Author: Jackie Mitchell

Signature deadlines for pending ballot measures in Colorado: 2020 veto referendum petitions: 124,632 valid signatures due by August 1, 2019 2019 ballot initiative petitions: 124,632 valid signatures due by August 5, 2019 The number of required signatures increased 26.54% for Colorado ballot measures following the 2018 elections due to higher voter turnout. Initiative signature requirements…

On July 11, 2019, Florida Citizen Voters, sponsors of Florida Initiative 18-14, announced having collected more than 1.5 million signatures to qualify the initiative for the 2020 ballot. To qualify for the ballot, 766,200 valid signatures must be submitted by February 1, 2020.   This measure would amend the Florida Constitution to state that only…

Over the weekend, the Oregon State Legislature approved a constitutional amendment (SJR 18) that would authorize the state legislature and local governments to (1) enact laws or ordinances limiting campaign contributions and expenditures; (2) require disclosure of contributions and expenditures; and (3) require that political advertisements identify the people or entities that paid for them.…

Two referendum petitions have been filed targeting House Bill 3427, referred to as the Student Success Act, which was signed into law on May 16, 2019.   HB 3427 was designed to establish the Fund for Student Success and allocate funding to education purposes including the following: the creation of a grant program in the…

On Tuesday, June 11, Arkansas lawyer and lobbyist Alex Gray filed a referendum petition on behalf of sponsors Safe Surgery Arkansas. The referendum petition effort seeks to overturn Act 579 (House Bill 1251), which was signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on March 27, 2019.   Act 579 amended the definition of practice…

The Alabama Legislature adjourned its 2019 legislative session on May 31, 2019. In total, the legislature referred five constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot where voters will approve or reject them. The measures will appear either on the March 3, 2020, primary ballot or the November 3, 2020, general election ballot. The measures are as…

On May 30, 2019, the Alabama Legislature gave final approval to Senate Bill 313, which would amend the Alabama Constitution to state that “only a citizen of the United States,” rather than “every citizen of the United States,” has the right to vote in Alabama (emphasis added).   Sen. Del Marsh (R-12) introduced the constitutional…

In Alabama, a 2020 ballot measure would, if approved, authorize the state legislature to recompile the state constitution during its 2022 regular session and also provide for its ratification.   According to the text of the proposed amendment, authorized changes to the constitution would include:   arranging it in proper articles, parts, and section; removing…

As of May 28, 2019, 15 statewide ballot measures were certified for 2019 ballots in four states. Fourteen were referred to voters by their state legislature and one was qualified for the ballot by a citizen initiative petition. Measures can still be added or removed from 2019 ballots.   Four of the 26 states with…