2025 Ballot Measures

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to create two special funds, the Permanent Technical Institution Infrastructure Fund and the Available Workforce Education Fund, outside the General Revenue Fund to finance capital projects for the Texas Technical College System.^[24]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to exempt a home's market value, entirely or in part, from property taxes for the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-related illness.^[23]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to provide a temporary homestead exemption for improvements made to residences destroyed by fire.^[22]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to exempt from property taxes any increase in a property's value—located in a U.S.–Mexico border county—resulting from the construction or installation of border security infrastructure. Legislative Republicans, except one, supported the amendment. Among Democrats, 58.5% voted for the proposal.^[21]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to provide that parents have the right "to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing" and the responsibility "to nurture and protect the parent's child." In the Legislature, the amendment received unanimous support from Republicans. Among Democrats, 66.2% voted for the amendment, excluding absent or non-voting members.^[20]

The Texas State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments related to the homestead tax exemption to the ballot. One would increase the general exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 of a home's market value.^[18] The other amendment would raise the exemption for elderly or disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000.^[19]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt $125,000 of the market value of personal tangible property used for income production from taxes. In the Legislature, the amendment had support from most Republicans (94.9%) and Democrats (86.2%), excluding absent or non-voting members.^[17]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to provide that "persons who are not citizens of the United States" cannot vote in Texas. In the Legislature, the proposal received unanimous support from Republicans. Among Democrats, 57.5% voted for the amendment, excluding absent or non-voting members.^[16]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to establish the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, along with the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund. In the Legislature, the proposal received unanimous support from Democrats. Among Republicans, 79.8% voted for the amendment.^[15]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment prohibiting the legislature from imposing a state tax on a deceased person’s estate due to their death, and from imposing taxes on the transfer of estates, inheritances, and similar assets. The proposal received unanimous support from Republicans and divided Democrats 50/50 between the two chambers, excluding absent or non-voting members.^[14]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to pass a property tax exemption on animal feed held by the property owner for retail sale. In the Legislature, the amendment had support from most Republicans (99.1%) and Democrats (84.4%), excluding absent or non-voting members.^[13]

The Colorado State Legislature referred two measures to the ballot that address the Healthy School Meals for All Program (HSMA). The first measure would allow the state to retain and spend additional revenue on the program. The second one would reduce state income tax deduction limits for taxpayers earning $300,000 or more to generate an estimated $95 million each year for the HSMA Program. In the Legislature, Democrats supported the measures, while Republicans, except for one Senate Republican, opposed them.^[12]

In Ohio, voters approved Issue 2, which authorized the state to issue up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds, limited to $250 million per year over 10 years, to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure improvement projects.

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would prohibit the state legislature from enacting a tax on realized or unrealized capital gains of an individual, family, estate, or trust. In the Legislature, 100.0% of Republicans and 40.7% of Democrats supported the proposal.^[11]

The Texas State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would prohibit laws that impose an occupation tax on a registered securities market operator or a securities transaction tax. In the Legislature, 96.3% of Republicans and 54.5% of Democrats supported the proposal.^[10]

The Washington State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot that would allow the Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Fund to be invested in stocks and equities, with earnings dedicated to funding long-term care services and supports for program beneficiaries. In the Legislature, 94% of Democrats and 61% of Republicans supported the proposal.^[9]

Voters in Wisconsin approved a constitutional amendment, Question 1, to add a photo identification requirement to the state constitution.

Voters in Louisiana rejected four constitutional amendments, with each receiving between 34% and 36% of the vote.

The signature deadline for indirect initiated state statutes in Maine was January 23. Signatures were filed for two ballot initiatives: Require Voter Photo Identification Initiative and Firearm Extreme Risk Protection Orders Initiative.^[7][8] Both were certified to the Maine State Legislature.

The Wisconsin State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot for April 1, 2025. The ballot measure amended the Wisconsin Constitution to require valid photo identification to vote. In the Senate and Assembly, Republicans voted for the amendment, and Democrats voted against the amendment.^[6]

The Ohio State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the ballot for May 6, 2025. The ballot measure authorized $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds for public infrastructure improvement projects.^[5]

The Louisiana State Legislature referred four constitutional amendments—Amendment 1, Amendment 2, Amendment 3, and Amendment 4—to the ballot for March 29, 2025.^[1][2][3][4]