2020 Term Limits Initiative Election Results Across the USA
Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Illinois | Iowa | Michigan
Minnesota | Missouri | North Dakota | New York | Oregon | Texas
It is clear that most term limits initiatives, that make it to a vote of the people, pass overwhelmingly…unless politicians who fear job security mislead the public with deceitful ballot language. This year was no exception. For most of the term limits initiatives at the local level, voters approved implementing stricter term limits by margins upwards of 65%. The two major disappointments were statewide initiatives in Missouri and Arkansas.
In Arkansas, state legislators hijacked the people’s initiative to assure only the politician’s “lifetime terms” amendment made the ballot. They deliberately deceived the voters into gutting term limits with misleading ballot language. Despite that, the measure only passed by roughly 10 percentage points, indicating that many voters caught on to the deception. Regardless, the politicians came out victorious and may now hold office for what amounts to a lifetime.
The biggest lesson to learn from watching the proposal process is that, if term limits are on the ballot, and not worded to deceive, the measure will overwhelmingly. The untold story here is that many, many more cities and municipalities proposed term limits measures that never made it to the ballot. If it doesn’t make the ballot, it can’t be voted on and can’t pass. Therefore, grassroots efforts need to focus on getting term limits on the ballot in the first place whether it be through a citizen’s initiative or through convincing the legislature to make the proposal.
Alaska
Palmer: Resolution 20-010 limited the terms of Mayor and Council members to three three-year terms and no more than six three-year terms if serving consecutively as a Council Member and Mayor applicable to the Mayor and Council members first elected in 2021 and elected thereafter.
No 18.33 %
Term Limits win
Arizona
Foothills: This measure in foothills established two two-year term limits for board members. The reformers scored a major victory as property owners approved a series of HOA bylaw changes 1,271-411.
No 24.50 %
Term Limits win
Arkansas
Arkansas Issue 2: Eliminated lifetime term limits for Arkansas legislators, allowing them to “serve” until they die with occasional short breaks. The politicians in the legislature co-opted our amendment name in an effort to rollback legislative term limits in order to trick voters into thinking it was the citizens’ initiative.
No 44.6%
Term Limits loss
California
Camarillo City
Measure M: Camarillo city council members are now restricted to a lifetime term limit of two four-year terms. A petition drive was run by Camarillo Citizens for Term Limits (Facebook Page: bit.ly/2O19tFb) that largely helped pass this measure.
No 42.77%
Term Limits win
Chico City
Measure S: Section 401 of the Chico City Charter was amended to limit city council members to no more than three terms.
No 31%
Term Limits win
Corona
Measure Y: After Measure Y was passed city council members are only allowed to serve three terms in one’s lifetime versus an unlimited amount.
No 16.41 %
Term Limits win
El Rancho: El Rancho unified voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to limit board members to serving only two consecutive terms. After terming out, board members must wait another four years before they can run for office again, the new law says.
No 33.0 %
Term Limits win
Hughson
Measure V: Measure V authorized the term of mayor to be four years.
No 42.27%
Term Limits win
Indian Wells: Indian Wells, CA. By a 62% majority, on March 3 Indian Wells voters passed Measure J to replace the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms on city council members with a lifetime limit of two terms.
No 38 %
Term Limits win
Los Gatos
Measure B: Required that after serving two 4-year terms, a town council member is not eligible to run for the town council or to be appointed to a vacancy unless a period of four years has elapsed since their last service on town council.
No 16.93 %
Term Limits win
Oceanside
Measure K: Enacted term limits for the offices of city council and mayor of three four-year terms, regardless of whether the terms are consecutive or not.
No 17.39%
Term Limits win
Oxnard: This initiative established (3) consecutive 4 year terms for the Oxnard city council.
No 18 %
Term Limits loss
Roseville
Measure K: This measure amended the city charter to establish that a partial term of less than two years does not count towards a council member’s term limit, but a combination of an appointment to a vacant seat and an election that exceeds two years together will count as a term
No 29.36%
Term Limits win
Measure L: This measure amended the city charter to establish a system for appointing a vice-mayor and mayor through the by-district elections for city council and determine that the term limit for each individual will be two years as vice-mayor followed by two years as mayor.
No 23.90%
Term Limits win
San Bernardino County
Measure K: This measure restricted County supervisors to a total of three four-year terms.
No 32.38 %
Term Limits win
San Clemente
Measure BB: City council term limits are restricted to two consecutive four-year terms and the ability to only serve as a city council member again after at least two years off city council.
No 28.19 %
Term Limits win
Santee County
Measure Q: Measure Q enacts a lifetime 12-year total limits (three four-year terms) for elected officials, including city council and mayoral terms combined. Measure Q and Measure R were put on the ballot as competing measures.
No 35.28 %
Term Limits win
Measure R: Measure R enacts a lifetime of three-term term limits for the office of the city council and separate lifetime two-term limits for the office of mayor. Measure R and Measure Q were put on the ballot as competing measures.
No 33.11 %
Term Limits win
South Bay Union School District
Measure X: Measure X established term limits for school board members of three terms.
No 13.08 %
Term Limits win
Suisun City
Measure Q: Measure Q established four-term lifetime limits for the Mayor and City council of Suisun city.
No 23.12 %
Term Limits win
Westminster
Measure DD: Measure DD established term limits of three four-year terms for city council members and the mayor.
No 23.19%
Term Limits win
Colorado
Boulder
Measure 2E: Measure 2E calls for the voters to elect a mayor during odd-year elections for two-year terms, starting in November 2023, through instant runoff voting. The measure also proposed term limits for the mayor — eight years maximum, or three terms on council and four years as mayor.
No 21.6 %
Term Limits win
Moffat County: The Moffat County Sheriff term limits are extended from three to four terms.
No 44.7 %
Term Limits loss
Rio Blanco: The County Commission in Rio Blanco is only allowed two consecutive terms.
No 31.63 %
Term Limits win
Florida
Belleair Beach: This amendment prohibits council members and the mayor from holding office for more than two consecutive terms.
No 9%
Term Limits win
Graceville City: This initiative enacts term limits, specific election and qualification dates, checks and balances for the City of Graceville.
No 65.5 %
Term Limits loss
Loxahatchee Groves: Loxahatchee Groves, FL. On March 17, by 83% to 17% voters here approved a measure to limit council members to two consecutive three-year terms and to limit a council member’s service as mayor to two consecutive one-year terms.
No 17 %
Term Limits win
South Pasedena
No. 1 Charter Amendment: By 50.75% to 49.25%, they passed the No. 1 Charter Amendment to change the length of an individual term for city commissioners from three years to four years.
No 49.25 %
Term Limits win
No. 2 Charter Amendment: By 73% to 27%, voters passed the No. 2 Charter Amendment to create a separate term limits for the mayor and commissioners, which means that a commissioner who has reached his term limit can then run for mayor.
No 27%
Term Limits loss
Stuart: Passed by 1,852-1,807 vote, which will extend terms from two to four years and limit terms to 12 consecutive years for city commissioners.
No 49.4%
Term Limits win
Georgia
Dekalb: Brookhaven voters denied to extend term limits for their city’s mayor, keeping the limit at two consecutive four-year terms.
No 55.1%
Term Limits win
Stonecrest: No person shall serve more than two consecutive full terms as mayor or as a council member. A person serving a partial term shall not constitute a full term… A person who has served two consecutive full terms as mayor or as a councilmember shall be eligible for the office of mayor or councilmember following the intervening of a full four-year term.
No 3%
Term Limits win
Hawaii
Honolulu: In late January, the Honolulu city council unanimously referred a measure to the November ballot asking voters to limit the office to two consecutive four-year terms, which is the same term limit to which the mayor and city council members are subject. Passed.
No 15.20%
Term Limits win
Maui: Established stricter term limits for council members by limiting the number of terms a person may serve as a council member to five two-year terms.
No 25.5%
Term Limits win
Maui: Under this charter amendment, the mayor is restricted to no more than two, four-year terms.
No 27.9 %
Term Limits win
Iowa
West Liberty: In early Nov. 2019, voters in West Liberty Iowa chose to narrow term limits down from six years to four years for trustees. Voters decided they wanted to reduce the term limits to four years. That referendum passed with 88.54% of the vote.
No 11.46 %
Term Limits win
Illinois
Calumet Park: 87% of Calumet Park voters approved an advisory question to limit local officeholders to three consecutive four-year terms.
No 13 %
Term Limits win
Kearney: Voters who cast their ballots in Kearney city limits overwhelmingly said they do not want aldermen to have four-year term limits by voting against the ballot question with 72.75% of the nearly 1,000 ballots cast.
No 72.5 %
Term Limits win
Lynwood: On March 17, 2020, 81% of voters approved a ballot question limiting local officials to two consecutive four-year terms.
No 19%
Term Limits win
Orlando Park: Terms of office for those persons elected to the offices of Village President, Village Trustee and Village Clerk in the Village of Orland Park at the April 6, 2021 Consolidated Election and at each election for any of such offices thereafter, limited such that no person so elected may serve more than three (3) full four (4) year terms in the same office.
No 21%
Term Limits win
Rolling Meadows: Voters in the city decided during the Illinois primary election that aldermen will no longer be able to serve more than two consecutive terms.
No 23.09 %
Term Limits win
Missouri
Missouri Amendment 1: This amendment would extend the two term restriction that currently applies to the Governor and Treasurer to the Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor and the Attorney General. It did not pass.
No 51.70 %
Term Limits loss
Havre de Grace: In this initiative, voting yes changed the mayors term limit from 2 to 3 years.
No 37.80 %
Term Limits loss
Michigan
Warren: The number of terms a mayor can serve decreased from five four-year terms (20 years) “back to the original term limit of three terms or 12 years, whichever is greater.” This means five four-year terms back to three four-year terms.
No 32 %
Term Limits win
Minnesota
Bemidji: Candidates addressed the topic of potentially extending mayoral term limits to four years instead of two. All except Henningsgaard indicated they were open to extending the term limit. The issue will be on the ballot in November for Bemidjians to decide.
No 45.0%
Term Limits loss
Cape Girardeau City Council: The City Council will have the term limits discussion when it next meets at 5 p.m. Sept. 8, a day later than usual because of Labor Day. 2 terms proposed.
No %
Term Limits undecided
North Dakota
Minot: This ordinance caps council members service at three terms. Rejected 2-5.
No 71.4 %
Term Limits loss
New York
Suffolk County: Suffolk County legislators approved asking voters to double their terms from two years to four years Tuesday night, in an action split down party lines. The measure, Legis. Samuel Gonzalez (D-Brentwood) said, would have to be endorsed by voters in a ballot measure in November.
No 70.56 %
Term Limits win
Westchester County: The Westchester County executive term limits were reduced from 12 to 8yrs.
Term Limits win
Yates County: The Yates County Legislature approved putting a proposed law in front of county residents which, if enacted, would extend county legislature term limits from two years to four years during the Monday, June 8 remote monthly meeting. Approved in a 10-4 vote, the question of whether term limits should be expanded will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot and can only be implemented if voters approve the measure.
No 45.65%
Term Limits win
Oregon
Beaverton: The councilors and the mayor will be limited to three consecutive four-year terms in office for their respective positions.
Wilsonville : Prevents Wilsonville City councilors form serving more than 12 years in a 20- year period.
No 37 %
Term Limits win
Texas
Amarillo: A city charter subcommittee is currently discussing presenting the city council with recommendations for the charter amendment election, including changing the frequency of the city council’s meetings, the terms of elected officials, term limits, and compensation for elected officials. This term limits issue was defeated which would have extended terms of the mayor and council members by two years.
No 51.63 %
Term Limits win
Brownsville: A city charter subcommittee is currently discussing presenting the city council with recommendations for the charter amendment election, including changing the frequency of the city council’s meetings, the terms of elected officials, term limits, and compensation for elected officials. This term limits issue was defeated which would have extended terms of the mayor and council members by two years.
No 51.63 %
Term Limits win
Welasco
Proposition B: This measure lengthens the terms of the commissioners and mayor from three years to the statutory maximum of four — goes into effect immediately. In effect, the mayors and commissioners who were not up for election this year have now gained another year in office.
No 15 %
Term Limits loss
Wisconsin
Madison: More than 70% of voters favored implementing term limits on City Council members. They additionally favored keeping terms at a length of 2 years instead of 4.
No 29 %
Term Limits win