Along with the news of a Democratic Party sweep in the races for Virginia and New Jersey’s governors and New York City’s mayor are the results of several important state ballot initiatives.
Maine, Colorado, Texas, and California residents voted on issues including gun control, parental rights, election security, food assistance, and redistricting. Here’s a look at the outcomes of each vote:
Maine Questions 1 and 2 — Disapproved and approved
Maine residents voted down Maine Question 1, a ballot initiative to create stricter limits on absentee voting. As of Wednesday morning, with 89.6% of votes counted, only 36.5% of the electorate supported the ballot. Sixty-three point five percent voted against the proposal.
The measure would have prevented requests for absentee ballots from family members or by phone. It would also have ended the automatic mailing of absentee ballots to seniors and people with disabilities.
The ballot proposal would also have limited the number of drop boxes for absentee ballots, banned prepaid postage on mail-in ballots, and required voters to show photo ID before voting.
Maine voters supported passing Maine Question 2, which proposed a new state “red flag” gun control law. With 90.4% of votes counted, 63.1% of Maine residents supported the ballot initiative.
The law allows Mainers to directly request a court to take away a family member’s gun if “the person poses a significant danger of causing physical injury to themselves or others.” Previously, only the police could request such a court injunction.
Colorado Propositions LL and MM — Approved
Colorado voters backed Proposition MM, a ballot measure to lower state tax deduction limits for Coloradoans earning $300,000 or more. With 81.9% of votes reported, 58.1% of Colorado residents approved the proposition.
The increased revenue would go to the state’s two-year-old Healthy School Meals for All program, which provides free school meals to all Colorado students regardless of income.
The second ballot measure, Proposition LL, was also supported by Colorado residents. Sixty-four point seven percent of Colorado voters approved the initiative.
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The proposal would allow the state to keep excess tax revenue earmarked for the Healthy Schools Meals for All program. Under the Colorado Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, any funds that exceeded their statutory use would have been returned to taxpayers.
Texas Propositions 15 and 16 — Approved
Texas voters approved Proposition 15, which added an amendment to the state constitution protecting parental rights. With 99% of votes counted, 69.9% of voters in the Lone Star state backed the proposal.
The amendment states that parents have the right to “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.”
The proposal has strong bipartisan support, with every Republican and two-thirds of Democratic state legislators voting to pass it. State Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the 2026 Texas Senate race, cosponsored the original bill.
Texas voters also supported Proposition 16, which amended the Texas Constitution to prevent “persons who are not citizens of the United States” from voting. Seventy-two percent of Texans approved the proposal.
While federal law bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections, no similar federal regulations exist regarding state and local elections. Several other states, including South Dakota, Idaho, Oklahoma, and more, have passed similar amendments recently.
California Proposition 50 — Approved
California voters backed Proposition 50, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s flagship measure in his redistricting effort against Republicans. With 75% of the vote reported, 63.8% of Californians supported the initiative.
The proposal outlines a new map passed by the state legislature, changing congressional districts for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections. Newsom spearheaded the initiative in response to the Texas legislature’s redrawing of its congressional maps earlier this year.
The California delegation to the House of Representatives has 43 Democrats and nine Republicans. Despite Republicans making up only 17% of the current House delegation, 38.3% of Californians voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
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The new map would make five of those nine Republican districts more vulnerable. The threatened Republican congressmen are Reps. Kevin Kiley, Doug LaMalfa, Darrell Issa, Ken Calvert, and David Valdao.
“What a night for the Democratic Party, a party that is in its ascendancy,” Newsom said in a speech Tuesday night, “We’re proud here in California to be part of this narrative this evening.”
