Here’s a question I have been thinking about lately, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Being able to speak with thoughtful people engaging in good faith discussions is important.
Should social issues be on the ballot?
I’ve been pondering this as more than six states have added ballot initiatives to their November elections, including Missouri and Arizona, who recently crossed the threshold to add abortion questions.
Let me give you the pros and cons as I see them – tell me if I should add something to this list.
Pros:
– Gives voters a chance to make their voices heard in ways that representative democracy often does not. Voters can see the direct impact of their ballot.
– Allows for geographic diversity in viewpoints. Some things are really important to states that have specific industries (like farming, mining, auto manufacturing, etc) that wouldn’t matter as much in other places.
– Takes the power away from special interest groups and deep pocket donors and gives it back to the people.
– Increases voter turnout.
Cons:
– Is it right to be voting on what many people view as civil rights issues? Time and time again, when voters in the South had the opportunity to choose to uphold segregation laws, they did.
- Should we be giving voters the opportunity to demonstrate bigotry, restrict the voting rights of others, etc?
– How do we decide what gets put on the ballot? So you’re saying that if the KKK did the work and got enough signatures we could create racially discriminatory policies because, “direct democracy?”
Ballot initiatives are not new, by the way. They’ve been around in the US since the 1600s.
In New England, local issues were brought up at town meetings and voted on… by white men, of course.
In 1775, Thomas Jefferson proposed adding the concept of “legislative referendum” to Virginia’s state constitution. It didn’t happen then, but in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, states began voting on allowing referendums to be placed on the ballot.
Currently, 26 states allow for referendums and ballot initiatives. South Dakota was the first state to approve it in 1898.
Since then, voters have directly voted on thousands of issues put before them on the ballot, ranging from protecting worker’s rights, to term limits for elected officials, to gambling.
Let’s discuss: Should social issues be on the ballot?
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