Trump’s Policy Agenda Faces Test as 145 State Ballot Measures Hit Voters Midterms

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Voters across the United States will cast ballots on 145 proposed laws and constitutional amendments this Tuesday. These measures serve as a significant political undercard to the high-stakes midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, state legislatures, and various governorships.

Several of these proposals act as a public referendum on the priorities of President Donald Trump, specifically regarding efforts to restructure congressional districts, restrict transgender participation in sports, and tighten voter identification requirements.

Missouri voters are considering whether to repeal the abortion rights amendment they passed just two years ago in favor of a new ban. This proposed restriction would differ from the previous version by including exceptions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, and cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The Republican-led legislature brought the repeal to the ballot after Missouri made history in 2024 as the first state where voters successfully overturned an existing ban on most abortions. National progressive groups and abortion rights advocates have significantly outspent their opponents to ensure the measure is defeated.

Missouri is not the only state with abortion rights on the ballot. In three other states, measures aim to establish a right to abortion similar to the national standards existing before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In Idaho and Nevada, proposals would block abortion bans before fetal viability, which typically occurs after 21 weeks.

Regarding redistricting, Republican lawmakers in Missouri adopted new House districts to gain an additional seat, but courts ruled these maps cannot be implemented unless voters approve them this November. If successful, the districts would apply to the 2028 election cycle.

Nine states are utilizing new congressional districts in these midterms following a rare mid-decade redistricting trend encouraged by Trump. In Democratic-led Maryland, voters are deciding on a constitutional amendment that could facilitate new congressional districts in 2028.

Proponents of the Maryland measure, receiving support from former President Barack Obama, are urging a yes vote as a strategy to stop Trump. Meanwhile, in Colorado, some Democrats seek redistricting, while a citizen initiative aims to prevent 2028 redistricting from favoring either party by requiring approval from an independent commission and the state Supreme Court.

Ballot measures in five states—Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Washington—would limit transgender athletes or medical procedures. These initiatives align with the administration’s push for regulations affecting transgender individuals, particularly the youth.

While many Republican-led states already exclude transgender women and girls from female sports teams, citizen-led efforts in Democratic-led Colorado and Washington are proposing similar rules. A measure in Arizona would expand these school sports restrictions to include private institutions.

In Nebraska, a proposal seeks to codify existing restrictions directly into the state constitution.

Additionally, citizen activists have bypassed Democratic legislatures in three states to bring voter ID requirements directly to the voters. California, Colorado, and Nevada will decide on requiring government-issued identification, such as driver’s licenses or partial Social Security numbers, to cast ballots.

Nevada’s amendment already passed voters in 2024 but requires a second vote to become law. While Trump’s push for nationwide voter ID remains stalled in Congress, Republican-led legislatures in North Carolina and Ohio have moved to strengthen current rules by writing them into their respective constitutions.

Voters in six states will also evaluate measures that limit voting to U.S. citizens. These measures appear on ballots in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)