US voters in 39 states to decide 145 ballot measures alongside midterm elections

Voters in 39 US states are set to decide on 145 state-level ballot measures on Tuesday, alongside the midterm elections. The proposals cover a wide range of issues, including abortion, firearms, transgender rights, criminal justice, voter identification rules and citizenship requirements for local voting. The measures could change state laws directly, or alter existing policies through referendums and constitutional amendments.

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The largest number of proposals are in California and Colorado, which each have 14 measures on the ballot. Four states are voting on abortion-related proposals, including Idaho and Nevada. In Massachusetts, voters will decide whether to keep restrictions on firearms, while other states are considering changes to bail rules and tougher penalties for crimes.

Six states are also asking voters whether American citizenship should be required to vote locally, and another six are weighing whether to require official documents or additional data for voter identification. California is also considering a proposal for an additional 5% tax on billionaire wealth, with the revenue intended to help fund health care and education. In Florida, voters are being asked whether to expand a property-tax exemption for residential homes.

These measures show how state ballot questions can be used to settle policy disputes that have not been resolved through legislatures alone. They also highlight how the midterms are being used not only to choose representatives, but to test public support for major social and fiscal changes. The abortion measures are among the most closely watched because they come after years of state-level legal battles over reproductive rights.

Idaho is among the states with some of the strictest abortion restrictions in the country, and its voters are being asked whether the state should recognise a legal right to abortion up to fetal viability, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Nevada is voting for a second time on a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights up to fetal viability and to preserve the life and health of the pregnant person. The proposal was already supported at the ballot box in 2024, but it must be approved again to take effect.

The firearms vote in Massachusetts also reflects the continuing political divide over gun regulation in the United States. Ballot measures on criminal justice, voter ID and citizenship rules are similarly part of a broader national debate over how states should balance access, security and election integrity. Because these questions are being decided state by state, the results could produce a patchwork of different legal standards across the country.

That makes the outcome relevant not only to voters in each state, but also to lawmakers, advocacy groups and courts that may later face challenges to the new rules. Ballot measures have long been a feature of US state politics, allowing voters to approve, reject or amend laws directly. In this cycle, the scale is unusually broad, with 145 proposals spread across 39 states.

The range of topics also shows how state ballots are being used to address issues that are often stalled in Congress or in state legislatures. For that reason, the results may be read as a measure of public opinion on some of the most contested policy questions in the country. What remains unclear is how many of the proposals will pass and whether any of them will face legal challenges after the vote.

The most closely watched results are likely to be those on abortion, election rules and tax policy, given their potential to reshape state law quickly. The final impact will depend on both the vote totals and the legal wording of each measure. Officials and campaign groups are expected to focus on the results as they are counted after election day.

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