Nov. 4 Off‑Year Ballots Offer National Pulse Check

Nov. 4 off‑year contests are being viewed as a national pulse check after 2024, offering clues about Democratic momentum and whether Republican gains with young and nonwhite voters will persist. Ballotpedia is tracking 188 local measures across 97 jurisdictions — the most in Texas (49) — spanning 55 topics and including high‑profile items such as five New York City charter amendments on housing and land use. Six states (California, Colorado, Maine, New York, Texas and Washington) have statewide measures this year; California’s Proposition 50 would enact a midcycle congressional map that analysts say could advantage Democrats. Colorado voters will decide two statewide questions including the future of the “Healthy School Meals for All” program, while many Texas ballots feature local school bond and tax‑rate votes in districts such as Manor, McDade, Taylor, Hays CISD and Liberty Hill. Ballotpedia’s readability analysis finds 2025’s 30 statewide ballot titles and summaries average a grade‑21 reading level — the highest since tracking began in 2017 — which could complicate voter comprehension.