Voters in Toledo, Ohio defeated Issue 19, a charter amendment that would have made the amendment process consistent with the process in the Ohio Constitution.

The Amendment would have also reduced the number of signatures required for an elector to initiate an ordinance or referendum from 12% to 7% of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for mayor at the most recent general municipal election.

The Amendment would have also increased the term limit for mayor from two to three consecutive terms.

The Amendment would have also increased the limit for contracts or purchases can be made without authorization by appropriate legislation from $10,000 to $25,000.

Missouri voters defeated a constitutional amendment that would have extended term limits currently applicable to the governor and treasurer to all statewide elected officials.

The failure of the amendment does not affect the term limits currently applicable to the governor and treasurer under Article IV, Section 17 of the Constitution.

Namely, that no person shall be elected governor or treasurer more than twice, and no person who has held the office of governor or treasurer, or acted as governor or treasurer, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected to the office of governor or treasurer shall be elected to the office of governor or treasurer more than once.

The amendment needed to receive a majority of votes to pass and as of Wednesday morning was defeated by only 4% with 98% of the votes counted.

On November 3, voters in New Mexico approved a constitutional amendment to allow the legislature to adjust the term of a state, county, or district officer.

House Joint Resolution 8, or Amendment 2, allows the legislature to adjust the term of a state, county, or district officer to align or stagger the election of officers for a particular state, county, or district office throughout the state.

Additionally, the amendment will clarify that officers elected to fill a vacancy in office must take office on the first day of January following their election.

The amendment became effective upon voter approval.

As of 7:00 a.m. November 4, with 96% of the precincts reporting, the amendment passed 64% to 35.7%.

On November 3, voters in Arkansas approved a constitutional amendment to impose term limits for state legislators.

Issue 2 creates term limits of 12 consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break.

Arkansas previously had a 16-year lifetime term limit for state legislators.

The 12-year limit will apply to anyone elected in 2021 or after.

Those first elected to the legislature before 2021 will keep the state’s existing term limit of 16 years, but they will be eligible to run for election again after four years.

As of 7:00 a.m. November 4, with more than 95% of the precincts reporting, the amendment passed 55.4% to 44.6%.

Voters in the November 3 election will decide whether the Honolulu prosecuting attorney should be limited to two consecutive four-year terms.

Honolulu City Council members voted unanimously on January 29 to add the measure to the 2020 election ballot.

Voters last addressed a potential term limit on the prosecutor in 2016.

That year, citizens voted down a measure that would have established a three-year term limit for the prosecuting attorney, the mayor and council members.

On January 3, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to impose term limits on members of Congress. The amendment would limit Senators to two six-year terms and House members to three two-year terms.

In a press release, Cruz states, “The time is now for Congress, with the overwhelming support of the American people, to submit this constitutional amendment to the states for speedy ratification.”

The election of a person filling a vacancy in the House would be counted as one term if the person fills the vacancy for more than one year. In the Senate, the vacancy would have to be filled for more than three years to be counted.

Voters passed a constitutional amendment on the November 4 ballot to extend term limits for state lawmakers in exchange for strict ethics laws for lobbyists and corporations.

The Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency, and Financial Reform Amendment of 2014 bans corporate and union contributions to political campaigns, prohibits gifts from lobbyists to legislative and executive officials, and extends term limits for legislators to at least 16 years.

The new provision allows lawmakers to serve 16 years in the same office, or even longer for senators winning special two-year terms after each decennial census and redistricting process.

The amendment is effective today, November 5, 2014.