On Tuesday, millions of Americans will go to the polls to choose the next president of the United States. But former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris aren’t the only ones on the ballot: third-party candidates and countless local races and issues will also be voted on.
Residents in five states will be able to choose whether minimum wage workers will get a raise this Election Day. States with wage increases on the ballot include Alaska, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Missouri.
Depending on the outcome of the vote, the statewide minimum wage could be set at $18 an hour in California. In contrast, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 and has not changed since 2009.
For more than a decade, labor unions and advocacy groups have called for the minimum wage to be raised to at least $15. The Fight for $15 movement began in 2012 in response to the fact that many service workers were unable to cover basic needs such as food, rent and child care. Violent opposition prevented the movement from achieving success at the national level. Opponents argue that raising the minimum wage so high would lead to job losses and higher-than-normal inflation.
Raising the minimum wage had much greater success at the state level, where residents could vote directly on the measures. Five states are putting that strategy to the test Tuesday.
5 states will vote on minimum wage in 2024
Voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and Missouri will have direct say on their state’s minimum wage. Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake.
Alaska
The current minimum hourly wage in Alaska is $11.73. The ballot, officially titled Ballot No. 1, will ask voters whether they want to increase that amount to $15 by July 2027. Additionally, the measure would provide some workers with the opportunity to accrue up to 56 hours (seven days) of paid sick leave. vacation per year.
Arizona
The Arizona proposal will actually be below Businesses with a minimum wage are required to pay tipped workers.
Currently, the minimum wage for non-tipped workers in Arizona is $14.35. For tipped workers, the minimum wage is complex and could become even more complex. Currently, businesses can pay tipped workers $11.35 an hour as long as their take-home pay (including tips) is at least $14.35. If Arizona Proposition 138 passes, employers would be allowed to pay tipped workers $10.77 an hour—as long as they earn the minimum wage plus $2 an hour (or $16.35 currently).
A separate ballot initiative sought to raise the minimum wage to $18, but the group leading the initiative withdrew in August amid a legal battle that challenged many of the signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot.
Arizona’s minimum wage is already tied to inflation. Starting in 2025, it should rise to $14.70.
California
California, already known for its high wages, could once again raise wages for its lowest-paid workers. The ballot measure, known as Proposition 32, asks voters whether the state’s minimum wage—currently $16 in most cases—should rise to $18 by 2026, after which it would automatically increase based on inflation trends .
If Proposition 32 passes, the minimum wage would first rise to $17 through the end of 2024 and into 2025. That would give California the highest minimum wage in the U.S., ahead of Washington, which offers a starting wage of $16.28.
As of April, all fast food workers in California earn at least $20 an hour.
Massachusetts
The state’s ballot proposal, called Question 5, could increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to match that of non-tipped workers, gradually increasing each year until 2029, when they would be the same. Today, the minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15 for most workers and $6.25 for tipped workers.
Missouri
Missouri voters will be able to choose whether to raise the minimum wage first to $13.75 in 2025 and eventually to $15 in 2026, up from $12.30 today.
Starting in 2027, the minimum wage will change depending on inflation trends.
Proposition A would also require employers to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked—and offer workers at least seven days of paid sick leave per year (or five days for small employers).
Oklahoma
A proposal to increase Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2026 was scheduled to appear on the ballot this Election Day. But in September, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt moved the initiative to 2026, which must be decided during the state’s general election.
Increase min. wages up to $15 by 2027 plus up to 56 hours of paid sick leave per year
$14.35 ($11.35 for tipped workers)
Below min. salaried employers must pay tipped workers ($11.35 to $10.77) if the worker’s hourly earnings, including tips, are $14.35 or more.
Increase min. wages to $18 by 2027, after which they will automatically rise with inflation.
$15 ($6.25 for tipped workers)
Increase min. no tip. salary corresponding to the usual min. wages by 2029
$12.30 ($6.15 for tipped workers)
Increase min. wages initially to $13.75 by 2025, then to $15 in 2026.
What about the federal minimum wage?
The federal minimum wage of $7.25 has not changed in 15 years, and it cannot be determined directly by voters, as can be done at the state level. Instead, it must be amended by an act of Congress and signed by the President.
Twenty states have a minimum wage of $7.25, according to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which tracks the minimum wage. Most states set the minimum wage at at least $10.50.
During the campaign, neither Harris nor Trump focused much on the federal minimum wage, although Harris’ stated economic proposals include fighting to “raise the minimum wage, end sub-minimum wages for tipped workers and people with disabilities, and also the abolition of taxes.” about tips for service and hospitality workers.”
Harris did not specify how high she thinks the minimum wage should be.
During a campaign event at McDonald’s in October, Trump was asked whether the minimum wage should be raised after he spent part of the day handing out fries at the eatery.
“Well, I think this: these people work hard. They’re great,” Trump responded. “These (McDonald’s) franchises create a lot of jobs, and they have great, great people working here too.”
While Trump has not made clear his views on the federal minimum wage, he has made eliminating the tip income tax for service workers a major policy proposal aimed at the working class.
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