November Referendums – Eyes Open

Eyes open! As we approach November 4, with 24 ballot initiatives in five states, guidance by old conservatives – like Edmund Burke – are front of mind. They are worth remembering. Nutshell version : This counts!

First, a quick look at the big ballot initiatives. Voters will turn out in five states to decide 24 ballot initiatives, with some states only considering one, others more. Earlier in 2025, three states – Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin – voted on six others, with two passing, four failing.

In California, “Proposition 50” will test issues tied to redistricting, while in Colorado the big issue is funding for “healthy” meals, in Texas “denial of bail for certain sexual offenses,” parental rights, citizenship voting requirements, and stopping some taxes are all on the ballot.

Meanwhile on the East Coast, New York has multiple questions, one relating to having city elections only on even years, three tied back to expedited housing and land use.

Finally, Maine has two big questions – the first Voter ID, which many hope will pass despite intentionally obscure language from the secretary of state who threw Trump off the ballot, and the second “red flag” gun laws, which would shockingly allow gun confiscation without due process. 

God willing, these two go “yes” on question one, which means voter ID required, and “no” on question two, which would block the state from preemptive gun confiscation.

Interestingly, while all – especially in Maine and Texas – are important, the Democrat State Chairman in Maine indicated that requiring Voter ID question, with minimal changes to other voting regulations, could cost Democrats an estimated 13,000 votes in future elections.

Interesting. While Democrats link this to modest changes in absentee voting, the reality is – what a confession! In a State with up to 8000 illegal aliens, and the admission by the secretary of state of illegals on current voter rolls, that should motivate many to vote “yes” for Voter ID.

On the second question, in a state which highly prizes gun rights, the idea that a liberal – really leftist – minority could tip the balance against gun owners is unsettling. God willing, it goes “no.”

Taken together, these are issues on which voters – if they care about rights in their respective states – need to turn out and vote. The lesson over and over is – turn out to vote, or lose the rights.

This where Edmund Burke’s voice echoes down through the centuries, this gutsy supporter of American liberty, when doing so might have cost him his life back in merry old England.

One of Burke’s most famous cautions is this one: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

But his wisdom expanded to multiple books, like Reflections on the French Revolution  – some thoughts short and compelling. Another for just now might be these:  “Those who do not know history, are doomed to repeat it” and “Liberty does not exist in the absence of morality.”

Two which may only indirectly relate to many of these pending referendum questions, yet are significant, are his observations that “Whatever disunites man from God also disunites man from man” and “Education is the cheap defense of nations.” Taken together, conservative ideas help protect republics, and – in this cycle – we may also hope protect states. Eyes open!

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!