Some states will ask voters to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments

Some States Will Ask Voters to Raise Amendment Thresholds

Some states will ask voters to make - Some states will ask voters to approve changes that make it harder to pass constitutional amendments through direct democracy. Across the nation, citizens in select states are preparing to evaluate ballot initiatives this year that could substantially increase the vote requirements necessary to approve state constitutional amendments. These potential changes would create more significant obstacles for everyday voters seeking to implement policy modifications through direct democratic processes.

Advocates for voting rights express concern that such measures might weaken direct democracy while simultaneously amplifying the influence of minority perspectives within the political system.

A Growing Trend in Constitutional Reform

Kelly Hall, who serves as executive director of the Fairness Project—a nonprofit organization supporting ballot initiatives that advance social and economic justice—identified a pattern emerging in recent years. According to Hall, imposing stricter limitations on constitutional amendments has become increasingly common across multiple states.

"The theme of 2026 is the battle over direct democracy availability itself," she told NPR. "This is a really powerful tool … and one of the most frequent topics that we will see voted on this November is, can voters continue to exercise that right meaningfully?"

Conversely, Republican legislators championing these modifications argue that requiring only a simple majority makes the process of amending state constitutions excessively accessible and consequently too frequent.

States Moving Toward Higher Thresholds

Residents of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah will encounter proposals to elevate the approval requirement for constitutional amendments from a straightforward majority to 60 percent of the vote. Within Utah specifically, this modification would exclusively impact proposals concerning taxation matters. Meanwhile, California voters will also address a separate measure designed to increase the approval requirement for particular local tax initiatives.

Quentin Savwoir, director of programs and strategy at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center—an organization dedicated to advancing progressive ballot measures—characterized these threshold-raising efforts as fundamentally opposed to democratic principles.

"What we all learn in our American public education system is that our democracy is anchored in majority rule," he said. "I understand 'majority' to be 50% plus one. But when extremist lawmakers decide that they don't like progressive policy, when they decide that they don't like the thing that's going to materially enhance someone's life, then they start to change the goal posts."

Florida's Precedent and Missouri's Unique Approach

At present, twenty-six states permit citizens to submit ballot measures for voter consideration. Only Florida, however, currently mandates a 60 percent approval rate for constitutional amendments. This elevated requirement has prevented several proposals from succeeding in Florida, most notably a 2024 initiative seeking to establish abortion rights within the state constitution. That particular measure received support from 57 percent of voters yet ultimately failed to achieve passage.

Over the past several years, Republican-controlled states have introduced additional constraints on the initiative process, including limitations on citizen organizations collecting signatures to place proposals on ballots. These newer efforts further complicate the path for measures that successfully reach voters.

Missouri presents an interesting case with Amendment 4, which voters will consider during the August primary. This proposal would mandate that any constitutional amendment must pass within each of the state's congressional districts. Notably, this stricter standard would not apply to measures introduced by lawmakers, which would continue requiring only a simple statewide majority.

Since 2020, Missouri residents have approved initiatives raising the minimum wage, extending Medicaid coverage, and establishing a statewide right to reproductive healthcare, including abortion access. While all these measures secured majority support statewide, none achieved majority approval across every congressional district.

"In Missouri … they voted for Donald Trump and [Republican Sen.] Josh Hawley at the top of the ticket while concurrently overturning an abortion ban, agreeing to increase the minimum wage and saying, 'hey, we need paid sick days,'" Savwoir said. "Missouri is not the only example of that. There have been other examples of people deciding issues over party."

Arguments for and Against Higher Thresholds

State legislators advocating for increased thresholds contend that constitutional modifications have spiraled beyond reasonable bounds, creating instability in state governance. They argue that requiring broader consensus ensures that only the most widely supported changes become permanent parts of state constitutions.

Opponents counter that these changes disproportionately affect progressive policies and limit the ability of citizens to directly shape their government. As the 2026 election approaches, the debate over direct democracy continues to intensify across the nation.