There are nine states that authorize indirect initiatives, either statutes or constitutional amendments, where citizen-proposed ballot measures are first presented to state legislatures. Between 2018 and 2025, 40 indirect initiatives were certified to state legislatures. Ten were approved by state legislatures, while 17 were approved and 13 were rejected by voters.
For the 2026 ballot, there are 12 indirect initiated state statutes pending before state legislatures—one in Maine and 11 in Massachusetts as of March 25. The Maine State Legislature has until the end of the legislative session, April 15, to pass the statute. If the legislature approves the initiative and the governor approves it, the measure becomes law. If the legislature does not approve the initiative, or if the governor vetoes the measure, it goes to voters for approval.
Since 2018, there have been eight indirect initiated state statutes in Maine certified to the state legislature. They were all sent to voters, who approved six and rejected two.
The Massachusetts State Legislature has until May 6 (the first Wednesday in May of the election year) to pass the statute. If no action is taken, proponents must collect a second round of signatures equal to 0.5% of the votes cast in the prior gubernatorial election (12,429 signatures).
Between 2018 and 2025, 11 indirect initiated state statutes have been certified to the state legislature in Massachusetts. Similar to Maine, no action was taken by the legislature, so the initiatives were sent to voters. Six were approved, and five were defeated.
States with indirect initiated state statutes include:
Massachusetts also allows for indirect initiated constitutional amendments, where 25% of the legislature in two joint sessions must approve the amendment to send it to the ballot. The petition can also be amended by a 75% vote of the legislature. The state legislature also has the power to place an alternative measure alongside the proposed amendment via a simple majority vote.
The indirect process varies from state to state and between indirect statutes and indirect constitutional amendments. By comparison, a direct initiative goes to the ballot after signatures are verified.
In 2018, the Michigan State Legislature approved three indirect initiatives related to repealing the state prevailing wages law, increasing the state minimum wage to $12, and requiring employers to provide paid sick leave. In the case of the prevailing wages law, then-Gov. Rick Snyder (R) opposed the initiative, but since indirect initiatives cannot be vetoed in Michigan, the legislature passed the measure without his signature.
The Michigan State Legislature passed the other two initiatives in September 2018 and then enacted amendments to the statutes in December of that same year. Michigan One Fair Wage and Michigan Time to Care, the campaigns behind the indirect initiatives, sued the state. Plaintiffs described the legislative amendments as an adopt-and-amend tactic that violated Section 9 of Article 2 of the Michigan Constitution. Defendants argued that nothing prohibited the legislature from amending enacted indirect initiatives. In July 2024, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that adopt-and-amend was unconstitutional and ordered the original initiatives to go into effect with adjusted timelines.
In 2021, the Michigan legislature approved an indirect initiative that repealed the Emergency Powers of Governor Act, also known as Public Act 302 (PA 302) of 1945. At the time, Michigan was a divided state with a Republican-controlled legislature and a Democratic governor.
In 2018, the Alaska State Legislature passed a bill related to state legislative oversight and per diem limits similar enough to a qualified initiative that it precluded an election on the measure. The Alaska State Legislature also approved a 2022 bill that was nearly identical to an initiative certified to the state legislature that provided for formal state recognition of federally recognized American Indian tribes in Alaska.
The four other indirect initiatives were approved by the Washington State Legislature in 2019 and 2024. The 2019 initiative authorized the state to implement affirmative action without using quotas or preferential treatment and created the Governor's Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The 2024 initiatives addressed police vehicular pursuits, parental rights related to education and medical services, and a ban on state income tax.
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