For all the talk of bitterness, polarization and division in what turned out to be an electoral muddle, voters in red and blue states across the nation united on Nov. 6 in their decisive support of term limits in both small-town and statewide referenda.
We’ve uncovered 91 jurisdictions so far where term limits appeared on the ballot – either calling for new limits or defending existing ones from politicians’ attacks – and term limits won in 88, or 97%, of them.
As lopsided as it is, even this figure obscures the magnitude of the victory for term limits nationwide. After all, victories included voters establishing 8-year term limits in Florida’s mammoth Miami-Dade County, Nebraska voters statewide fending off a legislative attack on their popular 8-year term limits law, and school board term limits being established in 67 Louisiana parishes in 67 separate referenda. Losses were limited to term limits being lifted on the coroner and sheriff in Delta County, Colorado, and weakening existing city council term limits in Hammond, Louisiana.
The election results conform with election results in 2010 and 2008 as well as recent national polling suggesting that some 70-83 percent of Americans support term limits on their elected officials.
These are the referenda we were following this year. If you know of any others please let us know and we’ll update the list.
BROOKSVILLE, FL -- Weaken 8-year term city council limits
28% YES
72% NO -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
BUELLTON, CA -- Place term limits on city council
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%
CANFIELD CITY, OH -- Place term limits on city council
YES 61% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 39%
CANFIELD CITY, OH -- Places term limits on mayor
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 42%
WEST VIRGINIA (STATEWIDE) -- Repeal sheriff term limits
YES 47%
NO 53% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
COLUMBIA COUNTY, GA -- Places 8-year term limits on county commission
YES 86% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 14%
DELTA COUNTY, CO -- Repeal sheriff term limits
YES 73% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 27%
DELTA COUNTY, CO -- Repeal coronor term limits
YES 81% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 19%
DUNEDIN, FL -- Places 8-year term limits on mayor and city council
YES 70% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 30%
EL PASO COUNTY, CO -- Restoring 8-year county commission term limits, reverses deceptive 2010 referenda
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 42%
HAMMOND, LA -- Adds an additional term for city council
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 42%
HERMOSA CLIFF, CO -- Repeal term limits for board of directors
YES 47%
NO 53% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
JOHNSTOWN, RI -- Places 8-year term limits on mayor
YES 72% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 28%
KETTERING, OH -- Places 8-year term limits on city council, mayor
YES 62% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 38%
KNOX COUNTY, TN -- Conforms commission district and commission at large seats under
term limits law
YES 86% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 14%
LOMBARD, IL -- Places term limits on all village officers
YES 81% -- TERM LIMITS WIN
NO 19%
LOUSIANA (67 individual districts) -- Places term limits on local school boards
YES 70-85% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 15-30%
MANSFIELD, OH -- Abolishes term limits for elected officials
YES 72%
NO 73% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL -- Establish 8-year county commission term limits
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%
NEBRASKA (STATEWIDE) -- Add extra term for state senators
YES 35%
NO 65% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
OAKRIDGE, OR -- Places 8-year term limits on city council
YES 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 29%
SAN JOAQUIN, CA -- Allow for a third term for Board of Supervisors
YES 41%
NO 59% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
SANTA ANA, CA -- Place 8-year term limits on city mayor
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%
THOUSAND OAKS, CA -- Places term limits on the city council
YES 78% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 22%
TINLEY PARK, IL -- Advisory Measure to term limit village board
YES 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 28%
