Voters back tougher crime penalties, reject marijuana rollbacks

Sheriff’s deputies walk past voting booths at San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 3, 2026. Voters across 11 states weighed in on criminal justice and drug policies Tuesday, approving tougher bail restrictions and criminal penalties while rejecting efforts to roll back marijuana legalization. (Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)Millions of voters in 11 states approved tougher criminal penalties and more bail restrictions in Tuesday’s midterm elections, while rejecting efforts to roll back marijuana legalization and expand cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The results reflected a mixed approach to criminal justice policy, with voters supporting harsher penalties for certain drug and human trafficking offenses and greater authority for judges to deny bail, even as they resisted other changes to state laws. The measures were among 15 criminal justice and drug policy proposals on ballots in nine states, covering issues ranging from pretrial detention and crime victims’ rights