{ "id": "IN11000", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "number": "IN11000", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 601774, "date": "2018-11-21", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T16:15:54.630430", "title": "Election Policy on the November 2018 Ballot", "summary": "On November 6, voters in some states did not just vote on the policymakers who will represent them. They also made policy themselves, by approving or rejecting ballot measures.\nSome of the measures on state ballots included provisions that would affect the conduct of federal elections. Most of those measures succeeded. Thirteen state measures with implications for federal elections were on the ballot in 10 states, and 12 were approved.\nWhat Are Ballot Measures?\nBallot measures are policy questions that are decided by popular vote. Local measures are voted on by residents of a locality, such as a city or county, and can make changes only for that locality. State measures, like the ones discussed in this Insight, get a statewide vote and can change policy for the whole state.\nThe types of measures available vary by state and in two main ways:\nhow they reach the ballot; and\ntheir effects if approved.\nState measures may be referred to the ballot by the state legislature or, less commonly, a state commission or constitutional convention. In some states, they can also be initiated by citizens. Direct citizen initiatives and popular referendums go directly to the ballot if they get enough signatures. Indirect initiatives are submitted to the state legislature for possible adoption first. They typically go to the ballot if the legislature does not adopt them, although additional signature-gathering may be required.\nSome state measures create new policies if approved, by adding or amending state statutes or amending the state constitution. Others affect existing laws. They can be used to repeal or, in some cases, affirm previously enacted legislation.\nWhat Was on the Ballot?\nThis chart provides an overview of the state measures related to federal elections that were on the ballot on November 6.\nTable 1. Election Policy on State Ballots in November 2018\nState\nTitle\nSummary of Relevant Provisions\nType\nResults (%)\n\nArkansas\nIssue 2\nRequires voters to present photo ID\nLegislatively referred constitutional amendment\n79-21\n\nColorado\nAmendment Y\nEstablishes an independent redistricting commission\nLegislatively referred constitutional amendment\n71-29a\n\nFlorida\nAmendment 4\nRequires restoration of voting rights to voters convicted of most felonies on completion of sentence\nDirect citizen-initiated constitutional amendment\n65-35a\n\nFlorida\nAmendment 10\nRequires county election supervisors to be elected\nCommission-referred constitutional amendmentb\n63-37a\n\nMaryland\nQuestion 2\nAuthorizes the state legislature to enact Election Day registration\nLegislatively referred constitutional amendment\n68-32\n\nMichigan\nProposal 2\nEstablishes an independent redistricting commission\nDirect citizen-initiated constitutional amendment\n61-39\n\nMichigan\nProposal 3\nAuthorizes automatic and same-day registration and straight-ticket and no-excuse absentee voting and enshrines certain existing election policies in the state constitution\nDirect citizen-initiated constitutional amendment\n67-33\n\nMontana\nLR-129\nProhibits most third-party ballot collection\nLegislatively referred statutec\n63-37\n\nNevada\nQuestion 5\nEstablishes automatic registration at motor vehicle agencies\nIndirect citizen-initiated statute\n60-40\n\nNorth Carolina\nElections Board Amendment\nWould have eliminated the nonpartisan seat on the state election board and authorized state legislative leadership to nominate board members\nLegislatively referred constitutional amendment\n38-62\n\nNorth Carolina\nVoter ID Amendment\nRequires voters to present photo ID to vote in person\nLegislatively referred constitutional amendment\n55-45\n\nNorth Dakota\nMeasure 2\nClarifies that only U.S. citizens may vote\nDirect citizen-initiated constitutional amendment\n66-34\n\nUtah\nProposition 4\nEstablishes an independent redistricting commission\nDirect citizen-initiated statute\n50-50\n\nSource: CRS, based on analysis of data from Ballotpedia, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and state election offices.\nNotes: This chart does not include campaign finance measures, election-related measures that do not apply to federal elections, or provisions of the listed measures that are unrelated to elections. Some of the listed measures apply to nonfederal as well as federal elections. Results are as of November 20, 2018. Bolded italics indicate that a measure was approved.\n\nApproval required 55% of the vote in Colorado and 60% in Florida. \nFlorida has a Constitution Revision Commission that may refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. \nStatutes referred to the ballot by the Montana State Legislature and approved by voters cannot be vetoed. \nWhat Has Congress Proposed?\nMany of the election issues addressed by state ballot measures on November 6 have been the subject of legislation in the 115th Congress. Proposals include bills that would make the following changes for federal elections:\nestablish a commission to report legislation to automatically register voters when they turn 18 or gain citizenship and to restore voting rights to voters with criminal convictions on release from incarceration (H.R. 893);\nrestore voting rights to voters with criminal convictions except while incarcerated for a felony (H.R. 12, H.R. 5785, H.R. 6612, S. 1437, S. 1588);\nrequire states to either automatically register voters when they turn 18 or offer Election Day registration (S. 2106);\nprovide for automatic registration at motor vehicle agencies and/or other agencies (H.R. 12, H.R. 2669, H.R. 2840, H.R. 2876, H.R. 3848, H.R. 5785, S. 1231, S. 1353, S. 1437, S. 1880);\nrequire states to offer same-day registration (H.R. 12, H.R. 1044, H.R. 3537, H.R. 3848, H.R. 5785, S. 360, S. 1437, S. 1880);\nprohibit states from requiring an excuse and/or setting other conditions for mail voting (H.R. 12, H.R. 946, H.R. 2669, H.R. 3132, H.R. 5785, S. 1231, S. 1437, S. 1510, S. 1880);\nrequire states to establish independent redistricting commissions (H.R. 145, H.R. 711, H.R. 712, H.R. 1102, H.R. 2981, H.R. 3057, H.R. 3537, H.R. 3848, S. 1880);\nprohibit officials from providing ballots to voters who do not present photo ID (H.R. 2090);\namend the U.S. Constitution to prohibit unduly burdensome proof of identity or proof of citizenship requirements (H.J.Res. 28);\nprohibit officials from requiring voters to present photo ID to register or vote (H.R. 607);\nrequire states to accept specified submissions as voter ID (H.R. 2854, H.R. 5785, H.R. 7127, S. 3543); and\nprohibit states from registering voters who do not present proof of citizenship (H.R. 6723).\nAs of this writing, none of the above bills had advanced beyond subcommittee referral.", "type": "CRS Insight", "typeId": "INSIGHTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/IN11000", "sha1": "dd8c09b82b43c313adc1696dce8ea1e6b1b5d8fc", "filename": "files/20181121_IN11000_dd8c09b82b43c313adc1696dce8ea1e6b1b5d8fc.html", "images": {} }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/IN11000", "sha1": "5065fe482a9344374ba5ca96a84078a75ba762b2", "filename": "files/20181121_IN11000_5065fe482a9344374ba5ca96a84078a75ba762b2.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4833, "name": "Census, Redistricting, Voting, & Elections" } ] } ], "topics": [ "CRS Insights", "Constitutional Questions" ] }