The Peace & Life Referendums website started in 2020; below are the referendums we tracked that year.
See our home page for upcoming referendums. We also offer Future Referendum Ideas — creative ideas to research and develop.
See also Past Referendums: 2022 and Past Referendums 2023. There were none worth reporting for 2021.
Colorado
Proposition 115:
Prohibition on Late-Term Abortions
On November 3 ballot, the no vote was about 59%.
Louisiana
Amendment 1:
Louisiana No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment
On November 3 ballot, passed with about 62% of the vote.
Note: West Virginia passed a similar state constitutional amendment in 2018, nullifying a state supreme court decision. Similar language has also been added to the state constitutions in Alabama and Tennessee.
California
Proposition 14:
Stem Cell Research Institute Bond Initiative
On November 3 ballot, passed with about 51% of the vote.
No referendums on this topic were found for 2020.
We oppose the death penalty, so we would rate anything helping to abolish or restrict it positively, and anything to promote it or remove restrictions negatively.
The form that goes on the ballot is normally called “assisted suicide” or “hastened death.” We found nothing in this form for 2020.
This is good news, since in most places referendums are efforts to introduce this practice.
Missouri
Missouri Medicaid Expansion Initiative
On August 4, 2020 ballot, passed with slim majority.
Oklahoma
State Question 802:
Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion Initiative
On June 3, 2020 ballot, passed with slim majority.
Florida
Florida Amendment 2:
Fair Wage Amendment
On November 3 ballot, passed over 60% of the vote.
Colorado
Proposition 118:
Paid Medical and Family Leave Initiative
On November 3 ballot; passed with about 57% of the vote.
Three Symbolic Measures
Measures attempting to remove remnants of racism, having symbolic impact rather than current legal impact:
Alabama Amendment 4, removing phrases for school segregation, against interracial marriage, and similar problems from the 1901 state constitution. It passed with over 66% of the vote.
Mississippi Ballot Measure 3 was a new flag design (pictured) to replace the one with the confederate symbol. It passed with over 71% of the vote. 
Rhode Island Question 1, Name Change Amendment, removes “and Providence Plantations” from Rhode Island’s formal name. It passed with almost 53% of the vote.
Nebraska
Amendment 1:
Nebraska Remove Slavery as Punishment for Crime from Constitution Amendment
Placed on the ballot by the legislature. On November 3 ballot; passed with over 68% of the vote.
Utah
Amendment C:
Utah Removal of Exception to Slavery Prohibition for Criminals Amendment
On November 3 ballot; passed with over 80% of the vote.
Placed on the ballot by the legislature.
War is never directly on the ballot, of course, but there are occasionally issues related to war that could be suitable for our attention.
The New York Times reported that there were actually 6 local elections on Confederate statues in Virginia, and all of them failed to remove the statue. We had only found 2 through web search. Be sure to send us info on local elections that aren’t always well-covered in web sources.
Missouri
Jackson County: Question 2. Removes the statues of Andrew Jackson outside the two county courthouses.
On November 3 ballot; 59% voted no.
Virginia
on November 3 ballot
Franklin County and Lunenburg County voted on Confederate statues from in front of their county courthouses.
Franklin County: the no vote for removing it was about 70%.
Lunenburg County: the yes vote for allowing it to remain was about 71%.
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