Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories dominated Election Night, but voters also weighed in on a range of state-level issues, from voter identification and abortion to taxes and the status of English. Those decisions offered a separate snapshot of the policies people want their states to pursue.
Voters in North Carolina, Ohio and Nevada approved measures establishing or strengthening voter ID requirements, even as efforts to reach agreement on the issue in Congress have stalled.
North Carolina has required photo identification for in-person voting since 2018. A constitutional amendment passed with 59.6% support, extending the requirement to every form of voting.
Ohio voters approved Issue 3 by 65.3% to 34.6%. The state already required ID for in-person voting, but the measure added that requirement to the state constitution, making it more difficult to repeal.
In Nevada, Question 7 passed with 62.1% of the vote. It creates the state’s first voter ID requirement through a constitutional amendment. In-person voters will need to show identification; people voting by mail or absentee ballot will be asked for the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number.
Idaho voters approved HJR6, with 63.1% in favor and 36.8% opposed. The constitutional amendment names English as the state’s official language and establishes its use in public proceedings. English had already held official-language status under a state law dating to 2007.
State Rep. Dale Hawkins, who supported the measure, said it reflected the Trump administration’s effort to make English the official language nationwide through an executive order. He has also argued that a shared language helps preserve the country’s culture and encourages newcomers to learn its language, history and customs.
Idaho voters, however, rejected Proposition 1, which would have established a right to abortion before fetal viability, with exceptions after that point for medical emergencies. The proposal also included protections for health care providers and would have added reproductive freedom and privacy rights to state law.
The measure lost, receiving 44% support and 55.9% opposition. If approved, it would have substantially loosened Idaho’s existing abortion restrictions, which allow exceptions to save a pregnant woman’s life or in cases of rape or incest.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called the result a hard-won victory for opponents of abortion. She said the campaign showed the importance of pro-life leaders speaking out against the proposal.
In California, voters rejected Proposition 40, a proposed 5% tax on billionaires’ assets. The measure, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, failed by 47.5% to 52.4%.
The tax would have applied to assets including businesses, securities, art, collectibles and intellectual property, while excluding some pensions, real estate and retirement accounts. It was designed to apply retroactively to people who were California residents on Jan. 1, 2026, a provision intended to discourage billionaires from leaving the state before the tax took effect.
Supporters presented the proposal as a way to shift wealth toward public services such as schools and health care. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed it, warning that the tax could make California less competitive with other states.
California voters also rejected Proposition 39, which would have required ID for in-person voting and checks of voter registration lists. The proposal would have asked mail voters to provide the last four digits of a government-issued identification number. It failed, with 39.4% voting in favor and 60.5% opposed.
Before the election, Newsom described Proposition 39 as an attempt to limit voting access and urged Californians to reject it.
