Voters in six states will consider ballot measures this November, including California’s redistricting proposal, as part of a nationwide battle over who controls the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 election.
Colorado, Maine, New York, Texas and Washington also have measures on the ballot this year. Seventeen of the 26 total measures will appear on Texans’ ballots.
Unlike in 2024, when access to reproductive health care was given to voters in 10 states, no single issue will dominate the entire country. But some voters will likely see proposals similar to those popular on the 2024 ballot, including adding language that would constitutionally limit people’s right to vote and efforts to require voter ID. Below are some of the issues that are resolved by the measures.
redistricting
California‘s Proposition 50 is a constitutional amendment that would allow the use of new congressional district maps until 2030, and the maps are designed to favor Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Drawing a new map was supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) after Texas Republicans, encouraged by President Donald Trump, initiated debate and later passed a new congressional map for the state that is expected to favor Republicans and flip five current Democratic seats. If Proposition 50 passes, five seats in California’s state legislature are expected to be competitive or easily won by Democratic candidates.
Congressional maps are typically redrawn only after the decennial census results are released. Redraws in the middle of a cycle, like in Texas, are rare. Proposition 50 also calls for returning the authority to draw congressional boundaries to the state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission after the 2030 election and, by extension, the 2030 Census.
vote
voters texas Texas will decide whether to amend the constitution to say that “persons who are not citizens of the United States” cannot vote in Texas. The amendment is similar to one considered by voters in eight states in 2024. All eight approved the language. State and federal laws already restrict voting to citizens only, making it extremely rare for non-citizens to vote in elections.
in maineThrough one citizen-initiated question, voters will decide whether to amend state law to make several voting-related changes. Many of the changes relate to restrictions on absentee voting, including eliminating two-day absentee voting, banning prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, ending the current absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, and requiring voters to provide photo identification before voting absentee. The bill would also require a photo ID to vote in person.
Maine had the second-highest level of absentee voting in 2024 (behind the 2020 election during the pandemic). Restricting access to mail-in voting is a focus of the Trump administration. The League of Women Voters called on Maine residents to vote no on this question.
gun control
Regarding question 2 maineThe vote is related to firearms regulation. The citizen-led measure asks voters whether state law should be amended to “temporarily prohibit a person from possessing a dangerous weapon if law enforcement, a family member, or a household member shows that the person poses a significant danger to themselves or others.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (Democratic) opposes the measure. She argues that gun regulations already in place allow law enforcement to take the necessary steps to remove firearms from dangerous individuals, and that any removal process should begin by contacting law enforcement and not leave court proceedings to family and friends. She writes that the difficulties that families may face if they choose the court process, such as confusion about what is needed and feelings of intimidation, can deter them from receiving the support they need in the end.
parental rights
The constitutional amendment bill is texas The title of the ballot would assert that “Parents are the primary decision makers for their children.” of texas tribune He said the amendment would codify in the state constitution a right that is currently defined primarily in federal court cases.
judicial act
Another suggestion texas The proposed amendment would change the composition of the state Judicial Conduct Commission, giving the governor the power to appoint a majority of its 13 members, including increasing the number of citizens elected by the governor from five to seven. The amendments would also change how the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court selects the tribunals that review the commission’s recommendations regarding the removal or retirement of judges, and limit the commission’s ability to take private disciplinary actions in certain circumstances. Current Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) previously fired the acting chief justice over his 2019 decision to discipline judges who rejected same-sex marriages.
environment
Texas The ballot also includes an amendment that would direct a portion of certain tax revenues to the Texas Water Fund and provide for the distribution of that tax revenue. The proposed amendment comes after estimates suggest that the state could be unable to meet its water supply needs as early as 2030 due to a severe drought. If the amendment passes, the money could be used to repair aging infrastructure and develop new water sources.
Amendments proposed in new york It would allow the development of winter sports facilities on more than 300 acres of the Adirondack Mountain Sports Complex, but would also require that more than 2,500 acres of land in the area be conserved.
criminal law
Texas Proposition 4 would make several changes to the state constitution’s provisions regarding certain criminal offenses, such as the death penalty, aggravated sexual assault, and child molestation, to deny bail to a defendant if the state shows “by a preponderance of the evidence” that bail is insufficient to prevent the defendant from appearing in court or to ensure the safety of the community.
taxes and national investment
Most of the voting measures texas related to taxes. Some of the Texas measures include banning capital gains taxes on individuals and real estate, exempting taxes related to “border security infrastructure,” exempting seniors from school taxes, and expanding property tax exemptions that allow Texas homeowners to pay lower taxes to fund public schools.
a colorado The proposal would lower tax credit limits for some citizens to generate funding for healthy school meals for all programs. Amendments proposed in washington Allows certain state funds to be invested in stocks. Currently, the state constitution prohibits investing public funds in private stocks, limiting state investments to low-risk options such as government bonds. The amendment received bipartisan support in the state Legislature.
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Most of the bills scheduled for a vote next month would amend the state constitution and were sponsored by state legislators who voted to pass them on to the public. However, Maine’s bill is not a constitutional amendment, but a citizen-initiated legal reform. This bill requires a simple majority of the people to pass.
Erin Geiger-Smith is a writer and editor at the Brennan Center for Justice.
Mia Roque, intern at the Brennan Center for Justice, provided additional research.
Recommended Citation: Erin Geiger Smith, Voting measures to watch in 2025Sᴛᴀᴛᴇ Cᴏᴜʀᴛ Rᴇᴘᴏʀᴛ (October 17, 2025), https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/2025-ballot-measures-watch
