Most Ballot Measures Require a College Degree for Comprehension

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Oct 29, 2024, 09:37 ET

Ballotpedia releases its annual Ballot Measure Readability Report

MIDDLETON, Wis., Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballotpedia's annual Readability Report offers insights into the educational level voters might need to comprehend statewide ballot measure titles and summaries.

The language for the 159 statewide ballot measures in 41 states in 2024 is written at an average reading level of 16, equivalent to a bachelor's degree. This is a decrease from the average reading level of 19 in 2023 and 2022. Sixty-nine (69) of the ballot measures included additional information, known as a ballot summary, and those also had an average score of 16.

The average grade is higher for measures from legislatures (17) compared to citizen-initiated measures (15). This difference is likely because legislatures write the questions themselves in most states. Legislative ballot questions tend to be more grammatically complex, often incorporating legal language similar to law itself.

"The most significant factor driving readability differences isn't the type or topic of the ballot measure, but the state," said Ryan Byrne, Ballotpedia managing editor. "There are substantial variations from state to state, highlighting that the ballot measure process, in all its aspects, even sentence structure, is fundamentally a state-based process."

Readability Scoring

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Ballotpedia's report measures how accessible these texts are based on objective factors, such as the number of syllables, words, and sentences in a text. It's important to note that these scores focus solely on language structure, not the ideas' complexity.

2024 Readability Report Highlights

In 2024, New Hampshire had the lowest average grade level score for a ballot title, with a score of seven, and Alabama had the highest average, with a score of 28.
The ballot measure with the highest ballot title grade level, at 42, was Maine Question 2, a bond measure to issue $25 million in general obligation bonds for the Maine Technology Institute. While no formal education level, including post-graduate, corresponds to a 42nd-grade level, this indicates that the language structure is advanced or difficult, at least based on the FKGL.
The ballot measure with the lowest ballot title grade level, at -2, was Florida Amendment 2, an amendment to provide a state constitutional right to hunt and fish. While no formal education level corresponds to -2 years, this number indicates that the language structure is basic, corresponding to two years below 1st grade.
The average number of words in a ballot title was 68, ranging from seven words in Florida to 940 in Ohio.
The longest ballot title, with 940 words, was for Ohio Issue 1, an initiative to establish a non-politician redistricting commission. The next longest title, for North Dakota Initiated Measure 1, had 303 words. Ohio Issue 1 had the longest ballot title since Ballotpedia started tracking scores in 2017.
Each of the shortest ballot titles had five words. There are three measures with five-word ballot titles: California Proposition 32, Florida Amendment 2, and Florida Amendment 3.

To read the full report, please click here.

About Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia, the encyclopedia of American politics, is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections, and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media, and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 520,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored, and curated articles, visit Ballotpedia.org.

SOURCE BALLOTPEDIA