A expensive marketing campaign to legalize leisure marijuana in Florida failed Tuesday as voters in dozens of states weighed greater than 140 measures showing on the poll alongside races for president and prime state workplaces.
Florida was one in every of a number of states deciding high-profile marijuana measures and was amongst 10 states contemplating amendments associated to abortion or reproductive rights. About two dozen measures are centered on future elections, together with a number of particularly barring noncitizens from voting. Different state measures have an effect on wages, taxes, housing and training, together with a college selection measure that was defeated in Kentucky.
Lots of the poll measures have been initiated by citizen petitions that sidestep state legislatures, although others have been positioned earlier than voters by lawmakers.
Marijuana legalization
The Florida marijuana modification fell wanting the 60% supermajority wanted to approve constitutional amendments. It could have allowed leisure gross sales of marijuana to folks over 21 from current medical marijuana dispensaries, with the potential for the Legislature to license further retailers.
The marketing campaign was funded predominantly by Florida’s largest medical marijuana operator, Trulieve, which had offered nearly $145 million of the $153 million marketing campaign by means of the tip of October. The measure was opposed by the Florida Republican Celebration and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who mentioned it will scale back the standard of life by leaving a marijuana stench within the air.
Voters in North Dakota and South Dakota are also deciding whether or not to legalize leisure marijuana for adults. The election marks the third vote on the problem in each states. In Nebraska, voters are contemplating a pair of measures that will legalize medical marijuana and regulate the business.
About half the states at the moment enable leisure marijuana and a few dozen extra enable medical marijuana. Possessing or promoting marijuana stays a criminal offense beneath federal legislation, punishable by jail time and fines.
In Massachusetts, a poll measure would legalize the possession and supervised use of pure psychedelics, together with psilocybin mushrooms. It could be the third state to take action, following Oregon and Colorado.
Citizen voting
Constitutional amendments declaring that solely residents can vote gained approval in Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Carolina and have been being thought-about in 4 further states: Idaho, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. All of the measures have been referred to the poll by Republican-led legislatures.
A 1996 U.S. legislation prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, and plenty of states have already got related legal guidelines. However Republicans have emphasised the potential of noncitizens voting after an inflow of immigrants on the U.S.-Mexican border. Although noncitizen voting traditionally has been uncommon, voter roll evaluations earlier than the election flagged potential noncitizens registered in a number of states.
Some municipalities in California, Maryland, Vermont and Washington, D.C., enable noncitizens to vote in sure native elections.
Immigration
An Arizona measure crafted amid a surge in immigration would make it a state crime to enter from a overseas nation besides by means of official ports of entry, and for somebody already within the U.S. illegally to use for public advantages utilizing false paperwork.
Sports activities betting
Missouri voters are deciding whether or not to grow to be the most recent to legalize sports activities betting. A complete of 38 states and Washington, D.C., already enable sports activities betting, which has expanded quickly for the reason that U.S. Supreme Court docket cleared the best way for it in 2018.
Taxes
A Colorado proposal would make it the second state after California to impose a gross sales tax on firearms and ammunition, with income going primarily to crime victims’ companies. The federal authorities already taxes gross sales of weapons and ammunition.
North Dakota voters are contemplating a measure to remove property taxes. If accredited, native governments may wish greater than $3 billion biennially in substitute income from the state.
A South Dakota measure would repeal the state’s gross sales tax on groceries, a transfer already taken in most different states.
An Oregon measure would increase the minimal tax on massive firms to fund a tax rebate for residents.
Housing
California voters are deciding whether or not to repeal a 1995 legislation limiting native lease management ordinances. If accredited, it will open the best way for native governments to develop limitations on the charges that landlords might cost.
A novel proposal in Arizona hyperlinks property taxes with responses to homelessness. It could let property house owners search property tax refunds in the event that they incur bills as a result of an area authorities declined to implement ordinances in opposition to unlawful tenting, loitering, panhandling, public alcohol and drug use, and different issues.
Local weather
Voters in Washington state are contemplating whether to repeal a 2021 law that caps carbon emissions and creates a marketplace for companies exceeding the mark to buy allowances from others. Washington was the second state to launch such a program, after California.
Voting strategies
Connecticut voters are contemplating whether or not to authorize no-excuse absentee voting, becoming a member of most states that already enable it.
Measures in Montana and South Dakota would create open main elections wherein candidates of all events seem on the identical poll, with a sure quantity advancing to the overall election. Measures in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada additionally suggest open primaries that includes candidates from all events, with a sure quantity advancing to a common election utilizing ranked selection voting. An Oregon measure would required ranked selection voting in each primaries and common elections.
Ranked selection voting is at the moment utilized in Alaska and Maine. However Alaska voters are contemplating whether to repeal provisions of a 2020 initiative that instituted open primaries and ranked selection common elections.
Arizona voters are deciding between competing poll proposals that will require both open primaries with candidates of all events or the state’s present methodology of partisan primaries. If conflicting measures each cross, the provision receiving the most votes takes effect, however that might be as much as a court docket to resolve.
Redistricting
An Ohio initiative would create a residents fee to deal with redistricting for U.S. Home and state legislative seats, taking the duty away from elected officers.
Minimal wage
Poll measures in Missouri and Alaska would step by step increase minimal wages to $15 an hour whereas additionally requiring paid sick depart. A California measure would incrementally increase the minimal wage for all employers to $18 an hour.
A Nebraska measure would require many employers to offer sick depart however wouldn’t change wages.
A Massachusetts measure would step by step increase the minimal wage for tipped workers till it matches the speed for different workers. Against this, an Arizona measure would let tipped employees be paid 25% lower than the minimal wage, as long as suggestions push their complete pay past the minimal wage threshold.
Assisted suicide
West Virginia voters are deciding whether or not to amend the state structure to ban medically assisted suicide. The measure would run counter to 10 states and Washington, D.C., the place physician-assisted suicide is allowed.
