BISC RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE 2020 BALLOT MEASURE ELECTION RESULTS

11/4/2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACT

Caroline Sanchez Avakian

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center’s (BISC) Executive Director, Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, issued the following statement regarding the 2020 ballot measure election results:

I am heartened by the incredible voter turnout and important progressive ballot measures that succeeded last night and the results that are still coming in. We see voters supporting progressive policies even when they voted for conservative politicians.

Like all of us, ballot measure campaigns and advocates have endured so much and continued to persevere despite all the many challenges that 2020 brought forth. These campaign leaders are delivering to communities the critical solutions they need to improve their lives like raising the minimum wage, increasing funding for public education, paid family and medical leave, the removal of racist language in state constitutions, voting rights for returning citizens, and so much more.

Voters rejected every effort by state legislatures to limit direct democracy in Arkansas, North Dakota, and Florida–they saw through their attempts to undermine the will of the people.

BISC has supported campaign partners in states across the country to pass ballot measures that work for people of color, LGBTQ people, women and working families, and we applaud the efforts to build power for their communities. We are proud to be your partners in this fight and will continue to support you as we move towards implementation and protecting these wins when state legislatures convene.

While the wins are so heartening to see, the losses hurt just as profoundly.

In 2018, the Clean Missouri redistricting and ethics measure passed with 2/3 of the vote and since then, opponents have been trying to undermine direct democracy and the will of the people. Amendment 3 got on the ballot this year in an effort to confuse and undermine the will of the voters. Even through all this, organizers on the ground have built a strong, broad and diverse coalition that will stand the test of time.

In Louisiana – Amendment 1: No Right to Abortion in the Constitution, which we opposed, passed last night. Measures like this undermine reproductive health and rights and have a disproportionate impact on Black womxn. We need increased investments in Black-led organizing that will help us build community-led, state-based power.

With our partners in Missouri and Louisiana, we have a long-term plan to build power. BISC is ready to roll deeper.

We are still awaiting more results and throughout the coming days, we will update the BISC Ballot Measure Hub’s Election Results Tracker. BISC is committed to working with partners to make sure every vote is counted and the will of the people is heard.

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