1959 ballot measures
This page provides a list of statewide ballot measures that appeared before voters in 1959.
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
Florida
See also: Florida 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Redistricting policy | Amend provisions relating to the apportionment of the legislature |  | 143,668 (44%) | 180,089 (56%) |
Kentucky
See also: Kentucky 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff Succession Referendum | Law enforcement officers and departments | | |
| Veteran Bonus Sales Tax Referendum | Sales taxes; Veterans policy |
|
Maine
See also: Maine 1959 ballot measures
September 9
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | Bond issues; Highways and bridges | Ratify a state bond issue of up to $3.9 million to construct a bridge across the Passagassawaukeag River at Belfast |
| 36,662 (73%) | 13,471 (27%) | |
| Question 2 | Bond issues; Highways and bridges | Ratify a $13 million state bond issue to fund the construction of state highways in Maine |
| 39,305 (78%) | 11,398 (22%) | |
| Question 3 | Higher education funding; Housing development funding; Bond issues | Ratify a state bond issue of up to $10 million to finance the construction of housing for the University of Maine |
| 42,133 (82%) | 9,560 (18%) | |
| Question 4 | Bond issues | Ratify a $3.95 million state bond issue to fund capital improvements, construction, repairs, equipment, supplies, and furnishings for fiscal years 1960 and 1961 |
| 39,367 (77%) | 11,660 (23%) | |
| Question 5 | Ports and harbors | Allow ferry service for Long Island Plantation as authorized by the 99th Legislature |
| 38,886 (75%) | 12,635 (25%) |
Michigan
See also: Michigan 1959 ballot measures
April 6
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal No. 1 | Government continuity policy | Allow the legislature to provide for the continuity of state and local government in times of emergency |
| 702,183 (75%) | 237,071 (25%) | |
| Proposal No. 2 | Higher education governance | Change the name of the governing body of Michigan State University |
| 595,333 (65%) | 315,223 (35%) | |
| Proposal No. 3 | Higher education governance | Establish a Board of Governors for Wayne State University |
| 593,327 (67%) | 295,780 (33%) |
New Jersey
See also: New Jersey 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Question No. 1 | Bond issues | An act authorized $66.8 million in bonds for higher education. |
| 904,706 (56%) | 713,929 (44%) | |
| Public Question No. 2 | Gambling policy | An act authorized amusement games with a maximum prize value of $15 and a maximum charge of 25 cents per play. |
| 917,291 (59%) | 630,800 (41%) | |
| Public Question No. 2 | Gambling policy | An act authorized amusement games with a maximum prize value of $15 and a maximum charge of 25 cents per play. |
| 917,291 (59%) | 630,800 (41%) |
New York
See also: New York 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amendment 1 | Vehicle and driver regulations; Administrative organization | Establish a Department of Motor Vehicles in the state government |
| 1,869,500 (67%) | 911,609 (33%) | |
| Amendment 2 | Highways and bridges; Public land policy | Permit for no more than 300 acres of state forest preserve land to be used for the construction and maintenance of the Northway interstate highway |
| 1,621,428 (56%) | 1,261,769 (44%) | |
| Amendment 3 | Administrative powers and rulemaking | Remove public officials from office for five years who refuse to waive immunity or answer questions when called before a grand jury about their official conduct |
| 1,907,659 (72%) | 738,540 (28%) | |
| Amendment 4 | Public education funding; Bond issues | Permit New York City to issue $500 million in bonds for school construction outside its debt limit | | 1,248,208 (43%) | 1,638,353 (57%) | |
| Amendment 5 | Primary election systems | Permit legislature to provide for the elimination of primary elections where there is no contest |
| 1,544,635 (61%) | 1,000,435 (39%) | |
| Amendment 6 | State legislative authority | Empower the legislature to lease or transfer the state's barge canal system to the federal government for inclusion into the national system of inland waterways |
| 1,505,107 (57%) | 1,125,082 (43%) | |
| Amendment 7 | Public employee retirement funds | Increase pension benefits for certain police and fire department employees or their dependents |
| 1,909,448 (70%) | 829,642 (30%) | |
| Amendment 8 | Income taxes; State legislative authority | Allow the Legislature to provide definition of income for income tax purposes by reference to federal laws |
| 1,616,812 (63%) | 939,003 (37%) | |
| Amendment 9 | Local government organization; Local government finance and taxes | Authorize multiple municipalities to jointly provide services and facilities, take on shared or separate debt for those projects, and raise taxes or fees to support them |
| 1,648,447 (65%) | 904,202 (35%) |
North Carolina
See also: North Carolina 1959 ballot measures
October 27
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referendum 1 | Bond issues; Public education funding | Issue more than $18 million in bonds for capital improvements of the state's educational institutions and agencies |
| 70,476 (64%) | 40,123 (36%) | |
| Referendum 2 | Healthcare facility funding; Bond issues | Issue more than $12 million in bonds for capital improvements of the state's mental health institutions. |
| 81,787 (73%) | 30,294 (27%) | |
| Referendum 3 | Higher education funding; Bond issues | Issue $1.5 million in bonds for aid grants and capital improvements of the state's community colleges |
| 64,562 (60%) | 43,755 (40%) | |
| Referendum 4 | Bond issues; Healthcare facility funding | Issue $500,000 in bonds to fund local hospital construction. |
| 68,959 (63%) | 40,862 (37%) | |
| Referendum 5 | State National Guard and militia; Bond issues; Defense-related funding | Issue $100,000 in bonds for capital improvements of the state's armory commission. | | 51,554 (49%) | 54,560 (51%) | |
| Referendum 6 | Bond issues; Prison and jail funding | Issue $466,000 in bonds for capital improvements at the state's correctional institutions. |
| 69,684 (64%) | 39,375 (36%) | |
| Referendum 7 | Healthcare facility funding; Bond issues | Issue $140,000 in bonds for capital improvements of the blind rehabilitation center. |
| 80,609 (73%) | 30,564 (27%) | |
| Referendum 8 | Bond issues; Ports and harbors | Issue $500,000 in bonds for port facilities in the town of Southport |
| 54,456 (51%) | 52,007 (49%) | |
| Referendum 9 | Bond issues | Issue $250,000 in bonds for the construction and restoration of historical sites. | | 51,870 (49%) | 54,613 (51%) |
Ohio
See also: Ohio 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judges for the Court of Appeals Amendment | State judiciary | Allow the Ohio General Assembly to add judges to the Ohio Court of Appeals when needed. |
| 1,028,914 (56%) | 809,957 (44%) | |
| Sale of Water and Sewage Services Amendment | County and municipal governance; Utility policy | Remove the limitation on the sale of water and sewage services by municipalities outside their corporate limits. |
| 1,085,378 (58%) | 775,610 (42%) |
Oklahoma
See also: Oklahoma 1959 ballot measures
April 7
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Question 386 | Alcohol laws | Repeal prohibition in Oklahoma, create the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and allow regulated private package stores. |
| 396,845 (56%) | 314,380 (44%) | |
| State Question 387 | County and municipal governance; Alcohol laws | Provide for county option on alcoholic beverages and allow counties to hold elections on legalizing alcohol manufacture, sale, and distribution. | | 221,404 (32%) | 469,503 (68%) |
Pennsylvania
See also: Pennsylvania 1959 ballot measures
November 3
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result | Yes Votes | No Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | State legislatures measures | establish that the legislature shall meet each year on the first Tuesday in January and in even years address fiscal matters |
| 632,422 (53%) | 568,800 (47%) | |
| Question 2 | Education; State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | prohibit school districts from having debts that exceed 15% of assessed value of taxable property | | 513,987 (42%) | 719,923 (58%) | |
| Question 3 | Elections and campaigns | allow a qualified voter who moves within the state within 60 days of an election to vote in their old district |
| 956,138 (77%) | 292,019 (23%) |
Other years
Click on a year in the following table to view that year’s state ballot measures.
See also
Footnotes
