Tag: ballot initiatives
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Right-to-abortion ballot measure campaigns reported 10 times more in contributions than opposition campaigns in 2024 so far
Voters in ten states—Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota—will decide on 11 abortion-related ballot measures in Nov. 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Ten of these measures would provide for a state constitutional right to abortion, while one measure would place a constitutional…
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Over the past decade, courts have disqualified 16 state ballot measures after certification, including two this year
After a ballot measure is certified to appear before voters, state courts can still invalidate the measure for various reasons, even after officials have printed the ballots. Lawsuits against ballot measures are common and often result in several being disqualified after certification during each election cycle. Since 2014, state courts removed or disqualified 16 state…
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Voters in Juneau, Alaska, to decide on initiative banning cruise ships on Saturdays and July 4
Voters in Juneau, Alaska, will decide on three ballot measures on Oct. 1, including two bond measures and an initiative that would ban cruise ships in the city on Saturdays. Proposition 2, an initiative sponsored by Ship-Free Saturdays, would ban cruise ships with 250 passengers or more from docking, mooring, or disembarking passengers in Juneau…
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Signature-gathering periods for initiatives vary by state: from 90 days to no limit
When proponents of a citizen-initiated ballot measure collect signatures to verify the measure for the ballot, each state has a time frame for when proponents can collect signatures. This time frame is known as a circulation period, or the length of the signature-gathering period. The length of the circulation period varies between the 26 states…
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Thirteen states feature a higher-than-average number of ballot initiatives in 2024, leading to the most initiated measures since 2016
Of the 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures, 18 states will feature citizen initiatives on the ballot this year. Thirteen of these states had a higher-than-average number of initiatives certified for their respective statewide ballots this year as compared to even-year election cycles between 2010 and 2022. A total of 931 ballot initiatives…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: three certifications in Nebraska, one last initiative in Arkansas pending signature verification
For 2024, 160 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which is two above the average (158) for this point in the election cycle from 2012 to 2022. The average number of statewide ballot measures certified for an even-numbered year during this period was 157. The final average, 157, is…
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Missouri voters to decide on right-to-abortion amendment in Nov.
Voters in Missouri will decide on a ballot initiative to provide a state constitutional right to abortion on Nov. 5, 2024. On Aug. 13, the secretary of state’s office announced enough valid signatures were submitted for the initiative. The campaign supporting the initiative, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, submitted 380,159 signatures to the secretary of state…
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Missouri voters to decide on minimum wage and paid sick leave initiative in Nov.
Voters in Missouri will decide on a ballot initiative addressing minimum wage and paid sick leave, titled Proposition A, on Nov. 5, 2024. On Aug. 13, the secretary of state’s office found that campaign proponents submitted enough valid signatures for the initiative to qualify for the ballot. Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages submitted…
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Missouri voters to decide on sports betting legalization initiative in November
Voters in Missouri will decide on a ballot initiative to legalize sports betting on Nov. 5, 2024. On August 13, the secretary of state’s office confirmed that enough valid signatures were submitted, and certified the measure for the ballot. The campaign supporting the initiative, Missouri for Winning Education, submitted 340,000 petition signatures on May 2.…
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In 2024, more bills were enacted to make ballot initiative processes harder or easier compared to the average for the prior six years
During the 2024 legislative sessions, 326 pieces of legislation related to direct democracy—ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall petitions—were proposed. As of August 5, 33 bills and resolutions were enacted, close to the annual average of 34 enacted bills between 2018 and 2023. Of the 33 enacted pieces of legislation, 10 were designed to make the…