As of June 23, 2026, 142 statewide ballot measures have been certified for ballots across the United States. This number exceeds the historical average of 115 measures certified by this date in even-numbered years from 2014 through 2024. Overall, an average of 153 statewide measures were certified in full even-numbered years from 2014 through 2024.

Leslie Graves, founder and CEO of Ballotpedia, and Norman Leahy, host of the Ballotpedia program Office Hours, discussed state constitutions on the June 24, 2026, episode of Office Hours.

State constitutions across the U.S. have an average length of approximately 39,000 words. The average state constitution has been amended 130 times. The U.S. Constitution, including its amendments, contains 7,591 words. The Alabama Constitution is the longest state constitution, with approximately 338,000 words; voters ratified its newest version in 2022. The Texas Constitution has been amended 545 times, more than any other state constitution. The Massachusetts Constitution has been amended 121 times and is the oldest state constitution still in effect, having taken effect in 1780.

On average, U.S. states have had between two and three constitutions since achieving statehood. Louisiana has had 11 state constitutions, more than any other state. Twenty states have had only one state constitution since achieving statehood. State legislatures in 49 U.S. states can vote to send constitutional amendments to voters for ratification. Delaware is the only state that does not require voters to approve state constitutional amendments. Eighteen states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

Two states have regular commissions that can refer measures to statewide ballots. In Arizona, a commission refers statutes related to government salaries to the ballot. Florida has the Constitution Revision Commission and the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot. These Florida commissions meet every 20 years. The last time voters decided on convention-referred constitutional amendments was in 1986 in Rhode Island, where voters had approved a constitutional convention question in 1984. That convention referred 14 constitutional amendments to the ballot in 1986.