By Salma El-Sakka
Voters in multiple states will decide on significant ballot measures during the 2026 midterm elections, covering voter identification, transgender rights, taxation of high earners, and reproductive rights.
Voter access initiatives
Thirteen states have ballot questions affecting voter access and rights. California, Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina, and Arizona propose voter identification laws. Nevada voters approved a similar measure with 73% support in 2024, but the state constitution requires passage in two consecutive elections. Alaska, Arizona, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, and West Virginia have measures to explicitly restrict voting to U.S. citizens in state-administered elections, though documented cases of noncitizen voting remain rare. Meanwhile, Massachusetts voters will decide on same-day voter registration, and a Virginia measure would restore voting rights to some formerly incarcerated individuals.
Transgender rights and sports eligibility
Four states — Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Washington — will vote on measures to bar transgender athletes from competing on teams that differ from their sex assigned at birth. Washington's proposal would require female athletes to provide medical documentation verifying their sex. Colorado and Missouri also have measures to prohibit gender-transition surgeries for minors.
Taxation proposals
Five states present tax-related ballot questions. California's Proposition 40, dubbed the "billionaires' tax," would impose a 5% levy on assets exceeding $1 billion, with revenue directed to healthcare, food assistance, and public education. Colorado's measure would replace the flat tax with a progressive system ranging from 3.7% for incomes under $25,000 to 8.4% for earnings above $1 million. Washington voters will consider repealing a 9.9% tax on incomes over $1 million. Iowa and North Carolina also have tax proposals on the ballot.
Reproductive rights measures
Four states address reproductive rights following the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Virginia, Idaho, and Nevada would enshrine the right to make personal reproductive decisions, while Missouri voters will decide whether to repeal a 2024 initiative that established a constitutional right to reproductive freedom.
