A left-leaning advocacy group called the Fairness Project has created a playbook for using ballot initiatives to go around GOP-led state legislatures. Since 2016, it has backed successful initiatives to raise the minimum wage and expand Medicaid.
BALLOT WATCH: State legislators introduce 65+ bills attacking ballot measure process in first month of 2026
“Democracy is under a sustained assault everywhere, not just from the current administration in Washington, but in statehouses across the country,” said Kelly Hall, Executive Director of the Fairness Project.
CNN: Virginia Democrats set up a referendum to try to flip as many as 4 GOP-held US House seats
“Virginia voters are being given the opportunity to unstack the deck,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, which has backed progressive ballot measures around the country and is supporting the new Virginia campaign.
Sirius XM Progress: Kelly Hall on The Michelangelo Signorile Show
Kelly Hall joins Michelangelo Signorile live on air to discuss anti-democratic attacks on ballot measures in various states across the country.
American Prospect: From Democracy to ‘My Way or the Highway’ in Missouri
“We can have a real conversation about what it says about the Missouri legislature that they have radically diminished the impact of the minimum wage and paid sick leave initiative, but they have not succeeded at undermining the impact of the abortion initiative—at least not yet,” says Kelly Hall, the executive director of the Fairness Project.
Meet The Press: States consider new restrictions on citizen-led ballot initiatives
Kelly Hall joined Meet the Press to discuss our report on the growing wave of anti-democratic state legislation and the urgent need to protect citizen-led change. Watch the full segment here.
The Electorette Podcast: The Conservative Backlash Against Ballot Measures
In this episode, Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, speaks about a new report showing how conservative lawmakers are working to undermine direct democracy.
MSNBC Opinion: One of voters’ most powerful tools is under consistent attack from state legislatures
"The more citizens use their power to advance their interests via ballot initiatives, the more some lawmakers attack the process." writes Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project
NBC News: Republicans are trying to raise the bar for voters to amend their state constitutions
In 2025, GOP lawmakers have advanced or enacted bills that make the citizen-led ballot measure process more difficult in at least eight states.