2015 ballot measures

• On this page:
• Notable
• Number
• Types
• By date
• By state
• Local
• Coulda been a contender

2015 State Ballot Measures
2016 » « 2014
Part 1: Overview
Measure results
Tuesday Count
Part 2: Campaigns
Part 3: Finances
Contributions
Signature costs
Ballot Measure Monthly
Important 2015 dates

Twenty-eight (28) statewide ballot measures were certified for nine statewide ballots in 2015. Twenty-one (21) measures were approved and seven measures were defeated.

Twenty-two (22) of these ballot measure elections took place on November 3.

Texas, New Jersey and Washington often feature measures on their ballots in odd-numbered years, while other states—including Colorado, Maine, New York, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Ohio and Utah—do so less frequently.

Notably, the legislatures in both New York and New Jersey declined to place any measures on their 2015 ballots after doing so regularly in the past. New York had five measures under consideration, none of which made the ballot. Of the 11 proposed in New Jersey, none gathered enough support to be placed on the ballot. Both states have averaged two legislatively referred measures in recent odd-numbered years.

Odd-numbered years (such as 2013, 2011, 2009 and 2007) have historically averaged 45 measures; 2015 ended up with only 62 percent as many measures as in the typical off-year.

Ballotpedia compiled three resources to help voters this election:

• The Official voter guides to 2015 statewide ballot measures page provides links to voter guides and other resources for each of the measures on each state's ballot.
• The Features of official voter guides, compared by state page shows which states had the best voter guides and what each state's voter guides has, such as the official ballot text, arguments for and against the measure, guides in other languages and more.
• The 2015 ballot measure petition signature costs page shows the cost per required signature for each initiative on the 2015 ballot.

Notable measures

Statewide ballot measures that attracted the most attention in 2015 were:

• Maine's Question 1, the "Clean Elections" Initiative
• Mississippi's Public School Support Amendments -- Initiative 42 and Alternative 42
• Ohio's Issue 1, the Redistricting Commission Amendment
• Ohio's Issue 3, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative
• Texas Proposition 6, the Right to Hunt, Fish and Harvest
• State of Washington I-1366, the Sales Tax Decrease or Two-Thirds Vote for Tax Increase
• State of Washington I-1401, the Animal Trafficking Initiative

Number of measures

2015 was a year with a lower-than-average number of measures on the ballot. Going back to 1989, the average number of measures on the ballot in an odd-numbered year is 45.

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

Types of measures

Of the 28 ballot measures certified for a 2015 ballot, 16 were legislatively referred constitutional amendments, five were initiatives, one was a legislatively referred state statute, two were legislatively referred bond questions and four were advisory questions.

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

By date

April 7

a Question 1: Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Amendment

May 5

d Michigan Sales Tax Increase for Transportation Amendment, Proposal 1

October 24

d Louisiana Budget and Transportation Stabilization Trust, Amendment 1
a Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Bank, Amendment 2
d Louisiana Content of Fiscal Legislative Sessions, Amendment 3
a Louisiana Taxation of Property Owned by Another State, Amendment 4

November 3

• See 2015 Ballot Measure Scorecard for information about the other 22 measures

By state

Colorado

Colorado 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRSS	Proposition BB	Taxes	Allow state to keep revenue from marijuana taxes	a

Louisiana

Louisiana 2015 ballot measures

October 24:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Gov't Finances	Budget and transportation stabilization subfunds	d
LRCA	Amendment 2	Banking	State transportation infrastructure bank	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Legislature	Allowable content of fiscal legislative sessions	d
LRCA	Amendment 4	Taxes	Property owned by other states is not tax exempt	a

Maine

Maine 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Question 1	Elections	Revision of the Maine Clean Election Act	a
BI	Question 2	Bonds	$15 million in bonds for affordable housing	a
BI	Question 3	Bonds	$85 million in bonds for transportation	a

Michigan

Michigan 2015 ballot measures

May 5:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposal 1	Taxes	Increase sales tax, establish fuel tax formula	d

Mississippi

Mississippi 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndICA	Initiative 42	Education	"Adequate and efficient system of free public schools"	d
LRCA	Alternative 42	Education	Requirement of an "efficient system of free public schools"	d

Ohio

Ohio 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Issue 1	Redistricting	Creation of a bipartisan redistricting commission	a
LRCA	Issue 2	Direct Democracy	Prohibit initiatives that create market monopolies	a
CICA	Issue 3	Marijuana	Legalize recreational marijuana	d

Texas

Texas 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposition 1	Taxes	Homestead exemption for school district property taxes	a
LRCA	Proposition 2	Taxes	Property tax exemption for spouses of disabled veterans	a
LRCA	Proposition 3	State Exec	Residency requirement for statewide executive officials	a
LRCA	Proposition 4	Gambling	Sports team foundations allowed to hold raffles	a
LRCA	Proposition 5	Transportation	Some counties allowed to perform private road construction	a
LRCA	Proposition 6	Hunt & Fish	Right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife	a
LRCA	Proposition 7	Gov't Finances	Sales taxes allocated to state highway fund through 2032	a

Washington

Washington 2015 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
ITP	Initiative 1366	Taxes	Sales tax decrease/Supermajority vote for tax increases	a ot
ITP	Initiative 1401	Animals	Penalties for trafficking in rare animal species	a
AQ	Advisory Vote 10	Taxes	Oil spill prevention taxes	a
AQ	Advisory Vote 11	Marijuana	Medical marijuana patient database fees	a
AQ	Advisory Vote 12	Taxes	Status of tax increase of 11.9 cents	d
AQ	Advisory Vote 13	Taxes	Tax preferences for certain manufacturers	d

Wisconsin

Wisconsin 2015 ballot measures

April 7:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	Judiciary	Selection methods of chief justice of Wisconsin Supreme Court	a

Local ballot measures

See also: Local ballot measure elections in 2015

There were also a number of notable local ballot measures on 2015 ballots; these included:

• Fracking
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• Marijuana
• Minimum wage
• Public pensions
• Secession
• Labor laws
• Development, subsidies and property
• LGBT issues

Measures that did not make ballots

Main article: Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot

146 measures were proposed for the 2015 ballot which did not ultimately make the ballot. Texas had the highest number of such proposals at 56.

State	# of measure not on ballot
Colorado	1
Louisiana	15
Maine	5
Mississippi	3
New Jersey	11
Ohio	13
Texas	56
Washington	42