In four states—Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska—campaigns submitted signatures for ballot initiatives that would limit legislative changes to the initiative process. Voters could decide the measures in Nov. 2026.
Each of the 26 states with a citizen initiative and referendum process has laws governing how the process operates and the state legislature’s role in it. These laws address legislative alteration, or when lawmakers repeal or amend voter-approved initiatives; signature requirements and collection periods; the vote required to approve initiated measures; and judicial review of ballot measures.
The four proposed measures would limit the state legislature’s role in the citizen initiative process or restrict lawmakers' ability to make certain changes to that process.
In Arkansas, the Protect AR Rights campaign submitted signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit the state legislature’s authority over the citizen initiative and referendum process. The amendment would prohibit lawmakers from passing laws that interfere with the initiative process or amending voter-approved constitutional amendments, and it would require a two-thirds vote to amend initiated statutes. On July 3, the campaign submitted 108,837 signatures to the secretary of state’s office; 90,704 valid signatures are required for the measure to qualify for the ballot.
In Missouri, Respect MO Voters submitted signatures for a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the state legislature from “weakening citizens’ initiative or referendum powers.” The amendment defines this to include increasing signature thresholds, shortening signature-gathering periods, restricting subject matter, limiting judicial review of ballot language, imposing additional requirements on petitioners, or requiring more than a simple majority for approval. It would also prohibit lawmakers from changing a voter-approved initiative unless at least 80% of both the House and Senate vote to refer the proposed change to voters. On May 3, the campaign filed 367,000 signatures; 170,215 valid signatures are required to qualify for the ballot.
Missouri voters will first decide Amendment 4 on Aug. 4. If approved, it would require citizen-initiated constitutional amendments to receive majority approval statewide and in each congressional district, making Missouri the first state with such a requirement. Because the requirement would take effect before the November election, the Respect MO Voters amendment would need to meet both thresholds to pass.
In Montana, voters may decide a constitutional amendment that would add the initiative and referendum power to the state’s Declaration of Rights. The amendment would provide that the government may not deny or burden that right unless doing so serves a compelling government interest through the least restrictive means. It would also guarantee “impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes” for proposing, qualifying, and submitting ballot issues to voters without government interference or the use of government resources to support or oppose a measure. On June 19, supporters filed more than 100,000 signatures to qualify the amendment for the ballot.
Montana voters may decide on a constitutional amendment that would add the initiative and referendum power to the state’s Declaration of Rights. This would amend the constitution to read “The government may not deny or burden [the right to initiative and referendum] unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means … This right guarantees impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes for proposing a ballot issue, qualifying a ballot issue for the ballot, and submitting a ballot issue to the qualified electors without interference from the government or the use of government resources to support or oppose the ballot issue.” On June 19, more than 100,000 signatures were filed to place this amendment on the ballot.
In Nebraska, voters may decide an amendment that would require a four-fifths legislative vote to change, impair, or repeal an approved ballot initiative. It would also require changes to the initiative process to be approved by four-fifths of state legislators and "to advance a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means." On July 2, more than 186,000 signatures were filed to place the measure on the ballot.
In 2026, there are also five legislatively referred ballot measures on the ballot in November, as well as one already approved in North Dakota in June, that modify the citizen initiative process. This includes:
- North Dakota Constitutional Measure 1 (June 2026): This amendment created a single-subject requirement for initiated constitutional amendments and legislatively referred constitutional amendments. This amendment was approved by voters on June 9, 2026.
- Idaho HJR 4: This amendment remove the ability for citizens to initiate state statutes to legalize marijuana or narcotics, and provide that only the state legislature has that authority.
- Missouri Amendment 4: This amendment would require voter approval of citizen-initiated constitutional amendments in each congressional district, rather than statewide, and prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to ballot measure campaigns, among other provisions.
- North Dakota Constitutional Measure 1 (November 2026): This amendment would require constitutional amendments, including citizen-initiated ones, to receive a 60% supermajority vote to be adopted.
- South Dakota Constitutional Amendment L: This amendment would require a 60% vote to approve constitutional amendments, including citizen initiated ones.
- An amendment on the ballot in Utah: This amendment would require citizen-initiated ballot measures to receive at least 60% voter approval to for citizen-initiated ballot measures that create new taxes, increase existing tax rates, and for a property tax.
The last time voters decided on a measure that would add protections to the initiative process was in 2018, when voters decided Amendment W in South Dakota, which would have established new laws governing the citizen initiative and referendum process, including requiring voter approval of any alterations regarding the initiative process in the state. However, this amendment was rejected by voters, with 45% voting for it and 55% voting against it.
If any of the proposed amendments qualify for the 2026 ballot, voters will decide for the first time since 2018 on a measure limiting the legislature’s authority to change the initiative process.
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