BALLOT WATCH: State legislators introduce 100+ bills attacking ballot measure process in effort to strip power from voters

After voters passed popular laws to protect abortion rights and raise wages in 2024, reactionary politicians try to make ballot measures harder to win 

Washington, DC – A major attack on direct democracy is happening in states across the country today, warns the Fairness Project, the national leader on ballot measures. Since the start of the year, legislators in over 15 states have put forth over 100 bills attacking the ballot measure process in an effort to stop voters from having their voices heard at the ballot box.

In six of those states, legislators are trying to raise the win threshold for ballot measures from a simple majority to 60%, effectively enacting minority rule.

“We’re sounding the alarm: direct democracy is being threatened right under our noses,” said Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project. 

Hall cautioned that extremist legislators are trying to roll back voters’ rights as a tactic to stop popular progressive ballot initiatives from becoming the law of the land, following a year of remarkable wins. The Fairness Project was the largest funder of abortion rights ballot campaigns in the 2024 election cycle and helped voters across the country protect reproductive rights, raise wages, and secure paid leave through the ballot.

“Ballot measures have been a lifeline to working people in red and purple states, allowing them to make change even when politicians fail to represent their interests. Legislators are trying to systematically take that power away,” Hall noted.

The states where legislators are currently trying to raise the win threshold for ballot measures to a supermajority of 60% are Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Idaho.

This onslaught of anti-democratic bills builds on tactics extremist legislators have been using for years to undermine the will of voters, but they have largely been defeated. In the last several election cycles, the Fairness Project and their partners have fought against – and won – attempts to raise the ballot measure win thresholds in Ohio, South Dakota, and Arkansas. 

“This is their playbook: when cowardly politicians know they can’t win with voters on the issues, they try to change the rules of the game,” Hall continued.

In addition to trying to raise the win threshold, the Fairness Project highlighted other attempts legislators are making to undermine the ballot measure process in 2025. 

Legislators are advancing bills making it more difficult to qualify measures for the ballot through onerous signature requirements, including increased or stricter signature requirements, in Oklahoma, Missouri, Oregon, South Dakota, Michigan, Montana, Washington, Nebraska, Florida, Arkansas, and Arizona.“Voters are paying attention to this widespread attack on their constitutional rights, and they’re fighting back. Americans deserve leaders who respect our democracy,” concluded Hall, vowing to continue fighting ballot measure attacks nationwide.