In 2026, petitioners filed 692 ballot initiatives in the 26 states that authorize the initiative and referendum power — the fewest filed since 2014, when 616 were filed. Of the 692 filed this year, 53 initiatives qualified for statewide ballots, in line with the average number certified in even-numbered years from 2010 to 2024.
For elections in 2026, 15 of the 26 states did or will feature a ballot initiative. The number of initiatives filed in the 26 states ranged from zero in Illinois and New Mexico to 190 in Colorado. Colorado will also feature the most initiatives of any state in 2026, with 13.
The initiatives address a wide range of topics. The top topics include income taxes (six measures), campaign finance (four measures), and LGBTQ issues (four). Other notable topics include abortion, drug crime policy, voter ID, the initiative and referendum process, housing, and firearms.
Ballotpedia has tracked ballot initiatives filed each election cycle since 2010. The year with the most ballot initiatives filed was 2016, with 1,069 filed and 76 certified for the ballot. The year with the fewest filed was 2012, with 566 filed and 63 certified. The year with the fewest certified measures was 2020, when 24 of the 881 filed made statewide ballots.
With 53 of 692 certified, 2026 saw 7.6% of filed initiatives certified for the ballot. The average certification rate between 2010 and 2026 was 6.7%. Over the nine even-year cycles, it ranged from 3.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2012.
The types of initiatives allowed and the process for placing them on the ballot vary by state, from required signature counts to subject requirements/limitations to signature-submission deadlines.
2026 statewide ballots will also feature 111 referred measures, placed on the ballot by either the state legislature or automatically referred by the state constitutions, bringing the total to 164. From 2010 to 2024, the average number of statewide ballot measures in an even-numbered year was 153.
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