Author: Ryan Byrne
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About 1.7 million signatures filed for second version of California split roll tax initiative
On April 2, 2020, the campaign Schools and Communities First reported filing 1.7 million signatures for a ballot initiative to require commercial and industrial properties, except those zoned as commercial agriculture, to be taxed based on their market value, rather than their purchase price. At least 997,139 signatures need to be valid. The ballot initiative…
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Arizona ballot initiative campaigns ask state Supreme Court to allow electronic signatures due to coronavirus pandemic
On April 2, 2020, four ballot initiative campaigns filed a petition asking the Arizona Supreme Court to allow the campaigns to gather signatures through E-Qual, which is the state’s online signature collection platform, during the coronavirus pandemic. E-Qual is available for federal, statewide, and legislative candidates but not ballot initiatives. The legal petition stated, “The…
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Campaign backed by Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and others files signatures for California ballot initiative to define app-based drivers as independent contractors and enact regulations
Californians could decide whether app-based drivers should be classified as independent contractors in November. On March 27, the campaign Protect App-Based Drivers & Services filed more than 1 million signatures with local election officials for the ballot measure. Counties have eight working days to count signatures followed by 30 working days to conduct a random…
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Arizona campaign finance initiative campaign suspends signature gathering
Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, co-chair of the campaign Outlaw Dirty Money, announced that the campaign was suspending signature gathering efforts for its ballot initiative due to the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign needs to gather at least 356,467 signatures by the July 2 deadline. The ballot initiative would add language to the Arizona Constitution…
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California ballot initiative campaigns are in the final weeks of their signature drives and face the effects of coronavirus
California is under a shelter-in-place order due to the coronavirus pandemic, but several ballot initiative campaigns are in the final days or weeks of their signature drives. As of March 23, four citizen-initiated measures have qualified to appear on the ballot in November. An additional nine ballot initiative could receive enough signatures to appear on…
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Maine voters will decide two bond measures, totaling $120 million, on June 9
The election on June 9, 2020, will feature two statewide bond measures in Maine. Legislators passed the bond measures on March 17, and Gov. Janet Mills (D) signed the legislation on March 18. A two-thirds vote was needed in each legislative chamber. The first bond measure would authorize $105 million in bonds for transportation infrastructure…
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California Proposition 13 is the first statewide school bond rejected by voters since 1994
On March 3, Californians voted on one statewide ballot measure, Proposition 13, which would have issued $15 billion in general obligation bonds for preschool, K-12, and higher education facilities. The ballot measure would have also made changes to the formula used to distribute state bond funds to schools, the rules governing local bond measures, and…
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Signatures verified for top-four ranked-choice voting ballot initiative in Alaska
Alaskans could vote on a first-of-its-kind electoral system in November. On March 9, Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer announced that the campaign Alaskans for Better Elections collected 36,006 valid signatures for its ballot initiative. The campaign filed 41,068 signatures, of which at least 28,501 needed to be valid. Next, the Alaska State Legislature has the option…
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Virginians to decide constitutional amendment transferring redistricting powers from legislature to commission
On March 5, the Virginia House of Delegates voted 54-46 to approve a resolution placing a redistricting-related constitutional amendment on the ballot for November 3, 2020. The ballot measure would transfer the power to draw the state’s congressional and legislative districts from the state legislature to a 16-member redistricting commission composed of eight state legislators…
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Signatures verified for Maine ballot initiative designed to void international hydroelectric transmission project
A citizen initiative to void a certificate needed for an international hydroelectric transmission project will go on the ballot unless the state legislature approves it. The campaign No CMP Corridor filed 75,253 signatures on February 3. Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap (D) reported that 69,714 signatures were valid. At least 63,067 signatures needed to…