Voters In 12 States Approved Seven And Defeated Five Ballotpedia News

Leo Migdal

-Dec 3, 2025, 5:23 AM

voters in 12 states approved seven and defeated five ballotpedia news

Voters decided on 12 education-related state ballot measures—the most in 18 years— on the November 5, 2024, general election. Here are some highlights: Measures were on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Utah. The measures regarded school choice programs and non-public education, standardized testing, school board elections, school governance, and funding. Here are the results. The three ballot measures regarding school choice programs, which include policies that provide families with taxpayer funding for private education or homeschooling, were all defeated:

Massachusetts Question 2, concerning standardized testing requirements, was approved by 59% of voters. It eliminates the requirement that students must pass a standards-based exam to graduate high school. Florida Amendment 1, which would've changed school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan starting in 2026, was defeated. It needed 60% approval from voters but received 55%. Qian Weizhong // VCG via Getty Images Voters decided on 12 education-related state ballot measures–the most in 18 years– on the Nov. 5, 2024, general election.

Ballotpedia shares are some highlights: Two ballot measures regarding school choice programs and one to repeal a school choice program were defeated. One ballot measure to make school board elections partisan was defeated. One measure to grant a local school board the authority to manage, sell, or lease land in their district was approved. Measures were on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Utah. The measures regarded school choice programs and non-public education, standardized testing, school board elections, school governance, and funding. Here are the results.

School choice: The three ballot measures regarding school choice programs, which include policies that provide families with taxpayer funding for private education or homeschooling, were all defeated: Colorado Amendment 80 would’ve provided that “each... Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 2 would’ve allowed the state to provide funding for non-public education. The measure was defeated, with 65% of voters voting against it. Nebraska Referendum 435 would’ve repealed the law providing for an education scholarship program for students to attend accredited private schools. The measure was defeated, with 57% of voters voting against it. Tests: Massachusetts Question 2, concerning standardized testing requirements, was approved by 59% of voters.

It eliminates the requirement that students must pass a standards-based exam to graduate high school. Elections: Florida Amendment 1, which would’ve changed school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan starting in 2026, was defeated. It needed 60% approval from voters but received 55%. Funding: Five ballot measures related to school funds or funding were all approved: Arkansas Issue 1 allowed state lottery proceeds to fund scholarships and grants for vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. The measure was approved with 90% of voters approving it. California Proposition 2, issued $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities.

It was approved by voters with a 57% majority. New Mexico Bond Question 3, issued $230.26 million in bonds to fund capital improvement projects for higher education institutions, special public schools, and tribal schools. It was approved by voters with a 65% majority. Rhode Island Question 2, issued $160.5 million in bonds for improvements to higher education facilities. It was approved by voters with a 60% majority. Utah Amendment B raised the annual distribution limit from the State School Fund for public education from 4% to 5%.

It was approved by voters with a 70% majority. Governance: Two ballot measures related to school district or college governance appeared on the ballot in Alabama and Nevada: Alabama Amendment 1, which was approved by a 74% majority, authorized the Franklin County Board... Nevada Question 1, which was defeated by a 54% majority, would’ve removed the constitutional status of the Nevada Board of Regents, which oversees state universities. This would’ve allowed the state legislature to change the governing structure of NV universities through state statutes. This story was produced by Ballotpedia and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Voters decided on 12 education-related ballot measures—the most in 18 years—on Nov.

5. The ballot measures covered various education-related topics, including school choice programs, non-public education, standardized testing, school board elections, and school governance and funding. Measures were on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Utah. In Arkansas, voters approved an amendment allowing the state's lottery proceeds to fund scholarships and grants for vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. In Utah, an amendment was adopted to raise the annual distribution limit from the State School Fund for public education from 4% to 5%. Other education-related measures on the ballot in 2024

In 2025, voters in California, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin decided on 26 constitutional amendments sent to state ballots by their respective state legislatures. Voters approved 22 amendments and defeated four, all of which were in Louisiana. This year saw the second-highest number of amendments among odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2023, surpassed only by 2023, which had 32. As a percentage of the total number of statewide ballot measures in 2025, constitutional amendments made up 87% of the 30 total measures — the highest percentage for that period. It is also above the average number of amendments featured, which was 23. The 22 amendments added on average 541 words per amendment to a state’s constitution ranging from 10 words for a Texas amendment authorizing a tax exemption for income-producing property to 1,102 words for another...

The amendments also removed, on average, 31 words, with a Texas amendment that made changes to the state judicial oversight commission removing the most, with 318 words removed. Altogether, the six affected state constitutions became 5,859 words longer in 2025. The Texas Constitution grew the most, increasing 4,265 words. The second most was Ohio, which passed an amendment in May that increased the constitution by 1,033 words. The amendments addressed redistricting in California, administration of state investments in Washington; land use in New York; state tax policy, judicial structure and vacancies, and juvenile sentencing in Louisiana; a bond issue in Ohio;... On average, the amendments received support from 63% of voters and opposition from 37%.

In 2024, voters decided on seven ballot measures related to ranked-choice voting, the most ever in a single year. While voters in one state—Alaska—retained RCV, five measures to adopt the system were rejected in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. In Missouri, voters approved a constitutional amendment to prohibit RCV. Voters in five localities, including Washington, D.C., also decided on RCV measures, a decrease from 2023, with seven, and 2022, with nine. Voters approved three measures to adopt RCV, rejected one to adopt RCV, which received enough votes but fell behind a competing measure, and rejected one to repeal RCV. A recount in Alaska concluded on Dec.

9, confirming that the votes to retain RCV in the state, which was adopted in 2020 and implemented in 2022, had the majority by 743 votes. The defeat of Ballot Question 2, which would have repealed RCV, is the only victory from the Nov. 5 election for RCV proponents at the state level. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon defeated measures that would or could (in the case of Arizona) have adopted the system in their respective states. The average “no” vote in states that voted against adopting RCV was 58.5%, with Idaho having the highest at 70.0%. One state, Missouri, approved an amendment to preempt the adoption of ranked-choice voting at the state level.

The vote margin was 68.4% to 31.6%. Including Washington, D.C., proponents of RCV spent over $66.1 million on statewide measures to adopt or maintain RCV as of Dec. 10, which was 20 times the amount opponents of RCV spent on statewide measures ($3.3 million). Article Four was the top donor supporting RCV, giving $17.4 million total to two campaigns supporting RCV, $13 million in Nevada and $4.4 million in Alaska. Unite America was the second top donor supporting RCV, giving $15.4 million total to three different supporting campaigns: Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada. Nevada Alliance was the top donor opposing RCV, giving $2.1 million toward the campaign to oppose RCV in Nevada.

Stacker is on a mission to produce and distribute engaging data journalism. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling. Voters decided on 12 education-related state ballot measures—the most in 18 years— on the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. Ballotpedia shares are some highlights: Measures were on the ballot in Alabama , Arkansas , California , Colorado , Florida , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Nebraska , Nevada , New Mexico , Rhode Island , and Utah .

The measures regarded school choice programs and non-public education, standardized testing, school board elections, school governance, and funding. Here are the results. The three ballot measures regarding school choice programs , which include policies that provide families with taxpayer funding for private education or homeschooling, were all defeated: Massachusetts Question 2 , concerning standardized testing requirements, was approved by 59% of voters. It eliminates the requirement that students must pass a standards-based exam to graduate high school.

Voters In 12 States Approved Seven And Defeated Five Ballotpedia News

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