Politics


11 States Host Key Referendums


Questions on voter ID, transgender policy, abortion will get national attention. V 1 2


oters in dozens of states will face statewide constitutional amendments, initia- tives, and referendums at ballot boxes on Nov. 3.


The hottest fi ghts are clustering around abortion, voter ID, transgender policy, taxes, immigration, mari-


ARIZONA


Voter ID and transgender sports Voters will consider strengthening voter identification requirements, and a separate measure governing participation in girls’ and women’s school sports based on biological sex.


CALIFORNIA Voter ID, schools tax, billionaire tax Proposition 39 would constitutionally


require government-issued identification for in-person voting and identification information for mail ballots — a dramatic change for California elections. Proposition 40 is a one-time tax of up


to 5% of net worth of those with assets over $1 billion. The tax would fund health programs.


3 COLORADO 14 statewide measures Several will likely become national


culture war tests. Voters will decide whether to require schools and colleges to base male/female sports participation on biological sex. Another proposition prohibits specified gender-related surgeries on minors.


4 IDAHO


Abortion and marijuana A major abortion initiative


would establish in state law a right to reproductive freedom, including abortion until fetal viability, with medical


52 NEWSMAX | OCTOBER 2026


juana, and redistricting. There are roughly 150-plus statewide measures nation-


ally, but here are the major or politically controversial questions.


Newsmax reviewed the ballots and 11 states have key initiatives that will get national attention:


emergency protections afterward. Voters will decide a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature exclusive authority to legalize marijuana, narcotics, and other psychoactive substances.


5 MASSACHUSETTS


Reversing marijuana legalization Question 8 would essentially dismantle


Massachusetts’ regulated recreational marijuana retail market. It would end licensed recreational sales and the associated state and local marijuana taxes, reversing much of the legalization system voters approved in 2016.


6 MISSOURI


Abortion and transgender Amendment 3 would reverse much of


the abortion rights amendment Missouri voters approved in 2024. It would generally prohibit abortion


while providing exceptions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest, with the rape/incest exception limited to the first 12 weeks. It would also prohibit gender-transition surgeries, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones for minors.


7 NEVADA Abortion and voter ID Question 6 would put a right to abortion


into the Nevada Constitution through fetal viability, and afterward when medically necessary to protect the patient’s life or health. A separate amendment would require photo identification for in-person


voting, and identification verification for mail voting.


8


NORTH CAROLINA Voter identification


North Carolina voters will consider a


constitutional voter ID measure as part of the unprecedented wave of identification questions appearing around the country this year. All of the 2026 voter ID measures would strengthen rather than weaken identification requirements.


9 OHIO


Voter identification Ohio likewise has a November


constitutional question involving voter ID. 10


VIRGINIA Abortion and


same-sex marriage One amendment would establish an


explicit constitutional right to reproductive freedom involving pregnancy decisions. A second would remove Virginia’s dormant constitutional prohibition on same-sex marriage, and explicitly protect marriage licenses regardless of the applicants’ sex, gender, or race.


and parental rights It would prohibit biologically male


11


students from competing on female school teams, and require biological sex verification under specified medical criteria.


WASHINGTON Transgender sports


ENVELOPE/JORG GREUEL/GETTY IMAGES / ID CARD/LAREA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT / TRANSGENDER BY BEARICONS FROM THE NOUN PROJECT ABORTION/SHOME FROM THE NOUN PROJECT / WEED/LEONARDO HENRIQUE MARTINI FROM THE NOUN PROJECT


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