States Pass Constitutional Amendments on Redistricting, Parental Rights, Water Preservation, and More

Voters in multiple states approved state constitutional amendments and changes to state law in Tuesday’s election, including a California redistricting measure that is part of a national battle over who will control the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 elections, a “red flag” gun law in Maine, and a water preservation measure in Texas.

Measures also appeared on ballots in Colorado, New York, and Washington. Seventeen of the 26 total measures appeared on Texans’ ballots, with all 17 projected to pass. Below are some of the issues the measures addressed, and the results of those elections as of Wednesday afternoon.

Redistricting

California voters approved Proposition 50, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that allows use of a new congressional district map until 2030. Though votes are still being counted, the proposition appears to have won by a wide margin. It was one of the most expensive ballot measures in state history.

The proposed map is designed to favor Democratic candidates for the U.S. House, expected to make five seats either competitive or easily winnable for Democratic candidates. The redraw was championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in response to Texas Republicans proposing and passing a new map there that is expected to flip five current Democratic seats. Proposition 50 would also require the power to draw congressional lines be returned to the state’s nonpartisan redistricting committee following the 2030 election.

Congressional maps are usually only redrawn after release of the once-a-decade census results. Mid-cycle redraws are rare. Multiple states, however, are now considering changes to their congressional maps.

Voting

Texas voters agreed to amend their constitution to say that “persons who are not citizens of the United States” cannot vote in Texas. Eight states approved similar language in 2024. Both state and federal law already limit voting to citizens only, and noncitizens voting in elections is extremely rare.

In Maine, voters said no to amending state law to make several voting-related changes, including limiting absentee voting and requiring voters to provide proof of photo ID before absentee or in-person voting. (The changes were all proposed in one citizen-initiated question.)

Gun Laws

Maine voters approved question two, a citizen-initiated measure to “allow courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having dangerous weapons if law enforcement, family, or household members show that the person poses a significant danger” to themselves or others. PBS News noted the vote comes two years after the state’s deadliest mass shooting.

Parental Rights

Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment to affirm “that parents are the primary decision makers for their children,” the ballot title said. Prior to the election, the Texas Tribune described the amendment as enshrining rights the way they are currently defined in federal court cases. Though the amendment had bipartisan support in the legislature, The Nation reported, organizing in support of the proposition was mostly done by conservative groups.

Judicial Conduct

Another amendment passed by Texans will change the makeup of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, including by increasing from five to seven the number of citizens on the commission who are selected by the governor, giving the governor appointment power for a majority of the commission’s 13 members. The amendment would also alter how the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court selects the tribunals that review the commission’s recommendations for removal or retirement of a judge and restrict the commission’s ability to issue private reprimands in certain circumstances. Opponents of the amendment expressed concern it would give the state’s governor too much power. Current Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) previously removed acting commissioners for their 2019 decision to reprimand a judge who was refusing to conduct same-sex marriages.

Environment

Texas also voted yes on an amendment that will create a state water fund with the goal of repairing aging infrastructure and creating new water projects to respond to what state officials have called a growing water crisis.

In New York, voters approved, by a narrow margin, an amendment to allow the development of winter sports facilities on more than 300 acres in the Adirondack mountains. The proposal also requires preserving more than 2,500 acres of land.

Criminal Law

Texas voters “overwhelmingly passed” Proposition 3, which proposed allowing denial of bail if the state shows “by a preponderance of the evidence” that bail is not sufficient to prevent the defendant’s “nonappearance” in court or ensure the safety of the community. The change relates to certain criminal offenses — including capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, or indecency with a child.

Taxes and State Investments

A majority of the ballot measures in Texas related to taxes, all were approved by voters. They included a ban on capital gains taxes for individuals or estates, a tax exemption related to “border security infrastructure,” school tax exemptions for the elderly, and increased property tax exemptions that will allow Texas homeowners to put less tax money toward public schools.

Colorado approved a proposition to generate funds for its universal school meals program by lowering some citizens’ tax deduction limits. In Washington, early returns show voters are likely to pass an amendment to allow a state-run long-term care fund — through which eligible workers can pay for services like in-home care, medical equipment, and nursing home stays — to be invested in stocks. A similar amendment was voted down by voters in 2020.

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Most of the measures citizens considered will amend states constitutions and were initiated by state legislators, meaning they voted to place the measures on the ballot for public approval. Maine’s, however, were citizen-initiated proposals to change the law. A simple majority vote is required to pass ballot measures in each of the six states.

Erin Geiger Smith is a writer and editor at the Brennan Center for Justice.