The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 24, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
As voters turn to ballot initiatives to bypass extreme legislatures, legislatures are manipulating initiative rules to protect their partisan power. Expect more such attacks on direct democracy in 2025.
In 2024 alone, 10 reproductive rights measures qualified for the ballot, with only two failing, in Nebraska, and Florida. Another passed in Ohio in 2023.
Not willing to let extreme agendas get overridden by those pesky voters, legislatures are trying to de-fang direct democracy by trying to raise constitutional amendment thresholds to 60% or higher, and requiring minimum numbers of qualifying signatures from each county, rather than a statewide percentage. To keep Ohio voters from passing abortion protections in 2023, the legislature proposed a 60% threshold, using a low-turnout August special election it had deemed too expensive to run. It lost, and abortion rights prevailed four months later. In 2024, the Ohio Secretary of State helped derail a citizen-led redistricting measure by rewriting its ballot description to mislead voters.
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center reports there were three 2024 measures attacking direct democracy. Arizonans voted down a measure requiring minimum signatures from every county, and another allowing a pre-election litigation on measures. North Dakota would have raised the signatures required, and winning both a primary AND a general election. It, too, failed.
Expect more such attacks on direct democracy in 2025. Find more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Ohio Legislature Forcing Through Restoration of Aug. 8th Election to Pass Hurdles for Citizen Ballot Initiatives & Block Potential Abortion Rights Measure
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Ohio Voters Defeat Republican Effort to Raise Citizen Ballot Initiative Passage to 60% in Pro-Voter Victory
Route 50 – States look to rein in ballot initiatives with more ballot initiatives
The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center – 2024 Election Results
KFF – Outcome of Abortion-Related State Constitutional Amendment Measures in the 2024 Election
Reuters – Florida, two other states defy trend and vote down abortion rights
State Court Report – Direct Democracy Under Attack
Groups Taking Action:
Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, League of Women Voters US, Common Cause US
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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