Democratic and Republican governors take unprecedented steps to protect state ballot measures from international influence.
According to Just The News, Kansas, Kentucky, and Wyoming have enacted groundbreaking legislation in 2025 to prohibit foreign nationals from funding ballot measure campaigns, following Ohio's pioneering ban last year.
The legislative actions come amid growing concerns over reports that nonprofits receiving foreign funding have been actively involved in ballot initiative campaigns across multiple states. This development has particularly focused attention on organizations like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has invested $130 million in ballot measures across 26 states since 2014.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, allowed House Bill 2106 to become law without her signature last Monday, despite expressing reservations about its scope. The law prohibits knowingly accepting contributions from foreign nationals, either directly or indirectly, for ballot measure campaigns.
Kelly's decision reflects the complex balance between protecting election integrity and maintaining open democratic processes. She argued that while she supports preventing foreign influence in elections, the bill's broad scope could potentially affect legitimate Kansas businesses with international connections.
The Honest Elections Project Action's executive director, Jason Snead, praised the Kansas legislature's decision. He emphasized that the state has emerged as a national leader in election integrity by implementing these protective measures.
Ohio became the first state to implement such restrictions in June, establishing a comprehensive framework for preventing foreign interference in ballot initiatives. The law extends beyond the voting phase to include the signature-gathering period for ballot measures.
The legislation faced immediate legal challenges from the Elias Law Group, a Democratic election law firm. A federal judge initially blocked the law's enforcement in August, citing First Amendment concerns for legal permanent residents.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose revealed that his office had discovered evidence of foreign nationals channeling hundreds of millions of dollars through 501(c) entities to influence constitutional ballot issues in 2023. This discovery strengthened the argument for implementing stricter controls.
Kentucky's Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 45 into law on March 24th, making it the third state to implement such restrictions. The legislation specifically targets foreign nationals' ability to influence ballot measures through direct donations or solicitation of contributions.
Wyoming's law, signed by Governor Mark Gordon on March 6th, takes a comprehensive approach. It requires political action committees to certify they haven't knowingly accepted foreign donations and establishes strict reporting requirements.
Americans For Public Trust executive director Caitlin Sutherland emphasized the significance of closing the foreign funding loophole. She noted that ballot initiative campaigns had previously served as an entry point for foreign megadonors to influence American politics.
Four states have now established barriers against foreign influence in ballot measure campaigns, marking a significant shift in election integrity measures. Ohio initiated this trend in 2024, followed by Wyoming, Kentucky, and Kansas in 2025. These legislative actions address concerns about foreign influence while establishing new standards for campaign finance in state-level democratic processes. The laws specifically target a gap in federal regulations that previously left ballot initiatives vulnerable to foreign funding.
