A dose of direct democracy is hitting the off-year elections as some ballot measures have far-reaching implications, from redrawing congressional maps to gun control to election integrity. 

Voters in six states will decide on 24 statewide measures, according to Ballotpedia. Overall, 17 of the measures will appear on the Texas ballots, according to the State Court Report website. 

Here are the seven key ballot initiatives to watch for ahead of Election Day, Nov. 4. 

1. Newsom’s Gerrymandering Power Grab

California’s Proposition 50 would allow the state Legislature to draw congressional maps instead of the independent redistricting commission that was adopted by voters in 2010. 

If approved, the change would likely shift five Republican-held U.S. House seats to Democrats. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom and most Democrats support the measure, which would take away the power to draw up congressional districts from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission that currently draws congressional and legislative districts. 

The pro-Newsom side raised $106.4 million compared to the far-lagging $44.3 million from opponents. 

What’s more, 95% of all spending for all ballot measures in 2025 has gone to Proposition 50, Nicole Fisher, writer for Ballotpedia, told The Daily Signal.  

Newsom has said the gerrymandering is a response to recent redistricting in Texas that favored Republicans.

Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the campaign trail to oppose the change, and former U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has also campaigned and raised money to fight the Newsom-backed measure. 

“Democrats have a big spending advantage,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at Center for Politics, a think tank at the University of Virginia, told The Daily Signal. 

“They turned it into a partisan, nationalized fight, and framed it as a tit-for-tat between California versus Texas.”

2. Election Integrity on the Maine Ballot

Voters in Maine are considering a measure that would bring voter ID to the state and impose new rules for absentee voting. 

Maine is an outlier, as 36 states have some form of voter ID requirement. Of those, 24 require photo ID.

Opponents of the measure are leading in the money race, raising $1.7 million, compared to $802,000 by supporters, according to Ballotpedia. 

A University of New Hampshire poll found 49% of Maine voters oppose the measure, 48% support it, while 3% are undecided. So, the matter is effectively deadlocked. 

Maine’s Question 1, if passed, would require voters to present photo ID for both in-person as well as for absentee voting. The measure would also limit each municipality to one ballot drop box. It would further require a bipartisan group of election officials to collect ballots from drop boxes. 

“Voter ID is something voters generally support, but it’s the absentee voting rules and other pieces that seem to be giving some voters pause,” Kondik said. 

If passed, the proposal would also require the state to provide free photo ID cards to voters without a driver’s license upon request and prohibit requesting an absentee ballot through a family member. 

3. Democrat Governor Opposes Gun Control in Maine

If approved, Maine’s Question 2 would establish an “extreme risk protection order.” This would allow family members or law enforcement to petition courts to temporarily restrict a person’s access to guns.

Interestingly, Democrat Gov. Janet Mills opposes the measure and encourages voters to oppose it. 

“The so-called ‘red flag’ measure has been billed as strengthening gun safety measures—but in reality, it will undermine the safety of the public,” Mills said in September.  

She said the existing law allows a court to order the removal of dangerous weapons from someone who poses a risk to themselves or others.

“Our law is not some cookie-cutter measure copied and pasted from another state,” Mills said. 

Supporters of the gun control measure are winning the money race, with more than $843,000 raised, compared to opponents who raised less than $65,000, according to Ballotpedia. 

Polling is close, but a significant 22% remain undecided on the gun issue, according to a University of New Hampshire survey. 

“Both questions in Maine are neck-and-neck, with a lot of undecided voters,” Fisher said. 

4. Only Citizens Voting in Texas?

A proposed constitutional amendment in Texas, Proposition 16, would amend the state constitution to ban noncitizens from voting. 

Already, 14 states have passed similar statewide bans on noncitizen voting. Of those, eight states passed the bans as recently as last November. 

The move came in part to stop municipalities from granting voting rights to noncitizens. Local jurisdictions in California, Illinois, Maryland, and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, have allowed noncitizens to vote in certain local elections, such as for mayor and school board.

The measure passed both houses of the Texas Legislature with bipartisan support.

This past week, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson reported as many as 2,724 noncitizens were registered to vote in the state. 

5. Tough on Crime in Texas

Texans will be considering another proposed constitutional amendment in Proposition 3 that, if passed, would deny bail for those charged with murder; capital murder; aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury performed with a weapon; aggravated kidnapping, robbery, and sexual assault; indecency with a child; and human trafficking.

Gov. Greg Abbott supports the proposed amendment, and it passed both houses of the legislature overwhelmingly with bipartisan support. 

6. First in Nation Parental Rights Amendment

Texas’ Proposition 15 would add parental rights to the state constitution. This means parents would have the final authority over their children’s care and upbringing. 

Texas would be the first state to add such a measure to its constitution, though it is among 26 states that have had a “parents bill of rights” in the law. 

“It would primarily give parents more rights in court for legal challenges,” Fisher said. 

The issues could include things such as gender policies, contraception, and other controversial matters in schools. 

The measure had unanimous support in the state Senate and broad bipartisan support in the House.

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