12 Good Things That Might Happen Today, None of Which Involve Trump or Biden

The 2020 election has so been so dominated by Biden versus Trump insanity that a lot of consequential ballot initiates have been getting short shrift. But today, voters in various U.S. locales will have the opportunity to usher in some pretty exciting—and libertarian—policies, as well as the chance to reject a few really bad ideas.

Let’s start with the good, shall we?

Proposition 22 in California
California’s Proposition 22 would undo some of the damage wrought by A.B. 5, the 2019 state law that reclassified all sorts of independent contractors and freelancers in California as full-fledged employees. Pushed as a way to stick it to disfavored businesses like Uber and Lyft, the law has proved detrimental to workers across a range of industries, infringing on their ability to work when and how they choose as well as leading to a lot of lost jobs. If Proposition 22 is passed, it would help mitigate these ill effects for people who drive or do deliveries by allowing them to be classified as independent contractors once again.

Proposition 207 in Arizona
Arizona residents will get the chance to legalize recreational marijuana sales by voting for Proposition 207 (also dubbed the “Smart and Safe Act”). “If passed, it would allow…adults 21 and older to purchase up to one ounce of cannabis and have up to six plants at their home,” explains Steve Cottrell, president of Curaleaf Arizona. “Adult-use cannabis products would be subject to state and local sales taxes, with an additional 16 percent excise tax.”

South Dakota Amendment A
Another marijuana legalization measure, this ballot initiative would create a constitutional amendment “to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and require the South Dakota State Legislature to pass laws providing for the use of medical marijuana and the sale of hemp by April 1, 2022.”

Initiative 190 in Montana
Montana residents also have the chance to approve recreational marijuana. Voting yes on Montana Initiative 190 would mean “legalizing the possession and use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, imposing a 20% tax on marijuana sales, requiring the Department of Revenue to develop rules to regulate marijuana businesses, and allowing for the resentencing or expungement of marijuana-related crimes.”

Public Question 1 in New Jersey
If New Jersey’s Public Question 1 passes, it will “legalize the possession and use of marijuana for persons age 21 and older and legalize the cultivation, processing, and sale of retail marijuana.”

Initiative 65 in Mississippi
Mississippians get to vote on legalizing medical marijuana. A citizen-led ballot measure, Initiative 65, would OK it for a variety of conditions. Meanwhile, Initiative 65A—a government-led measure that’s been accused of being floated just to confuse voters—would legalize medical marijuana for terminally ill people only.

Initiative 429 in Nebraska
This ballot measure would legalize all sorts of gambling at licensed racetracks. “Currently, Nebraska outlaws gambling, except with respect to the state lottery, licensed raffles, and bingo,” notes Ballotpedia.

Measure 109 in Oregon
Oregon’s Measure 109 would let people legally purchase and consume hallucinogenic mushrooms under the care of a psilocybin administrator. If passed, it would give the Oregon Health Authority two years to “determine who is eligible to be licensed as a facilitator, determine what qualifications, education, training, and exams are needed, and create a code of professional conduct for facilitators,” says Ballotpedia.

Ballot Measure 2 in Alaska and Question 2 in Massachusetts
Ballot initiatives in Alaska and Massachusetts would establish ranked-choice voting, in which voters rank candidates by order of preference instead of just voting for one candidate.

Proposition 25 in California
Voting yes on