The ballot issues for Election Day 2023 with the highest stakes across U.S. voting

Voters in 5 states are taking on ballot measures in the 2023 elections Tuesday, weighing in on issues together with abortion, marijuana legalization and abolishing wealth taxes. 

The ballot measures most likely to draw the maximum consideration are in Ohio, Texas and Maine. Here are the ones to look at.

Ohio Issue 1: Abortion get admission to 

Ohioans will vote on whether or not to amend Ohio’s charter to enshrine abortion rights in state regulation, which seems on the ballot as Issue 1. A “yes” vote would amend the state charter, whilst a “no” vote would reject the modification and stay the establishment. 

In Ohio, abortion is felony till 22 weeks, even though Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, signed a invoice into regulation in 2019 that outlaws abortions as soon as embryonic cardiac task is detected, normally at about six weeks right into a being pregnant, with out exceptions for rape or incest. The new regulation has been blocked via state courts whilst litigation continues.  

Ohio is one in every of a number of states that has put abortion protections on the ballot after the Supreme Court overturned the federal proper to an abortion with its choice in Roe v. Wade. 

If the measure receives a easy majority of votes, it is going to grow to be regulation 30 days after the election. 

Last 12 months, Kansas citizens rejected a ballot measure that might have eradicated abortion protections from the state’s charter. 

Ohio Issue 2: Marijuana legalization

Ohioans also are voting Tuesday whether or not to legalize leisure use of marijuana — it is on the ballot as Issue 2.

If this passes, the new regulation would permit the sale and buy of marijuana for private or leisure use via adults 21 and older. Eligible adults would be capable to acquire and possess as much as 2.5 oz. of marijuana at a time, and gross sales could be taxed at 10%. The measure would additionally permit Ohio citizens to stay as much as six hashish crops. 

A vote towards the measure would imply marijuana stays unlawful in the state. 

The measure handiest wishes a majority of votes to move, and would grow to be efficient 30 days after the election. 

Colorado Proposition II: Excess nicotine taxes for preschools 

A ballot measure in Colorado, Proposition II, would permit the state to stay any income that exceeds legitimate projections from tax will increase on tobacco, cigarettes and nicotine, and require Colorado officers to spend the ones price range on preschool schooling. If the measure isn’t authorized, the state will have to refund extra income to wholesalers and vendors.

Maine Question 2: Expanding ban on international spending in elections

Foreign spending is already prohibited in federal, state and native elections, however a Maine initiative would make bigger the ban. 

The ballot measure would restrict international governments in addition to entities with no less than 5% international authorities possession or keep an eye on from spending cash to steer applicants or ballot measures. 

Federal regulation does not restrict international nationals from donating associated with ballot measures.

The measure additionally directs TV, radio, print and on-line news organizations to ascertain insurance policies to stop publishing communications the place international government-influenced entities have illegally spent cash. 

If it turns into regulation, violating the prohibition could be against the law punishable via a $5,000 high quality, or double the quantity of the contribution, whichever is bigger. 

Maine Question 8: Removing bar towards voting via some with psychological sickness

Another Maine ballot measure would take away a constitutional provision {that a} federal courtroom has already discovered unconstitutional, a state provision barring people who find themselves positioned underneath guardianship on account of a psychological sickness from voting. 

A federal courtroom in 2001 discovered Maine’s constitutional provision violated the Constitution’s due procedure and the equivalent coverage clauses. Amendments to make voting to be had to other people underneath guardianships for psychological sickness had been on the ballot in Maine ahead of, however no longer since 2000. And the public’s working out of and point of view on psychological sickness has shifted considerably in the closing 23 years. 

Texas Proposition 3: Banning wealth taxes 

This Texas measure helps amending the state’s charter to ban the Texas Legislature from enacting a tax on an individual’s wealth or web value in the long term. Such a tax is extremely not likely in the close to long term, since Republicans keep an eye on each chambers of the Legislature, in addition to the governor’s mansion. 

“The constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of an individual wealth or net worth tax, including a tax on the difference between the assets and liabilities of an individual or family,” the name of the ballot measure reads. 

Texas Proposition 4: Raising the dwelling house tax exemption

Another Texas ballot measure would amend the state’s charter to extend the dwelling house tax exemption for house owners from $40,000 to $100,000 for their number one place of abode.

Currently, house owners might deduct $40,000 from the appraised worth of the house to calculate the home-owner’s state tax burden. This measure would build up that determine to $100,000, in gentle of hovering house costs in Texas lately.

The measure would additionally permit the Legislature to restrict the annual appraisal build up on non-homestead houses.

Texas Proposition 12: Eliminating the Galveston County treasurer

One of the extra odd statewide ballot measures is Prop. 12, which asks all Texas citizens whether or not they make stronger an modification to the state charter to abolish the place of Galveston County treasurer. 

In reality, it is the Galveston County treasurer himself, Hank Dugie, who’s pushing the measure, which means he is in the hunt for a constitutional modification to do away with his personal task. Dugie campaigned for workplace — and received — on eliminating the place. He argues that his task is redundant, that different departments can simply soak up the tasks of treasurer, and taxpayers must no longer need to pay his wage of $117,260. 

Dugie issues out on his web site that this isn’t the first time Texas has voted to abolish the county treasurer’s task — if Prop. 12 succeeds, Galveston shall be the tenth county in the state to eliminate its treasurer.

The modification would authorize the county to make a choice somebody else or any other county legitimate to satisfy the tasks of treasurer.