TheGrio’s guide to state ballot initiatives

A placard that states "VOTE DEFEND DEMOCRACY on NOV. 8th" affixes to street pole the day before the midterm general election on November 7, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

A placard that states "VOTE DEFEND DEMOCRACY on NOV. 8th" affixes to street pole the day before the midterm general election on November 7, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

The people who cast ballots in Tuesday’s midterm elections aren’t just voting for parties or politicians. In every state, voters will have the chance to directly influence their communities and their lives through constitutional amendments, state propositions and other measures on the ballot. These initiatives eliminate the need for citizens to call their congressman or hope that their elected official makes the right choice. 

Unfortunately, some of these ballot initiatives sometimes contain complex wording that’s difficult to decipher. For instance, Alabama’s proposed constitutional amendment that would limit lawmakers’ ability to make changes to election law in an emergency (like mail-in voting during a pandemic, perhaps) reads:

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended; to provide that the implementation date for any bill enacted by the Legislature in a calendar year in which a general election is to be held and relating to the conduct of the general election shall be at least six months before the general election. (Proposed by Act 2021-284)

( )Yes 

( ) No

That’s why theGrio created this summary of some of the most important initiatives on the ballot this midterm election. 

Abortion

Democracy

Sometimes, you have to vote to make sure that you can vote. That’s why voting rights and access to democracy are on the ballot in a number of states. 

Marijuana

The 2022 midterms are the first election with a slate of initiatives that don’t specify whether marijuana can be bought and sold for medical reasons vs. recreational reasons. 

They know.

Policing and Criminal Justice

Slavery

Slavery isn’t illegal. 

Because the 13th Amendment only abolished slavery “except as a punishment for a crime,” seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas) do not pay the vast majority of their incarcerated people while the vast majority pay pennies per hour for mandatory labor that produces $11 billion in goods and services. Unfortunately, only one of these five states put slavery on the ballot. 

Other important issues

Nevada’s Question 2 would raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2024. Tennessee’s Constitutional Amendment 2 would remove an old law from the constitution that bans religious leaders from holding elected office. Oregon wants to create a fundamental right to health care and require permits issued by law enforcement agencies to purchase firearms. And if it all seems like a lot, Colorado Proposition 142 would legalize hallucinogens such as mushrooms, ibogaine, DMT and peyote. 

Whatever it is that Kyrie smokes would still be illegal. 


Michael Harriot is a writer, cultural critic and championship-level Spades player. His book, Black AF History: The Unwhitewashed Story of America, will be released in 2022.

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