4 November 2026
With important victories and surprises across the map, advocates say voters will continue demanding fair revenue policies and holding elected officials accountable.
(Alexandria, VA) The Alliance Action Fund, the c4 affiliate of the State Revenue Alliance, celebrated tax-related victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections and, together with state partners, are entering 2027 state legislative sessions with momentum and a clear understanding of what comes next.
Amber Wallin, Executive Director of the State Revenue Alliance and Alliance Action Fund, said, “For too long, billionaires and powerful anti-tax interests have dominated the conversation, treating tax cuts as a given and asking the public to accept the consequences when schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and other priorities go underfunded. The apparent revenue victories in California, Colorado, and Washington, and the defensive wins in several red states, show that the politics of state revenue have changed. We believe the results are a powerful statement for the tax justice movement and build on an historic year, which saw state advocates and legislators across the country fight to win public funds that communities rely on by making wealthy individuals and corporations pay their fair share.”
Summary: 2026 tax-related state ballot initiatives, constitutional amendments and questions
Overall, the Alliance Action Fund estimates voters saved or raised more than $32 billion per year, or more than $120 billion over the next 5 years, through 2026 ballot initiatives. Tuesday’s results bookend state legislative session wins, making 2026 a breakthrough year for campaigns to raise or preserve state revenue.
Following the massive turnouts against tax-cut ballot initiatives in Oklahoma and Missouri in August, voters rejected or are poised to reject major threats to revenue in Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Washington, Wyoming and Utah. Attempts to undermine the ballot process that would make it harder to raise revenue were voted down in both North Dakota and South Dakota.
Of the 24 statewide revenue-related contests this year, tax justice advocates prevailed or are leading in 16, a potential win-loss record better than any year since 2012.
While the race remains uncalled, it appears that Washington state voters soundly rejected Initiative 645, an effort to repeal a surcharge on incomes over $1 million passed earlier this year in the legislature.
Coloradans appear to have voted no on Amendment 136, which would have capped individual and corporate income tax rates. The race remains uncalled as of Wednesday morning.
Californians passed Proposition 3, which will permanently raise between $10 and 15 billion for education each year, through a high-earners tax.
Colorado voters passed Proposition NN, which will amend the state's constitution to allow additional money for education. In a very close race, Amendment 87 is ahead. If Amendment 87 wins, Colorado will adopt a progressive income tax structure that will generate billions in revenue and make the tax code fairer for all Coloradans.
Florida voters dismissed Amendment 2, which would have been the country’s most expansive tangible property tax exemption for agriculture-related businesses.
Several states rejected structural restrictions on revenue; Utah defeated Amendment B, a supermajority requirement for tax changes at the ballot. Massachusetts’ Amendment 5 is likely to be defeated. It would have limited the amount of revenue collected.
Affordability concerns continued to loom large for voters, including in Florida and North Carolina, where residents passed damaging limits to state and local revenues.
But residents in other red states, including Oklahoma (Question 847) and Wyoming (Initiative 1 is uncalled but likely to lose) rejected additional property tax limitations, and voters in Colorado and Missouri actually voted to raise local-level taxes to fund critical child care and early childhood programs.
State legislative session and ballot results align with national polling.
The State Revenue Alliance’s 2026 legislative analysis found more progressive tax bills, more legislative sponsors, and more victories than any year this decade. State partners actively supported more than 191 bills, backed by over 250 coalition partners and 2,058 legislative sponsors and cosponsors across at least 37 states—with more than 50 of those bills signed into law.
The legislative and electoral results reflect the Alliance’s recent national survey that found voters want candidates who support several state tax policies that new legislators and legislative leaders should consider.
Across all political and demographic categories, voters said they prefer candidates who will increase progressive taxation to address affordability and early childhood education.
They support candidates who will raise taxes on profitable corporations and wealthy households.
From data centers to digital advertising, raising taxes on tech and AI companies emerged as a breakout issue in 2026, with states from deep red to blue, increasingly asking who should pay for the infrastructure and impacts these companies create; more than thirty-three bills were introduced across 26 states. Expect the momentum to continue in 2027. Among all the policies tested, the policy that makes voters least likely to vote for a candidate is supporting building data centers in their communities.
“Tuesday night was a reminder that state tax policy is trending toward justice and the need for revenue is only going to grow. Overall, this was an outstanding night in a consequential year for the state revenue movement and we are excited to support hundreds of state partners who are going to build on the results,” said Lily Lanier, Senior Campaigns Director for the State Revenue Alliance and Alliance Action Fund.
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