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State Ethics & Elections Ballot Measures: National Recap
Government ethics remained a hot topic for voters around the United States in the mid-term 2018 elections. Citizens of at least 12 states had the opportunity on Election Day to vote on ballot measures that covered gifts, campaign contributions, elections, public officials’ conduct, and lobbyist activity. With few exceptions, these measures generally increase ethics oversight and restrictions.
A comprehensive article on this topic by Mike Kelly of Nielsen Merksamer appears in the current Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) Guardian publication. More detail on each of these measures may be found on the Nielsen Merksamer website in our Essential Ethics political law updates. This weekly blog includes legislative and ethics commission developments as well.
2018 State Ballot Measures
| Jurisdiction | Measure | Subject | Result |
| Arizona | Proposition 306 | Campaign funds restriction | Passed – 56% to 44% |
| Colorado | Amendment 75 | Campaign limit exception | Failed – 66% to 34% |
| Amendment Y | Congressional redistricting commission | Passed – 71% to 29% | |
| Amendment Z | Legislative redistricting commission | Passed – 71% to 29% | |
| Florida | Amendment 12 | Restrictions on public officials | Passed – 79% to 21% |
| Massachusetts | Question 2 | Commission on Citizens United | Passed – 71% to 29% |
| Michigan | Proposal 2 | Redistricting commission | Passed – 61% to 39% |
| Missouri | Amendment 1 | Comprehensive ethics reform | Passed – 62% to 38% |
| New Mexico | Constitutional Amendment 2 | Independent State Ethics Commission | Passed – 75% to 25% |
| North Carolina | Legislatively Referred Constitutional Amendment (House Bill 4) | Restricts Governor’s appointments to Board of Ethics | Failed – 62% to 38% |
| North Dakota | Initiated Constitutional Measure 1 | Comprehensive ethics measure, including new commission | Passed – 54% to 46% |
| Oklahoma | State Question 798 | Governor and Lt. Governor on a single ticket | Failed – 54% to 46% |
| South Dakota | Constitutional Amendment W | Comprehensive ethics measure, including new ethics board | Failed – 55% to 45% |
| Measure 24 | Prohibit out-of-state contributions | Passed – 56% to 44% | |
| Utah | Proposition 4 | Redistricting commission | Passed – 50.7% to 49.3% |
Nielsen Merksamer has been involved in measures on various topics across the country this election, provided analysis of many of these measures for clients, and will incorporate the results of campaign, lobby and government ethics law changes into Legal Summaries available on the Nielsen Merksamer Client Portal. Please contact one of the firm’s political law attorneys with questions about any of these ballot measures or other election results across the country.