1973 ballot measures

1973 State Ballot Measures
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By state

Alabama

See also: Alabama 1973 ballot measures

December 18

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Development	Concerning the promotion of the swine industry	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Judiciary	Concerning a unified judicial system	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Taxes	Concerning a special tax in Marion County	a
LRCA	Amendment 4	Public Works	Concerning the development of the Buttahatchee River	d
LRCA	Amendment 5	Local Gov't	Concerning municipalities in Cleburne County	d
LRCA	Amendment 6	Local Gov't	Concerning county offices in Morgan County	a
LRCA	Amendment 7	Local Gov't	Concerning government officials' salaries and court fees in Cleburne County	a
LRCA	Amendment 8	Local Gov't	Concerning government officials' salaries and court fees in Bibb County	a
LRCA	Amendment 9	Local Gov't	Concerning recreational development in Tuscaloosa County	a
LRCA	Amendment 10	Judiciary	Concerning judicial vacancies in Madison County	a
LRCA	Amendment 11	Taxes	Concerning school taxes in Calhoun County	a

Alaska

See also: Alaska 1973 ballot measures

March 6:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
Alaska BP	Proposition 1	Bonds	$11.5 million for civic convention and community recreation centers	d

California

See also: California 1973 ballot propositions

November 6, 1973

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
CICA	Proposition 1	Limit the taxing and spending powers of the state, cities, counties, and other government agencies.		1,961,685 (46%)	2,303,026 (54%)

Kentucky

See also: Kentucky 1973 ballot measures

November 6

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Admin of Gov't	Establishes a seven member State Board of Education, allows sheriffs to succeed themselves and abolishes the Railroad Commission	d
LRCA	Amendment 2	Legislatures	Limits legislative sessions to 45 legislative days annually	d

Maine

See also: Maine 1973 ballot measures

November 6

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Direct initiative Question	Utilities	Creates the Power Authority of Maine	d
LRSS	Referendum Question No. 1	Lottery	Creates a state lottery	a
BI	Referendum Question No. 2	Forests & Parks	Issues up to $3 million in bonds for the acquisition of real property for state parks	a
LRCA	Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1	Gov't Finance	Removes municipal debt limits from constitution, shifts to legislative issue	a
LRCA	Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2	Admin of Gov't	Regulates implementation bills that come before Governor after end of a legislative session	a

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 1973 ballot measures

November 6

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	State judiciary	Permits the legislature to authorize civil trials by a six-member jury.	a
BI	Question 2	Bond issues	Allows for $25 million in bonds for educational facilities for severely handicapped children.	a

New York

See also: New York 1973 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposition 1	Public Works	Allows for $3.5 billion in debt for the maintenance of mass transportation	d
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 1	Gov't Finances	Excludes certain indebtedness at the county, city, town or village level	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 2	Trials	Allows certain persons charged with felonies wave indictment by a grand jury	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 3	Gov't Finances	Allows the Legislature to loan the money of the state to a public corporation	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 4	Judiciary	Increases the salaries and terms of district court judges	d
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 5	Prisons	Deletes the provision in the Constitution that named the head of the department of correction as chairman of the state commission of correction	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 6	Judiciary	Relates to the jurisdiction over the custody of minors in court proceedings	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 7	Forests & Parks	Increases the size of the land in the Adirondack and Catskill parks that the Legislature can dedicate for whatever purpose	a
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 8	Local Gov't	Removes requirement that no county can be erected unless its population is given a seat in the state assembly	d
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 9	Judiciary	Permits retired judges to perform duties of his respective court	d
LRCA	Proposed Amendment No. 10	Judiciary	Abolishes the Nassau county court	d

North Carolina

See also: North Carolina 1973 ballot measures

November 6

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Referendum 1	Bonds	Issues bonds for school facilities	a
BI	Referendum 2	Bonds	Amends the Clean Water Bond Act of 1971	a
LRCA	Amendment 1	Alcohol	Relates to the sale and consumption of mixed beverages	d

North Dakota

See also: North Dakota 1973 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Measure 1	Redistricting	Provides for 37 legislative districts with 50 Senators and 2 Representatives per Senator	d
CICA	Amendment 1	Redistricting	State legislative redistricting to be performed by an appointed nine-member commission	d

Ohio

See also: Ohio 1973 ballot measures

May 8, 1973

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Administration of the General Assembly Amendment	Modify rules regarding administration, organization, and procedures of the general assembly.	a	680,870 (54%)	572,980 (46%)
LRCA	Amendments to Court Rules Amendment	Allow the General Assembly to amend court practices and procedures set by the state Supreme Court.		580,106 (46%)	679,223 (54%)
LRCA	Authorization of a State Lottery Amendment	Allow a state lottery and put the funds from it into the state's General Revenue Fund.	a	973,956 (64%)	547,655 (36%)
LRCA	Disqualifications for Public Office Amendment	Repeal the provisions that prohibit those convicted of embezzling public funds from holding public office and that require public money that one holds to be disbursed prior to one holding a seat in the General Assembly.		530,232 (38%)	848,743 (62%)
LRCA	Judicial Compensation Amendment	Allow compensation of judges to be set by law and to not be decreased during a judge's term.		646,384 (49%)	677,787 (51%)
LRCA	Supreme Court Commission Amendment	Repeal the appointment of a Supreme Court Commission.		563,919 (45%)	692,623 (55%)
LRCA	Taking of Property of Sewer and Water Lines Amendment	Permit the taking of private property for sewer and water lines prior to the payment for such property.		405,035 (29%)	993,245 (71%)

November 6, 1973

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Administration and Organization of the State Courts Amendment	Revise provisions relating to the administration and organization of the state court system.	a	1,317,379 (63%)	778,466 (37%)
LRCA	Bonds for Vietnam War Veterans Amendment	Authorize up to $300 million in bonds for payments to veterans of the Vietnam War.	a	1,650,120 (72%)	647,629 (28%)
LRCA	Income Amount Exempt from Taxation Amendment	Allow for a new amount of income to be exempted from income taxation.	a	1,299,882 (60%)	883,123 (40%)
LRCA	Tax Assessments of Agricultural Lands Amendment	Permit agricultural land to be evaluated for its agricultural use when assessed for tax purposes.	a	1,810,630 (76%)	567,189 (24%)

Oregon

See also: Oregon 1973 ballot measures

May 1, 1973

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Measure 1	Education; Property; Taxes	Revise how educational institutions receive tax revenues.		253,682 (41%)	358,219 (59%)

Pennsylvania

See also: Pennsylvania 1973 ballot measures

May 15:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	State legislatures measures	Allows for legislation for establishing "standards, qualifications and special tax provisions" for agriculture land and reserves	a

November 6:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Question 1	State and local government spending	Increases state debt pursuant to the Vietnam Conflict Veterans' Compensation Act from fifty-five million dollars ($55,000,000) to sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,00)	a
LRCA	Question 2	State judiciary	Allows courts of common pleas, with the approval from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, to initiate criminal proceedings by information, without grand jury indictment	a

Rhode Island

See also: Rhode Island 1973 ballot measures

November 6:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CRCA	Proposal 1	Elections and campaigns	Sets voting and residency qualifications.	a
CRCA	Proposal 2	Elections and campaigns	Bars those ineligible to vote for an office to be elected to that office.	a
CRCA	Proposal 3	Civil and criminal trials	Requires a grand jury's indictment for charges punishable by death or life in prison.	a
CRCA	Proposal 4	Lottery	Bans private lotteries.	a
CRCA	Proposal 5	Constitutional conventions	Allows legislatively referred constitutional amendments and mandates an automatic ballot referral every ten years.	a
CRCA	Proposal 6	Bond issues	Sets executive officials' terms at four years.	d
CRCA	Proposal 7	State legislature	Sets compensation for most legislators at $2,000 per year.	d
LRSS	Proposal 8	Insurance	Extends the Rhode Island Industrial Building Authority's power to insure mortgage payments.	a
LRSS	Proposal 9	Insurance	Extends the Rhode Island Recreational Building Authority's power to insure mortgage payments.	a

Texas

See also: Texas 1973 ballot measures

November 6, 1973

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 1	State legislatures; Government salaries	Set a $15,000 annual salary for members of the legislature and provide for annual legislative sessions		259,918 (43%)	340,046 (57%)
LRCA	Proposition 2	Housing; Property	Extend homestead protection to single adults and require both spouses' consent for abandonment of a family homestead	a	487,028 (82%)	105,909 (18%)
LRCA	Proposition 3	Property; Taxes	Extend the $3,000 ad valorem tax on property exemption to homesteads of unmarried adults	a	469,807 (79%)	122,234 (21%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Administration	Create new requirements regarding the creation of certain conservation and reclamation districts	a	341,796 (61%)	214,980 (39%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Bonds; Local government	Allow certain Gulf of Mexico bordering localities, with voter approval, to levy a tax for bonds funding sea walls and breakwaters construction	a	387,736 (63%)	228,011 (37%)
LRCA	Proposition 6	State judiciary	Grant district and county courts jurisdiction over probate courts	a	307,642 (56%)	239,277 (44%)
LRCA	Proposition 7	Veterans	Provide an extra $100 million in bonds or obligations for the veteran's land fund	a	360,589 (62%)	216,824 (38%)
LRCA	Proposition 8	Taxes; Local government	Allow cities, towns, and villages to levy property taxes for principal and interest on general obligation bonds, subject to legal restrictions		208,377 (37%)	354,710 (63%)
LRCA	Proposition 9	Taxes; Water	Authorize the legislature to exempt certain water supply corporations and cooperatives from property taxes on certain facilities		248,412 (43%)	323,993 (57%)

Washington

See also: Washington 1973 ballot measures

November 6, 1973

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	HJR 22	Economic development; Taxes	Allow local governments to finance development projects through creating districts generating tax revenues.		246,055 (27%)	655,125 (73%)
LRCA	HJR 37	Taxes	Provide for a graduated net income tax, prohibit excess levies for schools, and limit some excise taxes.		228,823 (23%)	770,033 (77%)
LRCA	HJR 40	Taxes	Provide for the application of the excess levy validation formula to bonds payable from such levies.		352,495 (41%)	501,618 (59%)
ITP	Initiative 282	State judiciary; Government salaries	Provide limitations to the salary increases of elected officials and judges.	a	798,338 (80%)	197,795 (20%)
LRSS	Referendum 32	Elections; Local government	Require county auditors to appoint precinct committee-people of major political parties to assist in registering voters.		291,323 (32%)	609,306 (68%)
LRSS	Referendum 33	Environment; Transportation	Provide additional fees for personalized vehicle license plates to be allocated towards wildlife preservation.	a	613,921 (63%)	362,195 (37%)
VR	Referendum 36	Alcohol	Provide the lowering of the drinking age from 21 to 19.		495,624 (49%)	510,491 (51%)

Wisconsin

See also: Wisconsin 1973 ballot measures

April 3, 1973

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Allow the legislature to legalize bingo games operated by certain charitable organizations	a	645,544 (62%)	391,499 (38%)
LRCA	Question 2	Prohibit the denial or abridgment of rights and protections under the law on the basis of sex		447,240 (46%)	520,936 (54%)

If you know of a statewide measure that is not listed here or if you notice an error, please email [email protected].