By Carley Allensworth
2026 is shaping up to be one of the busiest ballot measure years this century, with 164 statewide measures certified across 40 states, as of September 8.
Voters aren’t just picking candidates this fall — they’re deciding constitutional rights, tax policy, and how future ballot measures even get on the ballot.
By the numbers:
- 53 citizen initiatives — right at the historical average
- 9 measures in 7 states target the initiative/referendum process itself — the most this century
- 7 states have voter ID measures — the largest number in a single year
- 6 states have transgender-related sports/medical measures
- 4 states have abortion measures on the ballot, including a first-of-its-kind repeal effort in Missouri
What’s driving the volume: Above-average citizen initiative activity in Colorado, Massachusetts, and California.
Ballotpedia just launched a ballot measures hub connecting this year’s slate to historical measures, with qualification status, election dates, signature-gathering trackers, campaign finance data, and topic-trend analysis built in.
Carley Allensworth is Public and Media Relations Manager for Ballotpedia.