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US Politics

Voters decide 145 state ballot measures on abortion, voting rules, taxes and more

Missouri voters weigh replacing their abortion rights amendment with a ban, while the ballot also carries redistricting and voter ID questions during the midterms.

8 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsTrump's priorities tested through state ballot measuresCenter4 outletsA crowded ballot spanning rights, taxes and housingConservative1 outletBillionaire tax, redistricting wars and abortion on ballots
Published 4 min read
Overview

Voters in the United States are deciding 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments on Tuesday, Nov. 3, on the same day as elections that will determine control of . Newsweek reports that residents of 39 states face these statewide questions, which range from abortion and same-sex marriage to taxes, housing, transgender policy and criminal justice. In Missouri, the Republican-led Legislature put a measure on the ballot to undo the 2024 abortion rights amendment and write a new ban into the constitution.

The ban would allow exceptions for medical emergencies and fetal anomalies, and for rape or incest during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The Associated Press reports that abortion rights advocates have greatly outspent abortion foes there. Measures in Idaho, Nevada and Virginia would create abortion protections.

Missouri's new House districts cannot be used unless voters approve them in a November . If passed, they would take effect for the 2028 election. Maryland voters decide on an amendment that could pave the way for new congressional districts in 2028.

Newsweek lists voter ID measures in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio. Six states also have measures saying that voting is limited to U.S. citizens. Five states have measures on transgender athletes or medical procedures.

Key figures
  • 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments on state ballots, per the Associated Press — The Seattle Times
  • 39 states where residents vote on statewide measures, per Newsweek — Newsweek
  • 12 weeks limit for the rape or incest exception in Missouri's proposed abortion ban — The Seattle Times
  • 5 percent one-time tax on covered assets exceeding $1 billion in California's Proposition 40 — Newsweek
  • $11.25 billion in housing bonds that California Proposition 1 would authorize, per Newsweek — Newsweek

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

Trump's priorities tested through state ballot measures

The Boston Globe runs the Associated Press report headlined with Trump's agenda meeting the ballot box. It opens with a battle over abortion rights in several states and 145 proposed laws and amendments, and calls the measures a "political undercard" to the midterms. It presents some of them as a public test of Trump's priorities on , transgender athletes and voter ID.

In Missouri, it says abortion rights advocates, led by national progressive groups, have "greatly outspent" abortion foes. Maryland's Democratic proponents, backed by former President Barack Obama, urge a "yes" vote as a way to "stop Trump." The report then goes state by state, from transgender restrictions and voter ID to a Colorado immigration amendment and Arizona traffic cameras.

NPR's item, titled "Results: States decide on voter ID and redistricting ballot measures," says Alaska, Arizona, California and Nevada are among states voting on changes to how their elections are run, and that other states decide on redistricting proposals.

Center4 outlets

A crowded ballot spanning rights, taxes and housing

The Seattle Times runs the same Associated Press wire report, which opens with the abortion battle and the 145 measures. Newsweek, under "Map Shows Top Midterm Ballot Initiatives: Gay Marriage, Abortion and More," opens with dozens of "consequential" ballot questions and says residents of 39 states vote on 145 statewide measures. It reports that 164 measures were certified in 40 states during 2026, the largest even-year total since 2018.

It cites Ballotpedia for 34 election-rule measures and 13 property-tax measures. It also covers Virginia's same-sex marriage question, California's Proposition 40 and housing bonds, including $11.25 billion in Proposition 1. It quotes the National Conference of State Legislatures saying Proposition 40 would be the first state wealth tax of its kind.

NewsNation's live-results item says six states will vote on a law to "explicitly require" that voters be U.S. citizens. A Journal opinion piece, "Ballot Measures to Watch on Tuesday," lists voter ID, transgender sports and a "Frankenstein veto power."

Conservative1 outlet

Billionaire tax, redistricting wars and abortion on ballots

Just the News, in a piece by Chief Political Correspondent Ben Whedon, is headlined "Voters head to polls to decide on key ballot initiatives." It says voters are settling House and control and also questions of weight for both parties. It lists a California billionaires tax, income tax reform, redistricting and abortion.

Citing the Associated Press, it links 145 proposed laws to abortion. It singles out a Missouri referendum that would reverse an earlier one and allow exemptions for rape or incest. On redistricting, it says "the redistricting wars remain in full swing."

According to Just the News, lawmakers across the South redrew their lines, generally to Republican advantage, once the struck down race-based congressional districts in a Voting Rights Act dispute. It adds that Maryland is among the states that have floated amendments to redraw maps and counter those gains. On California, it says the billionaire's tax would be "a major boon to progressive lawmakers," while the state "already faces an exodus of high income earners."

All sources: 10 articles from 8 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (5)

Conservative (2)

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