OTHER TOPICS 

Citizenship: Since 2018, state-level bans on noncitizen voting have increased, with six states approving such measures from 2018 to 2022. In 2024, eight states—Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin—passed constitutional amendments to prohibit noncitizen voting, all of which were approved by voters.

Electoral Systems Ballot initiatives have significantly influenced electoral system changes in the U.S. In 2024, a record number of statewide measures on ranked-choice voting (RCV) were rejected. Voters in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon turned down RCV proposals, while Alaska repealed its RCV initiative from 2020. However, Washington, D.C., approved an RCV initiative. In Arizona, Proposition 140 aimed to replace partisan primaries with a system where candidates appeared on a single ballot, while Proposition 133 sought to prohibit such systems, and both were rejected. Montana voters also turned down proposals for top-four primaries and majoritarian voting systems. In South Dakota, Amendment H, which would have replaced partisan primaries with top-two primaries, was defeated

Criminal justice -In 2024, voters in Arizona, California, and Colorado overwhelmingly approved important ballot measures concerning criminal justice, law enforcement, and police funding. In Arizona, Proposition 313 mandates life imprisonment for those convicted of child sex trafficking. Proposition 314 enhances law enforcement authority by allowing police to arrest noncitizens at various locations, enabling judges to order deportations, and establishing a felony for the sale of lethal fentanyl. California voters decisively supported Proposition 36, which increases penalties for certain drug crimes and theft, revising the previous Proposition 47. In Colorado, voters approved three key measures: Amendment I eliminates bail rights in first-degree murder cases, Proposition 128 extends sentences for certain violent crimes before parole eligibility, and Proposition 130 allocates funding for law enforcement recruitment and training.

Minimum Wage  - Historically, between 1996 and 2022, 28 initiatives to raise the minimum wage were presented, with 26 approved. In 2024, Alaska and Missouri sought to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, while California voters rejected an $18 proposal. Massachusetts voters defeated a measure to equalize the minimum wage for tipped workers, and Nebraska approved a paid sick leave initiative. Arizona voters rejected Proposition 138, which would have allowed tipped workers to be paid 25% less than the minimum wage. In 2024, the minimum wage was $14.35, allowing tipped workers to earn $11.35 per hour as long as their wages and tips met the minimum wage standard.

The decline of local and direct democracy is evident due to challenges faced by the Open Meetings model. Nonetheless, turnout rates remain high and impressive in referendums concerning sensitive topics