1987 ballot measures

1987 State Ballot Measures
1988 » « 1986
Part 1: Overview
Measures by state
Measures by topic
Measures by year
Current measures
2025 measures
2025 Scorecard
2025 Tuesday Count
Measure Monthly

By state

Louisiana

See also: Louisiana 1987 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Judiciary	Concerning the appointment of temporary judges	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Gov't Finances	Concerning the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Fund	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Gov't Finances	Concerning the funding of state retirement systems	a
LRCA	Amendment 4	Education	Concerning the funding of education	a
LRCA	Amendment 5	Civil Service	Concerning the New Orleans civil service commission	a

Maine

See also: Maine 1987 ballot measures

November 3

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Question 1	Nuclear	Allows the continuation of high-waste nuclear plants in the state	a
BI	Question 2	Environment	Issues $8 million in bonds to clean up and close solid waste landfills	a
BI	Question 3	Utilities	Issues $8.3 million in bonds for the construction of sewage treatment facilities	a
BI	Question 4	Development	Issues $6 million in bonds to and creates Maine Job Development Fund	d
BI	Question 5	Education	Issues $3.1 million in bonds for pier reconstruction at the Maine Maritime Academy	d
BI	Question 6	Environment	Issues $3 million in bonds for the removal of oil storage tanks and the related ground water restoration	a
BI	Question 7	Bonds	Issues $8 million in bonds for capital repairs, improvements to state facilities and asbestos from state facilities	d
BI	Question 8	Education	Issues $5 million in bonds for the acquisition of buses for public schools	a
BI	Question 9	Transportation	Issues $26.5 million in bonds for highway, bridge and airport improvements and to reduce ground water pollution	d
BI	Question 10	Forests & Parks	Issues $35 million in bonds over four years for the purchase of public land access	a
BI	Question 11	Bonds	Issues $6 million in bonds for the detection and removal of asbestos hazards in state facilities and public schools	a
LRCA	Question 12	Firearms	Clarifies the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms	a
LRCA	Question 13	Legislatures	Requires candidates for the state legislature to reside in the district for which they are campaigning	a

Mississippi

See also: Mississippi 1987 ballot measures

November 3

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Amendment 1	Property	Proposes to increase the period of time for the validity of a last will and testament	a
LRCA	Amendment 2	Education	Proposes to repeal the right of the legislature to abolish free public schools	a
LRCA	Amendment 3	Marriage & Family Constitutional Rights	Proposes to repeal the ban on mixed marriages	a
LRCA	Amendment 4	Education	Proposes that the legislature appoint a trustee to the La Bauve Fund from the board of trustees of the state institutions of higher learning	a
LRCA	Amendment 5	Campaigns Redistricting	Proposes that a candidate must live in the district in which they are running	a
LRCA	Amendment 6	Trials	Proposes to allow judges to deny bail for certain crimes punishable by imprisonment for more than 20 years	a
LRCA	Amendment 7	Bonds	Proposes to prohibit transport companies from issuing bonds without a return	a
LRCA	Amendment 8	Business Reg	Proposes to remove the limit of 99 years for corporate charters for tax purposes	a
LRCA	Amendment 9	Business Reg	Proposes to repeal the provision requiring that a stockholder's vote is equal to the number of shares they hold	a
LRCA	Amendment 10	Business Reg	Proposes to repeal the provision requiring county record of a business	a

Missouri

See also: Missouri 1987 ballot measures

April 7

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRSS	Proposition A	Taxes	Enacts a $0.04 tax to provide for road and bridge improvements	a

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 1987 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question No. 1	Bond issues	Authorizes $198 million in bonds for correctional facilities.	a
BI	Question No. 2	Bond issues	Authorizes $100 million in bonds for recreational and conservational land, cultural centers and historic preservation.	a
BI	Question No. 3	Bond issues	Authorizes $185 million in bonds for a major league baseball stadium.	d
LRSS	Question No. 4	Bond issues	Amends the Farmland Preservation Bond Act of 1981 to allow purchase of farmland for preservational purposes.	a
BI	Question No. 5	Bond issues	Authorizes $10 million in bonds for facilities for the mentally ill.	a
LRCA	Question No. 6	Law enforcement	Extends the terms of sheriffs elected in or after the 1988 general election from three years to five.	d

New York

See also: New York 1987 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Proposal 1	Veterans	Grants civil service credits to aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States who served in the U.S. military during a time of war	a
LRCA	Proposal 2	Ski trails	Increases the number of miles of ski trails on three mountains	a

North Dakota

See also: North Dakota 1987 ballot measures

March 18

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Measure 1	Taxes	Makes July 1 effective date for appropriation measures and tax measures	a
VR	Measure 2	Taxes	Increases individual income tax rate; Requires withholding of state income taxes from employee's wages	a

Ohio

See also: Ohio 1987 ballot measures

November 3, 1987

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Issue 2	Allow the state to issue up to $1.2 billion in general obligation bonds to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure projects	a	1,674,913 (71%)	689,383 (29%)
CICA	Selection of Supreme and Appellate Court Judges Initiative	Change the system of selecting state Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges from a direct election system to an appointment system.		878,683 (35%)	1,600,588 (65%)
LRCA	State Lottery Funds for Education Amendment	Require all net proceeds from the state lottery to be used for education.	a	1,984,905 (78%)	564,421 (22%)

Oregon

See also: Oregon 1987 ballot measures

May 19, 1987

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRSS	Measure 1	Nuclear issues; Federal issues	Direct state officials and agencies to continue challenging the federal selection process for high-level nuclear waste repositories	a	299,581 (75%)	100,854 (25%)
LRCA	Measure 2	Education; Property; Taxes	Authorize school districts to levy property taxes up to the last voter-approved amount and require them to adjust budgets if funds are insufficient.	a	223,417 (56%)	178,839 (44%)

Pennsylvania

See also: Pennsylvania 1987 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
BI	Question 1	Food and agriculture	Issue $100,000,000 for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements	a

Texas

See also: Texas 1987 ballot measures

November 3, 1987

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Proposition 10	Taxes	Provide ad valorem tax exemptions for property temporarily located in Texas.		993,889 (49%)	1,043,986 (51%)
LRCA	Proposition 11	Taxes	Exempt non-income-producing personal property from ad valorem taxes.	a	1,066,476 (51%)	1,014,318 (49%)
LRCA	Proposition 12	Property	Allow spouses to hold community property with right of survivorship.	a	1,823,183 (85%)	328,391 (15%)
LRCA	Proposition 13	Administration	Allow the creation of emergency services districts and a voter-approved supporting property tax.	a	1,339,654 (64%)	743,806 (36%)
LRCA	Proposition 14	Trials	Provide the state a limited right to appeal in criminal cases.	a	1,417,545 (68%)	668,786 (32%)
LRCA	Proposition 15	Local government	Remove the office of county treasurer in Gregg, Fayette, and Nueces counties.	a	1,324,009 (69%)	582,472 (31%)
LRCA	Proposition 16	Judiciary	Allow certain justice of the peace precincts to contain more than one justice of the peace court.	a	1,366,576 (66%)	693,717 (34%)
LRCA	Proposition 17	Local government	Authorize the legislature to define the governmental and proprietary functions of a municipality.	a	1,083,139 (54%)	904,989 (46%)
LRCA	Proposition 18	Administration; Prisons	Provide for the creation, operation, and financing of jail districts.	a	1,134,209 (56%)	903,072 (44%)
LRCA	Proposition 19	Bonds	Authorize bonds to fund a superconducting super collider research facility.	a	1,347,362 (64%)	754,445 (36%)
LRCA	Proposition 1	Food and agriculture	Create a five million dollar grain warehouse fund to protect farmers and depositors of grain in public warehouse facilities.	a	1,162,195 (55%)	948,051 (45%)
LRCA	Proposition 20	Taxes	Provide ad valorem tax relief for certain inactive offshore drilling equipment.	a	1,032,013 (50%)	1,026,768 (50%)
LRCA	Proposition 21	Administration; Legislatures	Allow the speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's appointee to serve in an executive agency or committee.		857,837 (43%)	1,140,646 (57%)
LRCA	Proposition 22	Executive officials	Limit the authority of an outgoing governor to fill vacancies in state and district offices.	a	1,287,090 (61%)	806,419 (39%)
LRCA	Proposition 23	Water; Bonds	Authorize an additional $400 million of Texas Water Development Bonds for water supply, water quality, and flood control purposes.	a	1,348,332 (64%)	755,791 (36%)
LRCA	Proposition 24	Administration	Permit counties to perform work, without compensation, for another governmental entity.		1,005,039 (49%)	1,036,342 (51%)
LRCA	Proposition 25	Healthcare; Local government	Allow Amarillo Hospital District to serve Randall County residents, with financial support from Randall County, and allow hospital districts to alter jurisdiction with voter approval.	a	1,358,338 (72%)	541,344 (28%)
LRCA	Proposition 2	Taxes; Local government	Increase the maximum allowed tax rate from $0.03 to $0.06 per $100 valuation for rural fire protection districts.		1,010,704 (48%)	1,098,623 (52%)
LRCA	Proposition 3	Taxes	Limit school tax increases for surviving spouses aged 55 years or older.	a	1,858,769 (85%)	338,387 (15%)
LRCA	Proposition 4	Economic development	Authorize the legislature to create economic development programs and to make loans and grants for such programs.	a	1,089,136 (52%)	1,019,428 (48%)
LRCA	Proposition 5	Transportation; Bonds	Aid turnpikes, toll roads, and toll bridges by guaranteeing bonds issued by the Texas Turnpike Authority.		951,130 (46%)	1,111,903 (54%)
LRCA	Proposition 6	Budgets	Authorize the legislature to provide state financing for the development and production of Texas products and businesses.		986,500 (47%)	1,121,792 (53%)
LRCA	Proposition 7	Bonds	Authorize bonds to finance certain local public facilities.		827,235 (40%)	1,251,876 (60%)
LRCA	Proposition 8	Bonds	Authorize up to $500 million in bonds for correctional or mental health facilities.	a	1,389,479 (66%)	725,482 (34%)
LRCA	Proposition 9	Administration; Legislatures	Prevent legislators serving in another state office from receiving salary increases for that office during their legislative term.		977,464 (47%)	1,112,888 (53%)

Virginia

See also: Virginia 1987 ballot measures

November 3, 1987

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRSS	State Lottery Measure	Establish a state-operated lottery	a	791,518 (57%)	607,884 (43%)

Washington

See also: Washington 1987 ballot measures

November 3, 1987

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	HJR 4212	Term limits; Legislatures	Provide for an increase of legislative representatives' terms to four years and senators' terms to six years.		283,742 (33%)	567,782 (67%)
LRCA	HJR 4220	Education; Taxes	Provide authorization to implement a 15-year state property tax for the construction of schools.		283,118 (33%)	568,196 (67%)
ITL	Initiative 92	Healthcare; Business	Prohibit physicians from charging patients on Medicare more than Medicare's reasonable charges		315,792 (36%)	572,813 (64%)
LRSS	Referendum 41	Federal issues	Require the legislature to seek U.S. Supreme Court review of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve System’s authority		282,613 (34%)	541,387 (66%)
LRCA	SJR 8207	Judiciary	Authorize retired superior court judges to continue to oversee pending cases they made discretionary rulings for prior to retirement.	a	495,273 (59%)	346,428 (41%)
LRCA	SJR 8212	Budgets	Remove state constitutional restrictions that prevented investment of some permanent public land funds in stocks and private lending.		260,620 (32%)	551,408 (68%)

Wisconsin

See also: Wisconsin 1987 ballot measures

April 7, 1987

Type	Title	Description	Result	Yes Votes	No Votes
LRCA	Question 1	Permit pari-mutuel on-track betting but prohibit the state from owning, operating, or leasing land for any such enterprise or location	a	580,089 (52%)	529,729 (48%)
LRCA	Question 2	Permit the creation of a state lottery	a	739,181 (65%)	391,942 (35%)

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