2017 Ballot Measures

2017 U.S. State; Ballot Measures
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In 2017, twenty-seven (27) statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in nine states. Of those, 22 were on the ballot for the election on November 7, 2017.

Click here for an overview of election results for all 22 statewide ballot measures on the ballot on November 7, 2017. In November 2017, voters approved 16 measures, defeated three, and voted to advise repealing three tax bills in Washington.

Besides the 22 measures on the ballot in November, one measure was on the ballot in Maine on June 13, 2017; one measure was on the ballot in West Virginia for the election on October 7, 2017; and three measures were on the ballot in Louisiana for the election on October 14, 2017. Overall, 21 measures were approved, and six were defeated—counting the advisory votes in Washington in which a majority of voters advised repealing the three tax bills presented to them.

This was the lowest number of statewide measures to go before voters in any year between 1947 and 2017.

HIGHLIGHTS

Four citizen initiatives were on the ballot; two in Ohio and two in Maine; the other measures were put on the ballot by legislatures or automatically triggered by state law.

Ohioans rejected Issue 2, an initiative to tie drug prices paid by state agencies to those paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The support and opposition campaigns raised $ and $, respectively; Issue 2 was similar to California's 2016 Proposition 61.

New York voters decided against holding a constitutional convention, defeating a question that is automatically referred to the ballot every 20 years. Approval would have led to a delegate election in 2018 and a vote on proposed constitutional changes in 2019. Supporters of a convention included the New York state and city bar associations, the state League of Women Voters, Citizens Union, and Forward March NY; opponents included the NY State AFL-CIO, the United Federation of Teachers, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts, Right to Life, and the NY State Rifle and Pistol Association.

In November, Maine voters approved Question 2—an initiative to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, along with deciding three other measures.

Types of measures[edit]

The chart below breaks out the statewide ballot measures certified for the ballot in 2017 by type and compares these numbers to data from previous odd-numbered years.

Type of ballot measure	2017	2015	2013	2011	2009
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments	16	16	17	21	20
Initiatives	4	5	3	10	6
Veto referendums	0	0	0	2	3
Legislatively referred state statutes	0	1	6	1	3
Legislatively referred bond questions	3	2	0	0	0
Automatic ballot referrals	1	0	0	0	0
Commission-referred ballot measures	0	0	0	0	0
Advisory questions	3	4	5	0	0
Total	27	28	31	34	32

Context of the 2017 elections[edit]

Low number of measures[edit]

In 2017, a seven-decade record for the lowest number of statewide ballot measure certifications was set. This continued a general trend toward fewer statewide measures. The last year in which there were fewer than 27 statewide measures was 1947. The year's certifications amounted to just one fewer than in 2015, when voters decided 28 statewide measures.

From 1987 through 2015, the average number of measures on the ballot in odd-numbered years was 51, with an average of 11 states in which measures appeared on the ballot. In the last decade, however, the average dropped to 34 measures in eight states. Since 2001, the average was 41 measures in 10 states. The number of measures on the ballot in odd-numbered years since 1990 peaked in 1999 at 72. In 1989 and 1987, there were 77 and 78 measures, respectively.

Year	States	Measures
2021	9	39
2019	8	36
2017	9	27
2015	9	28
2013	6	31
2011	9	34
2009	7	32
2007	10	45
2005	13	47
2003	15	68
2001	9	39
1999	16	72
1997	8	44
1995	11	61
1993	15	62
1991	9	48
1989	13	77
1987	13	78
Averages:	11	48

Analyses and reports[edit]

Campaign finance[edit]

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2017

Over $100 million was contributed to the campaign supporting and opposing ballot measures in 2017. The most expensive ballot measure battle—Ohio Issue 2, Drug Price Standards—was responsible for three-quarters of that, with opponents outspending supporters three-to-one. The four citizen initiatives on the ballot—two in Ohio and two in Maine—were responsible for 95 percent of campaign contributions. The only other measure to spur six-figure campaigns was New York Proposal 1, the constitutional convention question. Opponents raised over $3 million, and supporters raised about $900,000.

Click here to read Ballotpedia's full campaign finance report for 2017 ballot measures.

Signature costs[edit]

See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2017

A total of $7.87 million was spent on the signature petition drives for the four citizen initiatives that made the ballot in 2017. On average, proponents spent $15.4 for every required signature used to put the initiatives before voters. At $2.69 million for 61,123 required signatures—a CPRS of $43.97—the most expensive 2017 initiative petition drive was for Maine Question 1, the casino authorization initiative. The average CPRS across the 76 successful signature petition drives in 2016 was $5.63. The average CPRS in 2015 was $6.49.

Click here to read Ballotpedia's full initiative signature petition costs report for 2017 ballot measures.

By date[edit]

June 11[edit]

Puerto Rico Statehood, Independence, Free Association, or Current Status Referendum (2017) a

June 13[edit]

Maine Question 1, Technology Sectors Funds and Business Loans Bond Issue (June 2017) a

October 7[edit]

West Virginia Amendment 1, Bonds for Roads and Bridges Measure (October 2017) a

October 14[edit]

Louisiana Amendment 1, No Property Tax on Properties Under Construction Measure (October 2017) a
Louisiana Amendment 2, Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses of Emergency Responders Killed Performing Duties Measure (October 2017) a
Louisiana Amendment 3, Dedicate New Taxes on Fuel to Transportation Construction Fund Measure (October 2017) a

November 7[edit]

See 2017 Ballot Measure Scorecard

By state[edit]

Louisiana[edit]

See also: Louisiana 2017 ballot measures

October 14:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Taxes	Exempts properties under construction from property taxes until completion	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Taxes	Creates property tax exemption for surviving spouses of emergency responders killed performing duties	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Budget	Dedicates revenue from new taxes to transportation projects	a

Maine[edit]

See also: Maine 2017 ballot measures

June 13:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question 1	Bonds	$50 million in bonds for investment in tech sectors and businesses	a

November 7:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Question 1	Gambling	Casino or slot machines in York County	d
IndISS	Question 2	Healthcare	Expand Medicaid under the ACA	a
BI	Question 3	Bonds	$105 million in bonds for highways, bridges, ports, railroads, aviation, transit, and trails	a
LRCA	Question 4	Pension	Time to pay off unfunded liabilities from experience losses	a

New Jersey[edit]

See also: New Jersey 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question 1	Bonds	$125 million in bonds for library grants	a
LRCA	Question 2	Environment	Revenue from environmental lawsuits to environmental projects	a

New York[edit]

See also: New York 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
ConCon	Proposal 1	ConCon	Holds a constitutional convention	d
LRCA	Proposal 2	Gov't Acc	Allows judges to revoke the state pension of a public officer convicted of a felony related to officer's duties	a
LRCA	Proposal 3	Forests and Parks	Creates a 250-acre land bank to provide forest preserve land for local projects	a

Ohio[edit]

See also: Ohio 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Issue 1	Law Enforcement	Constitution rights of crime victims	a
IndISS	Issue 2	Healthcare	State to purchase drugs at prices no more than what the VA pays	d

Pennsylvania[edit]

See also: Pennsylvania 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Allow Local Taxing Authorities to Exempt Full Value of Homestead Amendment	Taxes	Authorizes local taxing authorities to exempt the full value of homesteads from property taxes	a

Texas[edit]

See also: Texas 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposition 1	Taxes	Authorizes tax exemption for property of partially disabled veterans received as donations	a
LRCA	Proposition 2	Housing	Makes changes to home equity loan provision of constitution	a
LRCA	Proposition 3	State Exec	Provides for how long an appointed officer may serve after his or her term expires	a
LRCA	Proposition 4	State Exec	Requires a court to provide notice to the attorney general of a challenge to a statute	a
LRCA	Proposition 5	Gambling	Defines professional sports team in charitable raffles	a
LRCA	Proposition 6	Taxes	Authorizes property tax exemption for surviving spouses of first responders killed in line of duty	a
LRCA	Proposition 7	Banking	Authorizes financial institutions to offer prizes to promote savings	a

Washington[edit]

See also: Washington 2017 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
AQ	Advisory Vote 16	Taxes	Status of HB 1597, which increased commercial fishing fees	d
AQ	Advisory Vote 17	Taxes	Status of HB 2163, which made changes to sales and use tax and business and occupation tax	d
AQ	Advisory Vote 18	Taxes	Status of HB 2242, which increased the state property tax	d

West Virginia[edit]

See also: West Virginia 2017 ballot measures

October 7:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Bonds	Authorizes $1.6 billion in bonds for highways, roads, and bridges	a