This year’s statewide ballot measures are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level, according to a new report.

The readability of 2026’s ballot questions — which ask voters to weigh in on issues as varied as abortion, property taxes, voter ID and firearms — varies by state, political data tracking nonprofit Ballotpedia found in its newest Ballot Measure Readability Report.

The report analyzes the level of education voters would need to understand the titles and summaries of the measures put before them. Because ballot measures are often lengthy and full of legal language, states write shorter titles to be published on the ballot for voters to read.

Many of this year’s ballot measures don’t include summaries to supplement the titles. And many voters don’t read beyond a measure’s title before deciding how to vote, Ballotpedia researchers note.

This year, 164 measures have been or will be on the ballot across 40 states. The titles average a reading level requiring 17 years of education, which corresponds to a first-year graduate student. The summaries average a reading level requiring 15 years of education. About 42% of the U.S. adult population ages 25-54 have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Title readability ranges from a fifth-grade level for an Idaho question asking voters to choose an official state gun to a 48^th-grade level for a Colorado constitutional amendment that would establish a right to hunt and fish, Ballotpedia found. No formal education level corresponds to a 48th-grade level, but that rating indicates an extremely advanced language structure.

“The most significant factor driving readability differences isn’t the type or topic of the ballot measure, but which state it’s in,” said Ryan Byrne, managing editor of Ballotpedia’s ballots team, in a statement.

Kentucky, Massachusetts and Tennessee had the lowest average title readability grade level, at 10 years of education, while Colorado had the highest at 33 years, followed by Hawaii at 31 years and Nevada at 26, according to the report.

Research has found voters are more likely to skip ballot questions that have more complex language.

About half of states have enacted laws designed to make ballot measure language easier to read. Earlier this year, Maryland enacted a law requiring ballot questions to be written in plain and clear language. Last year, Arkansas required ballot titles to be written at no more than an eighth-grade level.

But still, the average readability score for state ballot measures since 2017, when Ballotpedia began tracking it, is about 18 years of education, or the equivalent of a second-year graduate student.

This year, Kansas had the longest ballot question title, at 927 words for a constitutional amendment that would have authorized the election of state Supreme Court justices and abolished an existing nominating commission. Voters defeated it in August.

Alaska will have the shortest title, at just five words, for a measure to amend state law to allow only U.S. citizens to vote in elections.

Ballotpedia uses two formulas to calculate readability, which includes looking at the number of syllables, words and sentences in a text.

Readability scores for each of the 164 ballot measures this year can be found in Ballotpedia’s report.

Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at avollers@stateline.org.

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Wisconsin’s general election is Nov. 3, with voters deciding who will be the state’s next governor and attorney general, as well as picking candidates for the state Legislature in several other races. Voters also will decide on three proposed amendments to the state constitution. 

When voting in person, residents throughout the state must present an acceptable form of photo ID, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Wisconsin law allows eligible residents to obtain a state-issued ID for voting free of charge.

Despite there being no cost, the process can still present other challenges, said Peg Schrader, president of the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County.

“The practical barriers include missing supporting documents, the cost and effort of replacing them, transportation to the DMV and understanding which documents and IDs are acceptable,” wrote Schrader in an email to NNS.

Here’s what to know about getting a free ID before the election.

Steps

U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 years old on or before Nov. 3 – but who don’t have an ID that can be used for voting – can apply for one for free through the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles, or DMV.

Although “voter ID” is a common term, there is no separate ID specifically for voting. Wisconsin accepts state-issued ID cards, which also can be used for other purposes.

Other acceptable forms of ID for voting include Wisconsin driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, military IDs and certain student and tribal IDs.

The photo ID requirement also is separate from voter registration, which has different requirements. 

Registration establishes a person’s eligibility to vote, while the photo ID requirement is for when someone actually votes.

People applying for a state ID for the first time must visit a DMV customer service center in person. People renewing or replacing an existing state ID may be able to do so online or by mail. 

When applying for a state ID for the first time, people ordinarily need to bring:

• Proof of name and date of birth.
• Proof of identity.
• Proof of Wisconsin residency.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal status.
• Their Social Security number.

Some documents can fulfill more than one requirement. For example, a certified U.S. birth certificate can establish name and date of birth as well as U.S. citizenship.

The DMV maintains a list of acceptable documents for each type.

Generally, people must bring original documents or certified copies rather than photocopies. However, the DMV accepts printed electronic records and photocopies of certain documents used to prove Wisconsin residency.

Also, people generally need to provide their Social Security number but do not have to bring the physical card unless the DMV cannot verify the number electronically.

In addition to these documents, people must complete the Wisconsin Identification Card Application, indicating that they want a free ID for voting.

People who complete the regular in-person application generally receive a temporary paper receipt with their photograph at the DMV. The receipt is good for 45 days and can be used to vote while they wait for the permanent card to arrive by mail.

According to the DMV, permanent cards generally arrive within 10 business days.

Identification Petition Process

Wisconsin has an alternative process for eligible residents who do not have the documents usually required to obtain a state ID, called the Identification Petition Process. 

The process allows U.S. citizens who will be at least 18 on or before the next election to apply for an ID for voting while the DMV works to verify their information.

Schrader called the petition process an important option.

“Its key benefit is that a missing birth certificate or other required document does not have to prevent someone from obtaining identification for voting,” she said.

People who apply must go to a DMV office, fill out paperwork and wait for the document to arrive by mail.

People should bring whatever documents they have to a DMV service center and also complete two forms: the Wisconsin Identification Card Application and the Identification Petition Process application.

The DMV then mails a temporary photo identification document that can be used for voting while the petition is processed.

According to Wisconsin law, the DMV generally must issue the temporary document within six working days of receiving the petition.

For petitions filed within seven days before or two days after a statewide election – Oct. 27 through Nov. 5 for this year’s general election – the DMV must issue the document within 24 hours and send it by overnight or next-day mail.

Expedited processing does not guarantee people will receive the document before Election Day for those who file before Nov. 3. 

Other ID options

Residents may already have an ID that meets the Wisconsin voting law requirements. 

Wisconsin driver’s licenses and state ID cards are acceptable for voting if they are unexpired or expired after Nov. 5, 2024, the date of the last general election. U.S. passports and qualifying military IDs also are acceptable if these meet the same expiration requirements.

Joel DeSpain, a communications specialist for the Wisconsin Elections Commission, refers voters to the agency’s list of acceptable photo IDs.

A REAL ID is not required to vote, and the address on a photo ID does not have to match the voter’s current address.

The City of Milwaukee Election Commission also provides information about which IDs qualify.

Wisconsin enacted its voter ID law in 2011, although legal challenges delayed its full implementation until 2015. 

In April 2025, voters approved a constitutional amendment adding the photo ID requirement to the state constitution, making the requirement more difficult to change.

Options on Election Day 

Registered voters who arrive at the polls without acceptable photo ID can still request a provisional ballot for this year’s general election.

For the ballot to count, these people must present an acceptable photo ID at their polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, or to their municipal clerk by 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

Wisconsin also allows eligible residents who are not registered to go through that process at their polling place on the day of the election. However, they must provide proof of residence to register, which is a separate requirement from having the right ID to vote. 

Where can I get help?

The Wisconsin DMV operates a voter ID hotline at 844-588-1069 for questions about free IDs and the Identification Petition Process.

Schrader named several organizations that can assist Milwaukee-area residents:

• You can call or text VoteRiders at 866-432-8683 for free help obtaining identification and supporting documents, as well as arranging transportation the day of the election. 
• Souls to the Polls provides information about free rides to DMV offices and polling places. You can reach the organization by calling 414-742-1060.
• The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County provides voting information and assistance resources at mkevote.com.
• Disability Rights Wisconsin can be reached at 844-347-8683 with questions about voting rights and accessibility for people with disabilities. 

For questions about voter registration, polling locations and other election information, visit MyVote Wisconsin.

Here’s how to get a free photo ID before the Nov. 3 election is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans did not gain any support Wednesday from Democrats as they attempted to advance a bill that mashed together two hot-button midterm issues: requiring voter ID in federal elections and limiting stock trading for members of Congress.

The Republican-led bill, titled the Stop Insider Trading Act, failed 53-47 when lawmakers stayed solidly within party lines for the procedural vote. Most legislation requires 60 votes, or three-fifths of the Senate, to advance.

The House-passed measure attached a voter ID requirement onto a base bill prohibiting members of Congress and their spouses and close family members from purchasing certain stocks, and requiring a public notice and waiting period prior to selling stocks. 

House lawmakers approved the legislative package by a 232-192 margin.

While 13 House Democrats supported the bill, sponsored by Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., despite plenty of criticism, Senate Democrats did not bite.

“The Senate GOP let their counterparts in the House take out all of the ban’s teeth and fill it with poison pills so it could never pass. This bill has no reform, no accountability, no substance,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor prior to the vote Wednesday.

House and Senate Democrats panned the legislation for being a weaker version of other bipartisan bills aimed at stopping members of Congress from potentially profiting off insider knowledge while trading stocks. The issue has drawn support from both parties over the past several years.

“Under (the) Republican bill, members would still get to own and sell stocks. And most importantly, this bill doesn’t do anything – anything – to stop Donald Trump from trading stocks. I guess Republicans forgot that Trump has made nearly 30,000 stock trades in the past year and raked in billions – more than all of Congress combined,” Schumer continued.

The New York Democrat also said the measure “would make voting more difficult in every state than it is now” and described it as “some of the most twisted, radical schemes Trump has ever dreamed up to rig our election.”

ID for voting

Under the measure, a voter would be required to present a current state-issued driver’s license or identification card, passport, valid military or veteran ID, or tribal government-issued ID card to be able to vote. 

If a voter doesn’t have one of the listed physical forms of identification, state election officials could issue a provisional ballot. The voter would then have three days to provide the accepted ID or an affidavit that the voter doesn’t have one because of religious objections to being photographed.

Additionally, state officials would be prohibited from accepting absentee ballots unless the voter attaches a copy of a valid ID, the last four digits of their Social Security number with an affidavit that they cannot obtain a photo ID, or a notarized statement that the voter personally completed their ballot.

‘Commonsense legislation’

Senate Republicans pushed for the bill ahead of the vote, including Nebraska Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who posted Monday on X, “This bill would ban congressional insider trading. We need to pass this commonsense legislation and restore integrity to Congress.” 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, pointed to a Department of Justice indictment announced Wednesday to argue in support of the legislation.

Quoting a post on social media about DOJ allegations that 10 noncitizens voted in a previous election, Lee wrote: “Every Senate Democrat just voted against legislation that would stop this.”

While the DOJ has alleged instances of isolated election-related crimes, widespread voter fraud has never been credibly proven. 

A database published in 2024 by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation surveying millions of votes cast in seven states over decades found reported cases of fraud to be less than 1%, according to an analysis of the results by the progressive Brookings Institution.

A comprehensive body of research has found the practice to be exceedingly rare.