What’s on your ballot? Here are the measures you could vote into law in 2026

We’re less than a month out from election day during yet another election year. In 2026, it’s a big one, with plenty at stake in all three parts of the DMV.

In addition to the many offices on the ballots — including many state lawmakers and D.C. Council members, the Maryland governor’s race, a U.S. Senate seat in Virginia, and other representatives — it’s very likely you’ll get a say in some state or city laws this year.

Issues on the table include civil rights, women’s health, wages, redistricting, funding issues and more.

Here are the ballot measures and initiatives that voters get a say in this election cycle in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Scroll to find your home and learn what you can vote on with our interactive tool.

D.C. ballot initiatives:

This election cycle, D.C. only has one initiative on the ballot: Initiative 86, also known as the Prohibiting the Force-Feeding of Birds Act.

The proposed law has to do with force-feeding birds to produce luxury food products such as foie gras.

Initiative 86 would ban the dish in D.C. restaurants, with fines up to $5,000. Repeat offenders could even have their licenses suspended or revoked.

Learn more about Initiative 86 here.

The problem is not what’s being served, but how it’s made. News4’s Aimee Cho reports.

Maryland ballot initiatives:

Voters will decide whether to enact three constitutional amendments in Maryland.

One of them is Question 3, that controversial redistricting issue, which was almost removed from the ballot before state Democrats appealed to the Maryland Supreme Court. In a 5-2 decision, the court reworded the question and put it back up to the voters.

As for specific localities near D.C., Montgomery County doesn’t have any local measures for voters this election cycle. Prince George’s County has many.

Virginia ballot initiatives:

Virginia also has three constitutional amendments for voters to decide on. The process for an amendment to get onto the ballot in Virginia is intense, and these three contenders got their start back in January 2025.

There are also quite a few local measures voters will get to decide on, if they live in certain counties or cities.

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