Good morning.
It’s Tuesday, November 3, Election Day.
Elections are about more than federal candidates, Washington intrigue or party control. They’re also about real-life impacts that people will have to live with for years to come.
Today, we’re looking at some of the most important issues voters are deciding across the country, including a controversial proposal in California to tax billionaires.
Beyond Congress: 145 Ballot Measures in 39 States
If you’re voting today, your ballot is probably longer than you think. Voters in 39 states are deciding 145 statewide ballot measures. These are the questions where voters skip the middleman and get the final say themselves.
Abortion is on the ballot in four states. Idaho, Nevada and Virginia are considering constitutional protections, while Missouri voters are being asked whether to reverse the abortion-rights amendment they approved in 2024. A yes vote on Missouri’s Amendment 3 would prohibit most abortions, with limited exceptions, and add restrictions on gender-transition treatments for minors.
Seven states have 12 property-tax measures on their ballots. In Florida, Amendment 3 would increase the homestead exemption on certain non-school property taxes to $250,000 by 2028. Supporters argue it would help homeowners. Opponents warn cities and counties could lose billions in revenue and be forced to cut services.
Six states are deciding voter ID requirements, and six more are considering language restricting voting to U.S. citizens. In Alaska, Ballot Measure 2 would repeal ranked-choice voting and open primaries. Voters rejected a similar proposal in 2024 by just 743 votes.
Massachusetts voters could become the first to repeal legalized recreational marijuana sales. Question 8 would close adult-use dispensaries while still allowing adults to possess limited amounts. In Washington, D.C., voters are deciding whether to ban foie gras, the fattened liver of force-fed ducks and geese.
On a National Level: Some of these measures could come down to a few hundred votes. Others may not be settled until a judge weighs in. But their outcomes could influence policies far beyond state lines.
California’s Billionaire Tax: Why Is Gavin Newsom Fighting His Own Party?
California voters will decide whether the state’s richest residents should pay a one-time tax on their wealth. Proposition 40 would impose a 5% tax on the net worth of billionaires who lived in California on January 1, 2026.
Supporters, led by a health care workers union, say the tax could raise roughly $100 billion, mostly for health care, as federal cuts hit the state. The money would also support education and food assistance.
What FOX 26 reporter Liz Gonzalez says:
“We’ve got $19 billion in cuts as a result of the most recent federal budget. And so the state had already cut $7 billion with other restrictions that were put in place, and they’re thinking, okay, we can’t cut anymore, so we need to find this money elsewhere.”The California Democratic Party has endorsed the tax, but Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting it. He argues that taxing billionaires should be addressed nationally and worries the measure could drive wealthy residents and their businesses out of California.
Two competing measures, Propositions 41 and 42, could prevent the billionaire tax from taking effect, even if voters approve Proposition 40. Opponents have also raised substantially more money than supporters.
Gonzalez says a recent poll found 46% of voters planning to support Proposition 40, below the simple majority needed for passage. She believes Newsom has momentum heading into Election Day, although the final outcome remains uncertain.
On a National Level: If California approves a wealth tax, other states may consider similar proposals. But the outcome will also test how much influence Newsom has over his own state as speculation continues about a potential presidential run in 2028.
That’s the briefing for today.
What are the most important issues on the ballot in your state or community? Has this campaign season addressed your concerns, or ignored them?
Join the conversation.
The National Press
Real reporting. From real America.
