Author: Ryan Byrne

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

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    As of April 9, 2023, six statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number (6) certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 26 statewide measures have been certified in 15 states. That’s seven more…

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

    Posted on

    As of April 4, 2023, six statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number (6) certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 23 statewide measures have been certified in 12 states. That’s seven more…

  • North Dakota enacts a plain language requirement for ballot measure summaries

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    The North Dakota State Legislature passed a bill, Senate Bill 2163 (SB 2163), to require the language that voters see on a ballot for a statewide measure to be written in “plain, clear, understandable language using words with common, everyday meaning.” Gov. Doug Burgum (R) signed SB 2163 on March 23. In North Dakota, the…

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

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    As of March 21, 2023, five statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 19 statewide measures have been certified in five states. That’s seven more than…

  • Arkansas increases the signature distribution requirement for citizen-initiated ballot measures

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    Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed House Bill 1419 (HB 1419), which increases the signature distribution requirement for citizen-initiated ballot measures, on March 7. Under HB 1419, campaigns will be required to collect signatures from 50 of 75 (67%) counties. Previously, the requirement was 15 of 75 (20%) counties. For citizen-initiated state statutes, the…

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

    Posted on

    As of March 7, 2023, five statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 16 statewide measures have been certified in five states. That’s double the average…

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

    Posted on

    As of Feb. 21, 2023, five statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 11 statewide measures have been certified in five states. That’s the same as…

  • Update on this year’s and next year’s ballot measure certifications

    Posted on

    As of Feb. 7, 2023, five statewide measures have been certified for the ballot in three states for elections in 2023. That’s the same as the average number certified at this point in other odd-numbered years from 2011 to 2021.  For 2024, 10 statewide measures have been certified in four states. That’s four more than…

  • Fewer bills passed in 2022 to change ballot initiative processes compared to 2021

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    In 2022, state legislators introduced at least 232 bills to change citizen-initiated ballot measure processes. Of the 232 legislative proposals, 23 (9.91%) were enacted into law.  In 2021, for comparison, 226 bills were introduced and 36 (15.93%) were enacted. While the number of bills introduced in 2022 was higher than each year from 2014 to…

  • Two veto referendum campaigns and California executive departments disagree on when referendums suspend fast food workers and oil and gas laws

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    The campaign Save Local Restaurants filed 1 million signatures for a veto referendum to overturn California Assembly Bill 257 (AB 257), also known as the FAST Act, on Dec. 5, 2022. At least 623,212 signatures must be valid. Counties have until Jan. 25, 2023, to check a random sample of signatures. In California, a veto…