Missouri rejects citizens’ bid for vote on Trump-backed redistricting plan

Supporters of the referendum had submitted hundreds of thousands of petition signatures in an effort to force a November election on whether to use a new US House map approved by the Republican-led state legislature. But the Republican secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, asserted on Tuesday that the petition was void because congressional redistricting plans cannot be subject to voter referendums… 

“Secretary of State Hoskins is making a last desperate attempt to silence the people’s voice in Missouri,” Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, said in a statement, while asserting there were more than enough signatures to qualify the referendum for the ballot.

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/04/missouri-redistricting-plan-vote

 

Minimum wage referendum ramps up signature collection efforts

"When you have billionaires taking space trips for fun but you can't pay people a living wage, we're fighting to make sure that everyone, tipped workers, hourly workers are getting their fair share and nobody has to work two or three jobs in order to take care of their family," Ramsey said during a morning event at Yum Village in Detroit…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-01-10/minimum-wage-referendum-ramps-up-signature-collection-efforts

 

DeSantis-stacked panel approves ‘dirty trick’ language for abortion referendum - The Washington Post

"They're trying to cause confusion and hide the real issue: Amendment 4 is about ending Florida's extreme abortion ban which outlaws abortion before many women even realize they are pregnant," she said...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/07/16/florida-abortion-desantis-referendum/

Court to decide if legislative strategy violates the State Constitution : NPR

The "adopt" part involves lawmakers taking advantage of a provision in the state constitution that allows the Legislature to adopt ballot initiative language into law before it has a chance to go before voters. The initiative then comes off the ballot, since it no longer needs a vote on Election Day — it's already law. The "amend" step comes after the election, in the same legislative session, when lawmakers change that new law before it has a chance to take effect...

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/07/1217712561/michigan-supreme-court-oral-arguments-adopt-and-amend-minimum-wage   

Anti-abortion misinformation mounting ahead of key Ohio vote, experts warn

"They want to confuse you, so that you don't vote for it. Instead of putting factual information out, it's lies being put out there by elected officials that people trusted to vote in, and they're there leading by lying," said Thurston, a 37-year-old office manager who lives outside Columbus…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/03/ohio-abortion-vote-misinformation-warning

Ohio purged 26,000 voters days before abortion referendum deadline | US news | The Guardian

Voting rights groups say move by Republican secretary of state lacked transparency and did not follow established practice…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/03/ohio-republican-election-secretary-of-state-voter-purge

Ohio court rules term unborn child can remain in abortion ballot language

A spokesperson for Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights said in a statement Tuesday that this was another attempt by the ballot board to "mislead voters." 

"Issue 1 is clearly and concisely written to protect Ohioans' right to make our own personal health care decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion, free from government interference," Lauren Blauvelt said. "The actual amendment language communicates that right clearly and without distortion."…

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ohio-court-rules-term-unborn-child-can-remain-abortion-ballot-language-rcna106310

Ohio abortion rights activists suffer blow in suit over referendum language

Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights proposed using the text of the amendment, which includes guarantees that the state cannot interfere with the right to contraception, miscarriage care and abortion up until the point of viability, a benchmark that's generally pegged to about 24 weeks of pregnancy. 

However, by a 3-2 vote, the Ohio ballot board voted to adopt a summary of the amendment instead. This summary repeatedly substituted the term "unborn child" for "fetus" and says the amendment would "always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability" …

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/19/ohio-abortion-rights-referendum-language

How Republicans are trying to block voters from having a say on abortion

"The instinct from conservative lawmakers to make it harder for their voters to decide on the core issues that matter to them most is fundamentally an assault on voting rights," says Kellie Copeland, the executive director of the Fairness Project, an organization that supports progressive ballot initiatives in red and purple states. "Those lawmakers know their ideological views are out of sync with their voters [and] they are trying to change the rules of the game."…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/19/abortion-rights-votes-ballot-initiatives-republican-stop-referendum

Michigan abortion referendum rejected by Republicans on Board of Canvassers - The Washington Post

Board Chairman Anthony Daunt (R) took issue with the readability of the proposal, and rejected it based on spacing issues, the Detroit News reports.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/31/michigan-abortion-ballot/

See how big the Kansas abortion referendum failed in 4 charts - Vox

More people turned out than in any primary in Kansas history — and that could happen elsewhere, too...

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23290714/kansas-abortion-referendum-primary-turnout-charts