VOTING AND ELECTIONS

Here’s How States Voted to Change Their Elections in 2024

In addition to determining control of the federal government and various state offices, voters across the country cast their ballots this month to weigh in on proposed changes to election and voting policies in their states.

While efforts to implement ranked choice voting and changes to primary systems were almost entirely defeated, voters overwhelmingly approved measures to explicitly ban voting by non-citizens.

Ranked Choice Voting & Primaries

Voters in nine states and Washington D.C. weighed in on ballot measures that focused on ranked choice voting and/or changes to primary election systems, which are policies that attempt to move the focus away from the two main parties in our political system. Outside of D.C., voters consistently chose to reject these proposed changes.

For more information on state primary systems, view our map below.

Partisanship of State Primary Election Systems

• Alaska Ballot Measure 2: As of November 21, Alaska voters rejected this measure that would have repealed the state’s current system of ranked choice voting and top four primaries.
• Arizona Proposition 133: Arizona voters rejected a proposition that would have required all future primaries in the state to be partisan.
• Arizona Proposition 140: Arizona voters also rejected a separate proposition that would have implemented a nonpartisan primary system as well as ranked choice voting in the state.
• Colorado Proposition 131: Colorado voters rejected a proposition that would have established a system of ranked choice voting and top four primaries, modeled after Alaska’s current system.
• Idaho Proposition 1: Idaho voters rejected a proposition that would have established a system of ranked choice voting and top four primaries, modeled after Alaska’s current system.
• Missouri Amendment 7: Missouri voters approved an amendment that will prohibit the use of ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries in the state going forward.
• Montana Initiative 126: Montana voters rejected an initiative that would have created a top four, nonpartisan primary election system in the state.
• Montana Initiative 127: Montana voters also rejected a separate initiative which would have required the state to adopt a system where candidates would need to win a majority — rather than a plurality (i.e., less than 50%) — of votes in order to be elected. Examples of majority vote systems include runoff elections and ranked choice voting.
• Nevada Question 3: Nevada voters rejected a ballot question that would have established a system of ranked choice voting and top five nonpartisan primaries.
• Oregon Measure 117: Oregon voters rejected a measure that would have established a system of ranked choice voting in the state.
• South Dakota Amendment H: South Dakota voters rejected an amendment which would have established a top two nonpartisan primary system in the state.
• District of Columbia Initiative 83: Voters in Washington D.C. were the only constituency that approved changes to their election system: approving an initiative to implement ranked choice voting and a semi-open primary system beginning in 2026.

Citizen-Only Voting

Voters in eight states weighed in on measures that explicitly prohibit non-citizens from casting ballots. These measures have been introduced across the country despite the fact that federal law already prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections and our election system has checks and balances to ensure that only eligible Americans can register and vote.

• Iowa Amendment 1: Iowa voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• Idaho Resolution 5: Idaho voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• Kentucky Amendment 1: Kentucky voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• Missouri Amendment 7: As part of the amendment that bans ranked choice voting in the state, Missouri voters also approved a prohibition on non-citizen voting.
• North Carolina Citizenship Required for Voting Amendment: North Carolina voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• Oklahoma State Question 834: Oklahoma voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• South Carolina Citizenship Required for Voting Amendment: South Carolina voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
• Wisconsin Citizenship Required for Voting Amendment: Wisconsin voters approved an amendment prohibiting non-citizens from voting.

Other Changes to Voting Policies

• Connecticut Absentee Voting Amendment: Connecticut voters approved an amendment which will permit the state legislature to pass a law allowing no-excuse absentee voting. Connecticut is currently one of 14 states that requires voters to provide a legal excuse in order to vote absentee.
• Nevada Question 7: Nevada voters approved a ballot question which would implement a strict photo ID law in the state. In Nevada, constitutional amendments must be approved twice in order to take effect; therefore, voters will weigh in on the question again in 2026.

▸▸ Learn more

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