Tag: ballot measure
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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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Wisconsin voters defeat two ballot measures related to nondelegation
What’s the story? Voters in Wisconsin defeated two constitutional amendments on August 13 related to state appropriations authority. The ballot measures proposed strengthening the state’s nondelegation doctrine—an administrative law principle that limits lawmakers’ ability to delegate legislative powers to executive agencies. The measures’ opponents argued the legislature would slow the distribution of federal funds if…
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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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Voters will decide 11 abortion-related ballot measures in 10 states in November, the most on record
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. Initiatives were recently certified in Nebraska and Montana. In Montana, voters will be deciding on CI-128, which would provide a…
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With a right-to-abortion initiative in Montana, 9 states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in Nov.—the most for a single year
Nine statewide ballot measures related to abortion have been certified in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Nevada, and South Dakota for the general election ballot in 2024. This is the most on record for a single year. Montana is the most recent state to add an abortion measure to the ballot. The…
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Update on 2024 state ballot measure certifications: eight new measures, 16 pending signature verification
For 2024, 148 statewide ballot measures have been certified for the ballot in 41 states, which equals the average (148) 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. In 2022, 140 measures were certified for…
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Nebraska voters will decide on paid sick leave ballot initiative in November
A ballot initiative in Nebraska to require employers to provide earned paid sick leave to employees was certified for the ballot by the secretary of state on Aug. 13. Businesses with 20 or more employees would be required to provide seven days of paid sick leave annually, and businesses with fewer than 20 employees would…