Paula Dwyer , Columnist

State Ballot Measures in 2016 Reflect Shift to Left

Progressive groups are rewarded by low turnout in 2014.

September 5, 2016 at 1:45 PM UTC

Paula Dwyer is a senior editor with the New York editing hub, focusing on daily and long-form enterprise. She was London bureau chief for Businessweek and Washington economics editor for the New York Times, and is a co-author of “Take on the Street: How to Fight for Your Financial Future.

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A funny thing happened on the way to the ballot box this year. Though grassroots referendums and initiatives have been on the wane for two decades, 73 have been approved for ballots so far in the 26 states that allow them. That’s still well below the 1996 peak of 92 measures, but it’s the highest number since 2006 and almost 50 percent more than in 2012.

Why the spike? A big reason, says Josh Altic of the politics website Ballotpedia, is that the number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot in many states is based on voter turnout in the previous statewide election. And turnout in 2014 was the lowest since World War II.