Voters in 39 states are deciding on 145 statewide ballot measures as part of midterm elections next month. The measures span a wide range of policy areas, from taxation and property rights to social issues and voting eligibility requirements.
California’s Proposition 40 would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents with net worth exceeding $1 billion, with service industry workers estimating the measure would raise approximately $100 billion. The revenue would primarily fund state healthcare services and Medi-Cal, with remainder allocated to public education and food assistance. The state has never imposed such a wealth-based capital tax, though Massachusetts implemented a 4% surtax on income above $1 million and Washington enacted a 9.9% tax on household earnings exceeding $1 million annually. Voters in Washington will decide whether to repeal that state’s millionaire tax, while Tennessee voters will consider a constitutional amendment permanently prohibiting wealth taxes.
Property tax measures appear on ballots in multiple states. Florida’s Amendment 3 would reduce homeowner property taxes and cap assessment increases, though municipal leaders warn the measure could reduce city budgets by up to 23 percent next year. Similar measures limiting property taxes are appearing in Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Several states are considering measures affecting transgender youth. Missouri’s Amendment 3 would prohibit minors from receiving gender-transition surgeries, hormones, or puberty-blocking drugs except when unrelated to gender transition. Arizona, Nebraska, and Washington would require student athletes to participate in sports matching their biological sex, with Washington’s measure also mandating healthcare documentation. Colorado has both trans-related measures on the ballot.
Abortion access measures are appearing in Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia, while Missouri’s ballot includes Amendment 3 seeking to reinstate the state’s ability to ban abortion following a successful 2024 referendum protecting reproductive freedom. Additionally, six states will ask voters whether to explicitly require U.S. citizenship for voting eligibility. Historically, voters have supported the initiative process itself, though only about 41 percent of proposed ballot measures pass on average.
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