On November 3, 2026, voters in several states will decide ballot questions that could preserve or change tax revenue, limit future tax authority, or shift which taxes support government. The measures differ in who would pay and when: some affect high earners, while others concern future tax rules or a broader tax mix. This is a selected-state overview, not a complete list of every state or local tax measure; your state’s final official voter guide is the authority for your ballot.
Which 2026 ballot measures could affect taxes?
The examples below are drawn from official state election materials available for California, Colorado, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Washington. Their effects are not all tax increases or cuts: a measure may preserve an existing tax, restrict future taxing authority, or change which tax sources fund government.
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| State and measure | What voters are deciding | Timing or key uncertainty |
|---|---|---|
| California Proposition 3 | Keep an existing high-income tax increase in place for schools and health care. | A no vote lets the increase expire in 2031; the revenue estimate is in today’s dollars. |
| California Proposition 42 | Prohibit specified new state taxes on personal-property ownership and certain retroactive state taxes. | Would constrain future state taxing authority; it is not a current tax-rate reduction. |
| Colorado Amendment 87 | Establish a proposed graduated state income tax. | Its interaction with Proposition 136 is unresolved if both pass. |
| Colorado Proposition 136 | Set the current 4.4% state income-tax rate as a maximum for individuals and corporations. | The proposed ceiling would begin January 1, 2027; interaction with Amendment 87 is unresolved if both pass. |
| Missouri Show-Me Prosperity Fund proposal | Create a fund intended to support state government, with the goal of eliminating state-imposed taxes if net investment earnings are sufficient. | Replacement of taxes is conditional; earnings are not guaranteed. |
| Missouri income-tax phaseout proposal | Phase out and eliminate individual income tax based on revenue growth while authorizing expanded sales and use taxes and related local tax changes. | It would shift the tax mix rather than immediately eliminate income tax. |
| Washington Initiative 645 | Repeal a tax on individual income above $1 million before it takes effect. | The tax is scheduled to begin January 1, 2028; this is a proposed repeal before collection starts. |
Massachusetts says nine binding statewide questions will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Check the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s official page for the certified wording and updated fiscal materials before drawing conclusions about any individual question.
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Will the 2026 ballot raise taxes on high earners?
California: Proposition 3 would preserve an existing tax increase
Proposition 3 concerns existing voter-approved tax rates for individuals earning more than $371,000, with the threshold adjusted annually for inflation. A yes vote keeps the increase in place; a no vote lets it expire in 2031. The California Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance estimate that making it permanent would maintain $5 billion to $15 billion in annual state income-tax revenue, expressed in today’s dollars, according to the 2026 official voter guide.
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Washington: Initiative 645 would repeal a future tax before it starts
Washington Initiative 645 would repeal a tax enacted on Washington taxable income above $1 million before its scheduled January 1, 2028 start. The official state summary describes the enacted rate as 9.90%. The proposal is therefore about whether that future tax takes effect, not about ending a tax already being collected.
What are voters deciding about income-tax limits?
Colorado: two proposals could conflict
Amendment 87 proposes a graduated income tax. Proposition 136 would make the current 4.4% state income-tax rate a maximum for individuals and corporations beginning January 1, 2027. The Colorado State Ballot Information Booklet says Amendment 87’s proposed rates on income above $500,000 would exceed Proposition 136’s proposed ceiling. If both measures pass, the exact result is unclear and would be determined by the legislature or a court; the booklet does not treat their joint effect as settled.
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Missouri: compare the fund proposal with the phaseout proposal
The Missouri Secretary of State lists two distinct proposals. One would create the Show-Me Prosperity Fund to support state government, with the goal of eliminating state-imposed taxes if net investment earnings are sufficient. The other would phase out and eliminate individual income tax based on revenue growth while authorizing expanded sales and use taxes and related local tax changes. For the second proposal, consider the full tax mix: a phaseout of income tax is paired with broader sales-tax authority. The proposals do not establish that investment earnings would reliably replace existing taxes or that income tax would disappear immediately.
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Could a ballot measure limit future taxes without lowering a current rate?
California Proposition 42 would prohibit specified new state taxes on ownership of personal property and certain retroactive state taxes, and nullify conflicting taxes enacted after January 1, 2026. Its official summary says revenues could grow less in the future. That is a proposed constraint on future state taxing authority, not a reduction in a tax rate currently in effect.
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How should you assess a tax measure on your ballot?
Read the actual measure text and fiscal analysis, not only a headline. Check these points before deciding what a proposal could mean for you:
- Tax base and liability: Identify which income, property, transaction, or activity is covered and who is responsible for paying.
- Direction of change: Distinguish a tax increase, reduction, extension, cap, revenue restriction, or shift from one tax source to another.
- Thresholds and timing: Look for income thresholds, inflation adjustments, effective dates, and expiration or sunset dates.
- Legal status: Check whether the proposal changes a statute or constitution; that can affect how a rule may be changed later.
- Other measures: Read related questions together. Colorado’s two proposals illustrate why their interaction may matter.
- Fiscal estimates: Note who produced the estimate, the period and assumptions it covers, and any uncertainty the official analysis identifies.
Where do you find your state’s official ballot guide?
Use your state election office’s final voter guide and official measure text for the ballot you will receive. For the states covered here, the relevant sources are the California Secretary of State’s quick guide and official voter guide, the Colorado State Ballot Information Booklet, the Missouri Secretary of State’s ballot-measures page, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s page for statewide questions, and Washington’s official initiative summary. Wording, qualification status, and fiscal materials can change; official state records control if a summary differs. A national roundup like this one is not exhaustive and cannot substitute for your state’s final guide.
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