Minimum wage ballot measures were certified to appear on the November ballots in five states. The measures in all five states were approved by voters.
The Illinois measure is an advisory question posed to the voters by the Illinois General Assembly, asking if the minimum wage should be raised. The measures in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota are all citizen initiatives that would amend state statutes to provide for minimum wage increases. The South Dakota measure, if approved, would also increase tipped wages.
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State
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Measure/Type
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Details
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Alaska
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Ballot Measure 3
- Initiative to amend state statutes
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Proposes a two-step increase to the state’s minimum wage, which is currently $7.75. Would increase to $8.75 effective Jan. 1, 2015, and to $9.75 effective Jan. 1, 2016. In subsequent years, the state minimum wage would be automatically adjusted based on inflation or remain $1 higher than the federal minimum wage, whichever is greater. (Passed - Yes votes: 68.7% unofficial)
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Arkansas
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Initiative 5
- Initiative to amend state statutes
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Proposes a three-step increase to the state’s minimum wage: to $7.50 effective Jan. 1, 2015, to $8 effective Jan. 1, 2016, and to $8.50 effective Jan. 1, 2017. (Passed - Yes votes: 65.7% unofficial)
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Illinois
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Minimum Wage Increase Referendum Act
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The measure is an advisory question put on the ballot by the legislature. It asks voters whether they support increasing the state minimum wage to $10 by Jan. 1, 2015. (Passed - Yes votes: 66.8% unofficial)
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Nebraska
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Initiative 425
- Initiative to amend state statutes
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Proposes a two-step increase in the state’s minimum wage: to $8 effective Jan. 1, 2015 and to $9 effective Jan. 1, 2016. (Passed - Yes votes: 59.2% unofficial)
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South Dakota
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Initiated Measure 18
- Initiative to amend state statutes
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Proposes to increase the state’s minimum wage to $8.50 effective Jan. 1, 2015, and provides for automatic annual increases in subsequent years, based on inflation. The measure also includes a raise to the state’s tip credit, from $2.13 to $4.25. (Passed - Yes votes: 54.0% unofficial)
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Sources: Ballotpedia, state web sites, news reports.