Ballot Candy

“Ballot candy” is a popular item that’s added to a ballot issue in order to pass a less popular item.

The term was originally coined in MOScout.  In November 2018, I wrote about Republicans strategizing to pass a new constitutional amendment after CLEAN Missouri passed. “This issue is a shrugger to your average voter, so Republicans will look to do what Dems did – add some ballot candy to the proposal.”

CLEAN Missouri changed the redistricting process.  The ballot candy was a $5 limit on lobbyist gifts to legislators.  Republicans put a reversal of the redistricting process on the ballot with the ballot candy of an absolute ban on lobbyist gifts.