Ballot Measures Update:

2020:

• Fifty-six statewide measures in 24 states have been certified for the 2020 ballot so far.
  • Eighteen of the 56 certified measures are citizen-initiated measures. Thirty-seven are legislative referrals. One is an automatic constitutional revision commission question.
  • No new measure was certified for the 2020 ballot last week.
  • Proponents of four additional ballot initiatives or veto referendums in Alaska, Maine, and Michigan submitted signatures, which are pending verification by state officials.
• On Tuesday, voters will decide three statewide measures, one each in Alabama, California, and Maine.

Republicans flip partisan control of state House district in Kentucky special election

• Two special general elections were held February 25 for Districts 67 and 99 of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Party county executive committees chose the nominees and had until January 7, 2020, to file candidate nominating papers.
  • District 67:
    • Rachel Roberts (D) defeated Mary Jo Wedding (R), receiving 64.2% of the votes cast in the election. Wedding received 35.8% of the votes. In total, 4,604 votes were cast in Tuesday’s special election.
    • The seat became vacant when Dennis Keene (D) resigned on December 16, 2019, to take a job as the commissioner of the Department for Local Government in Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) gubernatorial administration. Keene had represented District 67 since 2005. He was re-elected in 2018 with 60% of the vote.
    • Roberts will fill out the remainder of Keene’s term, which ends January 1, 2021. She is the only Democrat on the ballot in the Democratic primary on May 19, 2020. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2020.
  • District 99:
    • Richard White (R) defeated Bill Redwine (D), receiving 56% of the votes cast in the election. White received 44% of the votes. In total, 8,481 votes were cast in Tuesday’s special election.
    • The seat became vacant when Rocky Adkins (D) resigned on December 10, 2019, to take a job as a senior adviser in Beshear’s gubernatorial administration. Adkins had represented District 99 since 1987. He was unopposed in 2018 and won re-election in 2016 with 66% of the vote.
    • White will serve out the remainder of Adkins’s term, which ends January 1, 2021. White will compete against Dennis Stafford in the Republican primary on May 19, 2020. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2020.
• Republicans have a 62-37 majority in the state House and a 29-9 majority in the state Senate. Kentucky has a divided government, and no political party holds a state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. Andy Beshear (D) was elected to a first term as governor in 2019.
• As of February, 33 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2020 in 15 states. Between 2011 and 2019, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

Former Gov. Schweitzer endorses Williams for Montana governor

• Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) endorsed Whitney Williams (D) in the state’s Democratic primary for governor Thursday.
• Schweitzer was elected governor in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. He was succeeded by Steve Bullock (D), who endorsed Williams’ opponent in the primary, Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney (D). Cooney’s other endorsers include Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) while Williams’ other endorsers include EMILY’s List.
• Cooney and Williams are the only two Democrats who have so far entered the race, although filing does not close until March 9.
• On the Republican side, Rep. Greg Gianforte is scheduled to announce his running mate Sunday afternoon. His two opponents, Attorney General Tim Fox and state Sen. Al Olszewski, have each declared their running mates; Fox is running alongside former state Rep. Jon Knokey while Olszewski is running alongside state Sen. Kenneth Bogner.
• The June 2 primaries will be open to all registered voters regardless of partisan affiliation. The last Republican to win election as governor of Montana was Judy Martz (R) in 2000.

Three states to hold state executive primaries

• Super Tuesday is on March 3, and 10 states are holding statewide primaries. Of those 10 states, three—Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas—are conducting primaries for state executive offices. The state executive offices up for primary in each state are set out below.
• Alabama:
  • Public Service Commissioner
  • State Board of Education
    • Four seats on the board are up for election in 2020, but a primary contest is being held for the District 5 seat only. The primaries for Districts 1, 3, and 7 were canceled after the Democratic and/or Republican primary candidate for each district ran unopposed; these candidates advanced directly to the general election scheduled for November 3.
• North Carolina:
  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Attorney General
  • Secretary of State
  • Treasurer
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Auditor
  • Commissioner of Agriculture
  • Commissioner of Labor
  • Commissioner of Insurance
• Texas:
  • Texas Railroad Commissioner
  • State Board of Education (8 seats)
• Winners of the primaries in all three states will advance to the general election on November 3, 2020.

248 contested state legislative primaries to be held on Super Tuesday

• Four states are holding state legislative primaries on March 3, 2020: Arkansas, California, North Carolina, and Texas. A total of 248 primaries featuring two or more candidates are on the ballot. The general election for these races is scheduled for November 3, 2020.
• Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas hold partisan primaries, while California holds top-two primaries. In a top-two primary, candidates of all partisan affiliations are listed on the same ballot, and the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
• Here is a breakdown of the contested primaries by state:
  • Arkansas: 21 primaries
  • California: 96 primaries
  • North Carolina: 60 primaries
  • Texas: 71 primaries
• In Texas, Ballotpedia has identified 10 of the Democratic primaries and 10 of the Republican primaries as battlegrounds. Battlegrounds are elections that Ballotpedia expects to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive or compelling.
• Texas and Arkansas have a Republican state government trifecta, while California has a Democratic state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. North Carolina, by contrast, has a divided government, with no political party holding a trifecta.

Voters to decide three statewide ballot measures

• Californians will decide a $15-billion bond measure—Proposition 13—that would provide funds for school and college facilities. Proposition 13 would also change the formula used to distribute state bond funds to schools, the rules governing local bond measures, and school districts' abilities to assess developer fees.
• Proposition 13 would authorize $15 billion in bonds, including $9 billion allocated for preschool and K-12 schools. The state would use the bond revenue to provide matching funds to school districts. Proposition 13 would require the state Department of General Services to consider several factors, such as districts’ finances, overcrowding, and earthquake risks, when determining which modernization and construction applications to prioritize.
• The measure would also appropriate $6.0 billion to higher education: $2.0 billion to the California State University, $2.0 billion to the University of California and Hastings College of the Law, and $2.0 billion to community colleges. The state government would provide bond revenue for colleges' and universities' projects as part of the annual budget act. Proposition 13 would require the CSU Board of Trustees and the UC Regents to adopt five-year affordable student housing plans for campuses that seek bond funds.
• The California State Legislature placed Proposition 13 on the ballot. In the state Senate, all Democrats and 6 of 11 Republicans voted for the proposal. In the state Assembly, every Democrat and 17 of 18 Republicans voted to refer the measure to the ballot. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed the legislation for Proposition 13 on October 7, 2019.
• Voters in Maine will decide Question 1, a veto referendum that would repeal legislation related to vaccine requirements and have the effect of reinstating religious and philosophical exemptions from vaccination requirements. In 2019, the state legislature passed Legislative Document 798 (LD 798), which was designed to eliminate religious and philosophical exemptions for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of healthcare facilities. LD 798 is scheduled to take effect on Sept. 1, 2021, unless voters approve Question 1.
• Besides Maine, four states—California, Mississippi, New York, and West Virginia—do not provide for non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for students to attend schools. West Virginia has never provided non-medical exemptions. The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in 1979 that non-medical exemptions violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. California and New York repealed non-medical exemptions in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
• Voters in Alabama will decide the third statewide measure—Amendment 1—on March 3. It would rename the State Board of Education, change the board from being elected by voters to being appointed by the governor, and direct the governor to ensure that members of the commission "reflect the geographical, gender, and racial diversity of the students enrolled in public K-12 education in the state.”

Candidate filing period for state executive, legislative, and judicial offices ends in Georgia

• The candidate filing period for state executive, legislative, and judicial offices ends in Georgia. The primary election is scheduled for May 19.
• The offices up for election in Georgia include two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, all 56 seats in the Georgia State Senate, all 180 districts in the Georgia House of Representatives, three state Supreme Court justices, seven judges on the Georgia Court of Appeals, and local offices.

Forty-two states—Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming—are in regular session.

• In 2020, Ballotpedia is providing comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population. This encompasses every office on the ballot in these cities, including their municipal elections, trial court elections, school board elections, and local ballot measures. Ballotpedia is also covering all local recall elections as well as all local ballot measures in California.
  • 2020:
    • March 3 - California: Local voters in California will decide 288 local ballot measures on the ballot in different jurisdictions across 48 different counties.
      • Measures include a Los Angeles county citizen initiative—Measure R—that would authorize the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to develop a Comprehensive Public Safety Reinvestment Plan designed to reduce jail population and incarceration and granting the commission subpoena power to investigate complaints.
      • San Diego County voters will also decide two measures concerning land use and development.
      • San Francisco voters will decide five measures, including Proposition E, a citizen initiative that would limit city office development based on progress on annual housing goals.
    • March 3 - Oklahoma: Voters in Oklahoma City will decide a citizen initiative that would levy an additional 0.125% sales tax to fund city parks, thereby increasing the total sales tax rate in the city from 8.625% to 8.75%.
    • March 3 - Texas: Voters in Plano will decide three bond issues: $18.75 million for roads and transportation, $17.89 million for parks and recreation, and $8.025 million for city facilities.
    • March 3 - North Carolina: Voters in Forsyth County will decide a 0.25% sales tax measure.
    • March 10 - Arizona: Voters in Chandler will decide a charter amendment to make the city’s charter compatible with state law governing local election dates.
    • March 17 - Ohio: Voters in Cleveland will decide three charter amendments concerning election procedures, city council salaries, and city council meetings. Voters in the Columbus State Community College will decide a $300 million bond issue.

North Dakota school district removes two board members in recall election

• An election to recall two Williams County Public School District No. 8 school board members in North Dakota was approved by voters on February 25. Board President Penny Soiseth and Vice President Curt Sullivan were both removed from office, and Chris Jundt and Sarah Williams were elected to replace them.
• Jundt and Williams support dissolving the district and said they were frustrated with the lack of board transparency as well as a plan to secure $12 million to expand Williston High School. They also said the board had chosen not to listen to district residents.
• Soiseth said they had listened to district residents. "We’ve had five town hall meetings where people could come in and they could say what they wanted to say. They did have the ability to reach out to us, and I had very few people reach out to me. Transparency, anything that the board has talked about, I have portrayed," Soiseth said.
• Ballotpedia has tracked nine school board recall efforts targeting 26 board members in 2020. The Williams County school board recall election was the first to be held this year. A second school board recall election is being held on June 2.

Ballotpedia to cover primaries for 700 local offices, 23 school board seats on Super Tuesday

• Ballotpedia is covering primary elections in five states for 700 local offices, including seven mayors, 216 judges, and 477 other officials such as city council member, county commissioner, sheriff, and district attorney. We cover municipal elections in the 100 largest cities by population, and those counties and jurisdictions that intersect with those cities. The seven mayoral primaries taking place among the 100 largest cities are:
  • Bakersfield, California
  • Fresno, California
  • Riverside, California
  • Sacramento, California
  • San Diego, California
  • Stockton, California
  • Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Ballotpedia is also covering primaries for 23 school board seats in eight districts across four states in the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment and those school districts that overlap the 100 largest cities by population.

Four notable local measures on the ballot in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego on Tuesday

• California voters will decide 288 local ballot measures and one statewide measure on Tuesday. Here is a preview of four notable measures in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego:
  • Los Angeles County, Measure R, Civilian Police Oversight Commission and Jail Plan Initiative was put on the ballot through a successful initiative petition campaign that submitted 247,000 signatures to the county clerk. Measure R would authorize the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission to develop a plan designed to reduce the jail population and re-incarceration rates and grant the Commission subpoena power to investigate complaints made against the department. Currently, a majority of the nine-member commission must vote to request the Office of the Inspector General to subpoena documents or witnesses. Measure R would give the subpoena power directly to the commission.
    • Reform LA Jails is leading the support campaign, Yes on R. As of January 2020, the committee raised $1.9 million in contributions. Over half that amount, $1.2 million, was donated by Cari Tuna, the president of Open Philanthropy Project and Good Ventures. Yes on R received endorsements from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.
    • Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva came out in opposition to the measure, stating, “Measure R will open the floodgates for many more ill-advised lawsuits designed to seek documents that are not legally available for public release. ... The Board of Supervisors, the Inspector General and the Civilian Oversight Commission would better serve the community by working collaboratively with the Sheriff's Department.” Ballotpedia did not identify any campaigns organized in opposition to the measure.
  • In San Francisco, voters will decide five ballot measures, including Proposition E, the City Office Development Limit Initiative. Proposition E was put on the ballot through a successful citizen initiative petition drive sponsored by Housing Forward San Francisco. The measure would limit city office development if the city does not meet annual housing production goals. Office development would be limited by the percentage of units not produced. The measure would set the minimum housing goal at a minimum of 2,042 units.
    • Office development was first limited to 950,00 square feet annually in 1986 with the approval of Proposition M. This annual limit established by Proposition M would be further cut if San Francisco does not produce enough housing for “Very Low,” “Low,” and “Moderate” income levels to meet the goal established by Proposition E.
  • In San Diego County, voters will decide on two related measures—Measure A, Voter Approval for Land Use Amendments to County General Plan, and Measure B, General Plan Amendments for Newland Sierra Project. Measure A requires voter approval for amendments to the county's General Plan that increase population density for semi-rural or rural land classifications. Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside is leading the Yes on A campaign in support of the measure. Planning Today for San Diego's Future is leading the campaign in opposition to the measure. The current San Diego County General Plan was adopted in 2011.
    • Measure B amends the county's General Plan to authorize the development of the Newland Sierra Project, which will include over 2,000 homes, a school, retail space, parks, and open space. The measure was put on the ballot through a successful referendum petition by the No on Newland Sierra campaign. The referendum was filed to repeal the San Diego County General Plan amendment that authorizes the Newland Sierra Project. It was approved by the county's Board of Supervisors with a 4-0 vote in September 2018. Yes on B for a Better Choice is leading the campaign in support of a "yes" vote on Measure B, which would uphold the amendment passed by the county's Board of Supervisors.
• California polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the day of the election.

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