Other Big Issues on the Ballot

DEATH PENALTY

Three states have capital punishment on the ballot. In Oklahoma, which temporarily halted executions in 2015 after a series of botched lethal injections, a measure would enshrine the penalty in the state constitution and establish that it does not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment. Nebraska voters will have the chance to uphold or overturn the state legislature’s repeal of the death penalty. And California voters will weigh in on two competing measures: one to speed up the execution process by limiting inmates’ appeals and another to get rid of the practice entirely.

MINIMUM WAGE

With the federal hourly wage floor stuck at $7.25, where it’s been since 2009, four states are putting increases on the ballot. Measures in Arizona, Colorado and Maine would incrementally raise the minimum wage to $12 by 2020, while Washington’s could rise to $13.50. South Dakota, which upped its minimum to $8.55 under a 2014 law, has a measure to exclude workers under 18 from the increase.

VOTING

Maine could become the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting, in which candidates are tallied in order of preference until one earns a majority. A measure in South Dakota would establish nonpartisan elections, while Missouri will consider whether to require a photo ID for voting–a policy that has faced legal challenges in other states.

HEALTH

Colorado has two measures that reflect the nation’s contentious health care debate. Amendment 69 would create a government-run single-payer health care system, funded by a tax hike. The measure, which a majority of residents have opposed in recent polling, would make the state the first to adopt a single-payer system. Coloradans will also vote on whether to let doctors help terminally ill patients end their lives. If the measure passes, Colorado will become the fifth state with a law legalizing the practice.

EDUCATION

In 1998, California passed a law requiring English-language-only immersion in public schools. Eighteen years later, as more research shows the benefits of a bilingual education, voters will decide whether to repeal part of the law. In Massachusetts, voters may lift restrictions on the expansion of charter schools.

ENVIRONMENT

A ballot measure in Washington seeks to impose a tax on carbon emissions from certain fossil fuels–a policy aimed at fighting climate change by encouraging the use of clean energy. Washington would be the first state to impose such a tax.

GUNS

Four states are weighing firearm regulations. Measures in Maine and Nevada would implement universal background checks for people purchasing guns, while California could expand its check to the purchase of ammunition. A Washington proposal would allow courts to temporarily prevent people from possessing firearms if they pose a dangerous threat to themselves or others.

–Katie Reilly