Author: Josh Altic
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Legislators consider initiative and referendum process following increased initiative activity over the last three years
As direct democracy receives more attention so do the processes that govern how measures get on the ballot, the rules for support and opposition campaigns, the requirements for approval, and other details. In 2016 and 2018, citizen-initiatives were more prominent in the political landscape than they had been for several election cycles. Voters directly…
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Gwyneth Paltrow, school boards, and Los Angeles elections – what they all have common this Tuesday
The deadline to register to vote for elections on March 5, 2019, in California is Tuesday, February 19. In California, residents must register to vote 15 days prior to an election. On March 5, 2019, voters will decide the following races: – The District 5 seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of…
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Four 2019 initiative signature deadlines passed, three remain
Four signature submission deadlines for statewide ballot initiatives targeting the 2019 ballot have passed, and three remain. Ballot initiatives are proposals for new laws or constitutional amendments put on the ballot through citizen signature petition drives. Of the 26 states with a process for citizen-initiated measures, four allow for ballot initiatives or veto referendums…
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Voters to decide in May whether to make Denver the first U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms
Denver voters will decide a citizen initiative to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms at the election on May 7, 2019. The initiative would make the enforcement of any criminal laws regarding the possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms by anyone 21 years old or older the lowest law enforcement priority of the city. It would also prohibit…
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Legislators have altered nine ballot initiatives in five states and D.C. since 2017
Legislative alteration is an action by lawmakers at the local or state level to directly amend or repeal a citizen initiative that was approved by voters. Legislative alteration is also called legislative tampering or legislative intervention. State legislators in Oklahoma, Utah, Washington are currently considering bills to legislatively alter initiatives passed in 2018. …
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The State Ballot Measure Monthly: January 2019
The first 2019 edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers all six of the 2019 and 2020 statewide ballot measures certified to appear on ballots so far. Here are the highlights: One 2019 statewide measure, a transportation bond issue, is certified for the ballot in Colorado. Five measures in four states are certified to…
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New York legislature, on first day of Democratic control since 2010, passes package to change election policies
On the first day of the 2019 legislative session, the New York State Legislature approved a seven-bill legislative package to change election policies. The legislative package included two constitutional amendments. In New York, constitutional amendments require a simple majority vote of two successive state legislatures. The current 203rd New York State Legislature (2019-2020) passed…
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U.S. Supreme Court will not decide constitutionality of Ariz. ballot measure denying bail to those charged with sexual conduct with a minor
On January 14, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) to decide whether a provision of Proposition 103, approved in 2002, violated the U.S. Constitution. Proposition 103, a constitutional amendment, received 80 percent of the vote in 2002. The ballot measure was designed to prevent courts…
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Initiative signature requirements increase in 13 states and decrease in five states based on 2018 elections
Voter turnout in the 2018 elections caused a change in the number of signatures required for initiatives and veto referendums in 18 of the 26 states that allow at least one form of statewide initiative or referendum. There are 13 states with initiative signature requirements based on midterm gubernatorial or secretary of state elections.…
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Michigan legislature passes distribution requirement for initiatives
The Michigan State Legislature approved and Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed Michigan House Bill 6595 on December 28, 2018. HB 6595 created a distribution requirement for initiative signature petitions in Michigan limiting the number of signatures collected in any one congressional district to 15 percent of the total required. Michigan has 14 congressional districts. The…