While not as well-known as the top federal and state candidates vying for political office this fall, ballot measures are an important part of the political process that voters decide on every election day around the U.S. If you have been to the ballot box, you have encountered at least local ballot measures. The equipment manufacturing industry is certainly impacted by these ballot measures.
According to Ballotpedia, a ballot measure can be “a citizen-initiated ballot measure.” The ballot initiative “process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide.” As of 2024, 26 states allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures. Legislatures can also place laws, in the form of ballot measures, on the ballot during an election for voters to decide. These are called legislative referrals.
One of the larger trends in 2024 that could impact equipment manufacturers is ballot measures which focus on employee wages and compensation. Six states (Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Mass., Mo., and Neb.) have current ballot measures for voters to decide on employee compensation.
In Nebraska, Initiative 436 is on the ballot and voters will decide if businesses there are required to offer earned paid sick leave for employees, up to seven days for businesses of at least 20 employees and five days for fewer than 20 employees. While in the other five states voters will decide to raise the minimum wage, and in the case of both Arizona (Proposition 138) and Massachusetts (Question 5), those minimum wage increases would be for “tipped” workers.
In Oregon, Measure 118 would increase the minimum tax on corporations with Oregon sales by enacting a 3% tax on sales greater than $25 million in addition to the minimum tax already required in state law. It would direct the Oregon Department of Revenue to distribute the revenue from the additional tax equally to Oregon residents who reside in the state for a total of 200 days or more. The measure was certified for the ballot this past July after the Oregon Secretary of State approved the necessary collection of signatures. While influential entities like the Oregon grocers, many from the state legislature and the Governor’s office are against Measure 118. As with any item on the ballot, there is still a chance it could pass.
In addition, Arkansas Issue 1 is up for voters to decide on election day. Issue 1, if approved by voters, will allow proceeds from the state lottery to be used to fund scholarships and grants for public and private vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. Issue 1 originated in the state legislature during the 2023 session and passed unanimously through the legislative process. Since 2009, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has provided more than 700,000 college scholarships and raised more than $1 billion in scholarship funds.
Transportation funding is on the ballot in nearly 20 states this election day. According to the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center, voters “will consider approximately 300 state, county, city and other local transportation investment questions on the November 5 General Election ballot.” In Seattle, voters will decide on whether they will renew a local property tax which would lead to a $1.5 billion investment in the city’s infrastructure, while 8 counties in South Carolina will ask voters to approve a new sales tax specifically aimed for transportation purposes. “Nationally, voters last year approved 88% of transportation investment measures on the ballot. This result tracked with historical trends; since 2014, voters in 43 states approved nearly 2,600 – or 85% – of state and local ballot measures” writes the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center.
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