For 2024, 94 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 34 states, three more measures than the average (91) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157.

Here’s an update on the ballot measure activity during the past two weeks.

Five ballot measures were certified in Colorado, Maine, and Oklahoma:

• Colorado Economic Impact Statements Shown with Ballot Question Initiative
• Maine Science and Technology Research and Commercialization Bond Issue
• Maine Development and Maintenance of Trails Bond Issue
• Maine Historic Community Buildings Bond Issue
• Oklahoma Public Infrastructure Districts Amendment

Signatures have been submitted and are pending verification for six initiatives, four in California, one in Colorado, and one in South Dakota.

• California Drug and Theft Crime Penalties and Treatment-Mandated Felonies Initiative
• California Managed Care Organization Tax Authorization Initiative
• California Require Certain Participants in Medi-Cal Rx Program to Spend 98% of Revenues on Patient Care Initiative
• California Require Personal Finance Course for High School Graduation Initiative
• Colorado Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage Initiative
• South Dakota Prohibit Food and Grocery Taxes Initiative

In Massachusetts, enough signatures were verified for seven indirect ballot initiatives for them to appear before their respective state legislatures:

• Massachusetts App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative
• Massachusetts Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative
• Massachusetts Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative
• Massachusetts Regulated Access to Psychedelic Substances Initiative
• Massachusetts Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative
• Massachusetts Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative

In Massachusetts, initiated state statutes are indirect. This means the legislature has the option to pass the initiative outright. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. In Massachusetts, petitioners collect a second round of signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.

The most recent signature deadline for citizen-initiated ballot measures was Feb. 15, 2024, in Utah. Signatures were filed for one initiative, but the number of signatures filed was below the requirement.

The next signature deadline is May 1, 2024, in Idaho, where two ballot initiatives have been proposed—one to legalize medical marijuana, and another to create a top-four ranked-choice voting (RCV) system.

The following chart shows the number of ballot measures certified each week of an even-numbered year.