Politics

Ballot measures under fire after progressive wins

Legislators in some states are seeking to make succeeding more difficult.
An election worker processes ballots at the Clark County Election Department, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

State lawmakers enacted nearly four dozen changes to laws governing ballot measures, initiatives and referenda this year as activists in red and blue states use direct democracy to circumvent their legislatures.

Many of those new laws were noncontroversial changes that carried only technical consequences. But, according to tracking by the nonpartisan election monitor Ballotpedia, some state lawmakers added new restrictions that will make it harder for future initiatives to qualify for ballot access, at times that seem designed to block proposed measures that run counter to the governing party’s policy priorities.

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