On Sept. 3, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that an initiative related to the state's initiative process may appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. The initiative would amend the constitution to establish the citizen initiative and referendum process as fundamental rights and prohibit the state legislature from “weakening citizens’ initiative and referendum powers.”
The campaign supporting the initiative, Respect MO Voters, submitted more than 367,000 signatures on May 3, 2026. On Aug. 4, Secretary Denny Hoskins (R.) rejected the initiative, saying it violated the single-subject rule. Proponents filed a lawsuit against Hoskins. The Missouri 19th Judicial Circuit Court ruled for Hoskins, saying the initiative comprised multiple subjects, but the Missouri Supreme Court reversed, saying the initiative complied with the single-subject requirement.
The initiative would amend the state constitution to declare that “The rights of initiative and referendum as set forth in this Constitution are fundamental rights” and require that any laws affecting those rights are “subject to strict scrutiny and must be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest.” The amendment would prohibit the state legislature from increasing signature thresholds, shortening signature-gathering periods, restricting subject matter, limiting judicial review of ballot language, creating additional requirements for petitioners, and requiring more than a simple majority vote for approval. Such changes could still be made through a constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval.
The amendment would also prohibit the legislature from changing a voter-approved initiative unless each chamber of the state legislature votes with an 80% majority to refer a proposed change to the ballot. Voters would then have to approve the change. No state requires both a supermajority vote in the legislature and voter approval to amend a citizen-initiated statute. Missouri is one of 21 states with a process for citizen-initiated state statutes and one of 11 that currently has no limits on the legislature’s ability to amend or repeal them.
Additionally, no state requires voter approval to change the rules governing the initiative process itself, such as signature thresholds or ballot language rules, which the Missouri amendment would require.
Voters will decide six other ballot measures related to the initiative and referendum on Nov. 3, 2026. Five of those measures—in California, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah—would add requirements or restrictions to the initiative and referendum process, while one measure in Montana would preserve the initiative process.
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