1921 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1921.
In the United States, a ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.
- HBM Factbooks
- List of ballot measures by state
- Other years
Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks
The inventory of statewide ballot measures is part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbooks, which document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and voters on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they've covered, and the role they have played in our civic life. Click here to access the state historical ballot measure factbooks.
List of ballot measures by state
Maine
See also: Maine 1921 ballot measures
September 12
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Absentee and mail voting | Allow absentee voting |
| 14,410 (55%) | 11,670 (45%) | |
| Question 2 | Highways and bridges; Bond issues | Permit the use of proceeds from state highways bonds for construction of state aid highways |  | 9,924 (38%) | 16,194 (62%) | |
| Question 3 | Veterans policy; Bond issues | Provide for a bond issue for the purpose of paying a bonus to Maine soldiers and sailors in the war with Spain | | 11,969 (44%) | 15,316 (56%) |
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1921 ballot measures
April 4
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonuses for World War I Veterans Amendment | Bond issues; Veterans policy | Authorize the state to borrow up to $30 million to pay a $15 bonus for each month of service to World War I veterans |
| 471,159 (72%) | 185,602 (28%) |
Missouri
See also: Missouri 1921 ballot measures
August 2
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Constitutional wording changes; Election administration and governance; Sex and gender issues | Allow women to hold elected office in the state |
| 159,230 (52%) | 147,751 (48%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Revenue allocation; Highways and bridges; Transportation taxes and fees; Bond issues | Authorize motor vehicle license fees be utilized to pay off the interest accumulated from the $60 million road bond issue |
| 247,274 (81%) | 59,776 (19%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Veterans policy; Bond issues | Allow an incur of debt no more than $15 million and to enact a tax to fund that debt to provide bonuses for soldiers, sailors and marines |
| 210,238 (68%) | 100,131 (32%) | |
| Proposition 1 | State constitutional conventions | Initiate a convention to revise and amend the Missouri State Constitution |
| 175,355 (58%) | 127,130 (42%) |
New Hampshire
See also: New Hampshire 1921 ballot measures
March 8
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Income taxes | It proposed to allow the legislature to impose a graduated income tax. | | 21,440 (39%) | 33,819 (61%) | |
| Question 2 | Taxes | It proposed that inheritance taxes may be graduated and progressive. | | 23,354 (44%) | 29,473 (56%) | |
| Question 3 | State legislative structure | It proposed rules to govern the size and apportionment of the legislature.Note: Although this measure gathered more "yes" votes, it did not pass because New Hampshire requires that an amendment receive greater than two-thirds of the vote to be approved. | | 30,275 (57%) | 23,271 (43%) | |
| Question 4 | Women's suffrage; Sex and gender issues | Provides for women's suffrage in state constitution | | 30,285 (56%) | 24,142 (44%) |
New York
See also: New York 1921 ballot measures
November 8
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Civil service; Veterans policy | Extend civil service preference for veterans | | 699,697 (39%) | 1,090,418 (61%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Salaries of government officials | Increase the salaries of legislators | | 556,560 (35%) | 1,027,624 (65%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Literacy, poll tax, and property voting requirements | Ensure English literacy as a voting qualification |
| 896,355 (59%) | 632,144 (41%) | |
| Amendment 5 | State judiciary structure | Establish children courts and courts of domestic relations |
| 930,929 (63%) | 537,610 (37%) | |
| Amendment 6 | Ports and harbors | Approve the disposition of a portion of the Erie Canal |
| 800,487 (59%) | 555,926 (41%) | |
| Amendment 7 | Ports and harbors | Approve an initial disposition of a portion of the Erie Canal |
| 781,665 (59%) | 552,994 (41%) | |
| Proposed Amendment No. 4 | Local government organization | Establish governing bodies in Nassau and Westchester counties |
| 655,506 (51%) | 640,701 (49%) |
North Dakota
See also: North Dakota 1921 ballot measures
October 28
| Type | Title | Subject | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abolish Bank of North Dakota Initiative | Banking policy; Administration of government | | 101,353 (49%) | 105,591 (51%) | |
| County Officials Referendum | State judiciary structure; State judicial authority | | 94,661 (47%) | 105,975 (53%) | |
| Debt Limit and Bond Issues Initiative | Bond issues | | 101,034 (49%) | 104,822 (51%) | |
| Industrial Commission Initiative | Administrative organization | | 101,438 (49%) | 106,230 (51%) | |
| Legislative Compensation Amendment | Salaries of government officials | | 88,168 (44%) | 112,622 (56%) | |
| Non-partisan Election Initiative | Elections and campaigns | | 98,103 (48%) | 108,324 (52%) | |
| Partisan Elections Initiative | Elections and campaigns | | 100,672 (48%) | 108,409 (52%) | |
| Public Depositories Initiative | Banking policy | | 103,474 (49%) | 106,225 (51%) | |
| Rural Credit Initiative | Banking policy | | 103,933 (50%) | 105,821 (50%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1921 ballot measures
November 8
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds for World War I Veterans Amendment | Veterans policy; Bond issues | Allow for the issuance of bonds for paying World War I veterans $10 of each month of their service. |
| 949,109 (75%) | 324,447 (25%) | |
| Establishment of a Poll Tax Amendment | Taxes | Allow the General Assembly to establish a poll tax. | | 244,509 (27%) | 672,581 (73%) | |
| Senate Redistricting Amendment | Redistricting policy; State legislatures measures | Reapportion the Senate into 26 districts | | 336,574 (39%) | 518,524 (61%) |
Oregon
See also: Oregon 1921 ballot measures
June 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure Nos. 300-301 | Salaries of government officials; State legislatures measures | Limit legislative sessions to 60 days, special sessions to 20 days, compensate members at $5 per day, and prohibit introducing bills, except for appropriations and defense, after the 40th day | | 42,924 (37%) | 72,596 (63%) | |
| Measure Nos. 302-303 | Veterans policy; Bond issues | Authorize the issuance and sale of bonds to raise money to be loaned to Oregonian veterans of World War I. |
| 88,219 (70%) | 37,866 (30%) | |
| Measure Nos. 304-305 | State executive official measures | Empower the governor to veto provisions in bills which declare emergencies. |
| 62,621 (58%) | 45,537 (42%) | |
| Measure Nos. 306-307 | Family-related policy | Require a health examination by a physician for both marriage license applicants, with failure prohibiting marriage unless one or both applicants are rendered sterile. | | 56,858 (46%) | 65,793 (54%) | |
| Measure Nos. 308-309 | Sex and gender issues; Jury rules | Permit women to serve as jurors and require at least half of the trial jury to be women in cases involving minors. |
| 59,882 (50%) | 59,265 (50%) |
Texas
See also: Texas 1921 ballot measures
July 23
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 1 | Constitutional wording changes; Literacy, poll tax, and property voting requirements; Citizenship voting requirements; Absentee and mail voting | Addresses women's suffrage and naturalized citizens' suffrage |
| 57,622 (52%) | 53,910 (48%) | |
| Proposition 2 | State executive official measures; Salaries of government officials | Increase the annual salaries of the governor to $8,000, the secretary of state and other executive officials to $5,000, and the attorney general to $7,500 | | 25,778 (27%) | 68,223 (73%) | |
| Proposition 3 | State legislatures measures; Salaries of government officials | Limit per diem compensation for legislators at $10 for the first 120 days of regular sessions and $5 thereafter and mileage reimbursement at $0.10 a mile | | 24,424 (22%) | 85,482 (78%) | |
| Proposition 4 | Taxes; Veterans policy | Levy a $0.07 per $100 valuation tax to fund pensions for Confederate soldiers and their widows | | 49,852 (45%) | 61,568 (55%) | |
| Proposition 5 | Administrative organization; Corrections governance | Abolish the Board of Prison Commissioners and provided for prison supervision and maintenance by statutory law | | 39,659 (36%) | 71,880 (64%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
