters trusted President-elect Donald Trump when he promised to leave it to the states. Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Nevada all went for Trump while enshrining state rights to abortion, and Floridians voted overwhelmingly to do the same, even if the measure didn’t pass. Democratic promises of a national abortion guarantee didn’t cut the mustard.

Citizenship: The other big winners were a series of somewhat farcical measures that sought to make US citizenship a requirement to vote. Eagle-eyed readers will know that citizenship is already a requirement to vote, and in Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, the approved changes are all but totally symbolic. Given pervasive concerns about immigration, however, the tactic may have helped drive voters to the polls in the crucial swing states of North Carolina and Wisconsin, clinching Trump’s victory.

In Iowa, the passed citizenship measure also allows 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 before the general election. Nevada also passed a measure that will increase voter ID requirements overwhelmingly.

Marijuana: The cannabis legalization movement’s efforts went up in smoke, with all three states voting on recreational weed failing to pass the measures. Not terribly surprising in the deep red Dakotas, but take Florida’s results with a grain of salt. An overwhelming 56% majority of Floridians wanna “Pass the Dutchie ‘pon the left-hand side,” but state law requires 60% supermajorities for ballot measures.

Voting: The District of Columbia made uncharacteristic news by overwhelmingly passing a measure that allows independents to vote in primaries and established a ranked-choice system — common in Europe, but new to the US scene. Idaho and South Dakota, meanwhile, rejected a similar open primary and ranked-choice system, and Colorado looks likely to do the same. Open primaries weren’t on the ballot in Oregon, but voters rejected ranked-choice. In Alaska, a measure to repeal ranked-choice voting is neck-and-neck, too close to call at the time of writing.