Partisan Politicians Should Not Write Ballot Language Because It Misleads Voters
Source: Eleanor Bartow. "Campaign Slogans Don’t Belong On Ballots." April 21, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
Politicians who control state governments write the descriptions of ballot measures in ways that trick voters into supporting their preferred outcomes. Instead, neutral commissions should write these descriptions and courts should review them to make sure they're fair.
Conclusion
States should prohibit partisan politicians from writing ballot language and instead use bipartisan commissions with expedited court review to ensure neutral, clear ballot descriptions
Premises
- Partisan politicians predictably use flattering verbs and politically charged nouns in ballot language that can mislead voters
- Virginia's current referendum uses misleading language calling Democratic gerrymandering a plan to 'restore fairness' when it would give Republicans only 1 of 11 House seats in a state Trump won 46% of
- Research shows that positively framed language can move undecided voters, giving unfair advantage to whoever controls the ballot language
- Politicized ballot language corrodes public trust by denying voters accurate descriptions of what proposals actually do
- Some states like Michigan, Florida, and Colorado already have laws requiring neutral ballot language with court review, proving this reform is feasible
- Ballot language reform is easier to achieve than redistricting reform because it simply requires translating legal text into plain English without persuasive language
Assumptions
- Voters deserve accurate, unbiased information when making electoral decisions
- The party controlling the legislature will naturally bias ballot language in their favor
- Neutral ballot language leads to more informed and legitimate democratic outcomes
- State supreme courts can effectively review ballot language for neutrality
- Plain English translations of legal text can be achieved without partisan spin