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Elections
Election Day 2016: Top 5 Ballot Measures to Watch
Right now we all hear a lot of “Hillary Clinton this,” “Donald Trump that.” Love or hate Donald and Hillary, the 2016 presidential election has dominated our newsfeeds and happy hour conversations. And don’t get me wrong--the presidential election is incredibly important. But many of the laws that affect us on a day-to-day basis are made at the state level, often by our state legislators, but also by us, the American people. States give voters the opportunity to weigh in on important questions, and in some cases directly impact our state's laws through ballot measures. And there's a bunch up for grabs this year that millennials should be paying attention to. Learn more about ballot measures, and Law Street's picks for the top five types of ballot measures we should all be paying attention to below.
What is a Ballot Measure?
Generally speaking, a ballot measure is a public vote on a proposed issue or question that voters get to weigh in on. Rules about ballot measures vary from state to state and there are a few different ways that ballot measures end up on the ballot. One type, a ballot initiative, requires signatures from citizens who want to see the question weighed by voters. Another option is legislative referral, in which the legislature puts up a law it's considering to be voted on. In some states, this process is required to pass an amendment to the state constitution.
Why Should I Care About Ballot Measures?
They give you a chance to weigh in directly on issues. America's government is, at its core, a representative democracy. We elect people to make decisions for us, and we have to accept that sometimes we don't like those decisions. We, as millennials, routinely answer in polls that we don't trust the government, the path our country is on, or our elected officials.
But ballot initiatives are different--they're a real, legitimate way to vote on issues we care about. There's not really political middlemen to deal with. They're direct democracy. Regardless of how you feel about the politicians you'll be asked to vote for in November, it's important that you make your voice heard on these issues, many of which can and likely will affect millennials.
Image courtesy of Annette Bernhardt; License: (CC BY-SA 2.0)
What States are Looking at Minimum Wage Measures?
Arizona’s Proposition 206: Voters in Arizona will vote on a measure that would raise the minimum wage in the state to $10 per hour in 2017 and then to $12 per hour by 2020. The measure would also grant Arizonians paid sick time off from their jobs. Currently, the minimum wage in Arizona is $8.05 per hour. Here’s the full text.
Colorado’s Amendment 70: Currently, Colorado’s minimum wage is $8.31 per hour. A “yes” vote on Amendment 70 would support raising it to $9.30 per hour in 2017 and then an additional 90 cents each year. The minimum wage would reach $12.00 in 2020 and then stop the 90 cent increases. Here’s the full text.
Maine’s Question 4: Question 4 will have voters indicate if they would like to slowly raise the minimum wage in the state from $7.50 per hour to $12 per hour by 2020. Question 4 also proposes that after 2020, the minimum wage will continue to increase based on changes to the consumer price index. Here’s the full text.
South Dakota’s Referred Law 20: This is the only measure that would actually decrease the minimum wage in the state–although only for workers under 18. The minimum wage would drop from $8.50 per hour to $7.50 per hour for those workers. Here’s the full text.
Washington’s Initiative 1443: This measure would slowly increase the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour over the next four years. Currently, the minimum wage in Washington is $9.47 per hour. Additionally, this measure would mandate employers to offer paid sick time off for their employees. Here’s the full text.
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Why Should We Be Paying Attention to Minimum Wage Measures?
With one exception, South Dakota, these ballot measures up for the vote this November focus on raising the minimum wage. And questions about the minimum wage fit neatly into the concerns that are particularly relevant to millennials–namely our financial situation. It’s no secret that a lot of millennials are unemployed or underemployed. A plurality of us are living in our parents’ homes for the first time in a few generations.
And according to stats from 2015, younger millennials are more likely to work minimum wage jobs–almost 50 percent of workers making the minimum wage or below are between the ages of 16-24. A majority of millennials think that the minimum wage needs to be raised. In a YouGov poll conducted in May, 57 percent of people under 30 think the minimum wage should be raised to $15 per hour.
But there are also questions about whether raising the minimum wage is the best way to get millennials out of the financial funk that many of us are finding ourselves in–is raising the minimum wage actually the right answer? Or will it just create an even larger barrier to entry for millennials desperate to find jobs? After all, lawmakers in South Dakota are arguing that the minimum wage should be lowered because it will allow young people to find jobs and gain work experience more easily. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, South Dakota, and Washington will have the opportunity to weigh in on those questions
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