Direct initiative


Types of ballot measures
Initiated
• Initiated constitutional amendment
• Initiated state statute
• Veto referendum
Legislative
• Legislative constitutional amendment
• Legislative state statute
• Legislative bond issue
• Advisory question
Other
• Automatic ballot referral
• Commission-referred measure
• Convention-referred amendment
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about that state's types of ballot measures.

A direct initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that is placed on the ballot after signatures are verified. Proponents of a ballot initiative collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state. The direct initiative differs from the indirect initiative in that legislators first consider an indirect initiative before the proposal goes to voters.

Of the 26 states that provide for a statewide initiative process, 25 provide for at least one form of a direct initiative. One — Mississippi — provides for an indirect initiated constitutional amendment but no direct initiatives. Others provide for a mix of direct and indirect citizen-initiated measures.

The types of direct initiatives at the state level are:

Initiated constitutional amendment

See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments. Proponents of a ballot initiative collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state.

The 16 states that provide for direct initiated constitutional amendments are:

In Massachusetts and Mississippi, there are indirect initiated constitutional amendments.

Initiated state statute

See also: Initiated state statute

An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot. Proponents of a ballot initiative collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state.

While a direct initiative goes to voters, an indirect initiated statute first goes to the state legislature, which can select to enact the initiative. You can read more about indirect initiated state statutes here.

The 14 states that provide for direct initiated state statutes are as follows. Utah and Washington provide for both direct and indirect initiated state statutes.

Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

A combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends both a state's constitution and state statute. There are at least two (2) states that allow citizens to initiate combined amendments and statutes.

The two states that provide for combined initiated constitutional amendments and state statutes are:

Veto referendum

A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. This type of ballot measure is also called statute referendum, popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. There are 23 states that allow citizens to initiate veto referendums. Proponents of a veto referendum collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state.

A veto referendum is always a direct citizen-initiated ballot measure.

The 23 states that provide for veto referendums are:

Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state

See also: States with initiative or referendum

There are 26 states that provide citizens with the power of initiative, referendum, or both. The following table shows the type of citizen-initiated ballot measures in each of those states. The table also provides the signature requirements for each type of measure for the 2023-2024 election cycle.

States that provide for types of citizen-initiated measures and current signature requirements
State	Constitutional	Signatures	Statute	Signatures	Referendum	Signatures
Alaska	No	N/A	Yes	26,705	Yes	26,705
Arizona	Yes	383,923	Yes	255,949	Yes	127,975
Arkansas	Yes	90,704	Yes	72,563	Yes	54,422
California	Yes	874,641	Yes	546,651	Yes	546,651
Colorado	Yes	124,238	Yes	124,238	Yes	124,238
Florida	Yes	891,589	No	N/A	No	N/A
Idaho	No	N/A	Yes	62,895	Yes	62,895
Illinois	Yes	328,371	No	N/A	No	N/A
Maine	No	N/A	Yes	67,682	Yes	67,682
Maryland	No	N/A	No	N/A	Yes	60,157
Massachusetts	Yes	74,490	Yes	74,490	Yes	37,245^[1]
Michigan	Yes	446,198	Yes	356,958	Yes	223,099
Mississippi^[2]	Yes	106,190	No	N/A	No	N/A
Missouri	Yes	171,592^[3]	Yes	107,246^[3]	Yes	107,246^[3]
Montana	Yes	60,359	Yes	30,179	Yes	30,179
Nebraska	Yes	126,838	Yes	88,787	Yes	63,419^[4]
New Mexico	No	N/A	No	N/A	Yes	71,475^[5]
Nevada	Yes	102,362	Yes	135,561	Yes	102,362
North Dakota	Yes	31,164	Yes	15,582	Yes	15,582
Ohio	Yes	413,487	Yes	248,092^[6]	Yes	248,093
Oklahoma	Yes	172,993	Yes	92,263	Yes	57,664
Oregon	Yes	156,231	Yes	117,173	Yes	78,115
South Dakota	Yes	35,017	Yes	17,508	Yes	17,508
Utah	No	N/A	Yes	134,298	Yes	134,298
Washington	No	N/A	Yes	324,516	Yes	162,258
Wyoming	No	N/A	Yes	29,730	Yes	29,730

Other types of ballot measures

Most ballot measures are placed on the ballot through citizen initiatives or legislative processes. Others are placed on the ballot automatically, by a special commission, or by a state constitutional convention. The following is a list of different types of state ballot measures:

Types of state ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measure

• Initiated constitutional amendment

• Direct initiated constitutional amendment

• Indirect initiated constitutional amendment

• Initiated state statute

• Direct initiated state statute

• Indirect initiated state statute

• Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

• Veto referendum

• Statute affirmation (Nevada)

Legislatively referred ballot measure

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

• Legislatively referred state statute

• Legislatively referred bond measure

• Advisory question

Other type of state ballot measure

• Automatic ballot referral

• Constitutional convention question

• Commission-referred ballot measure

• Convention-referred constitutional amendment

Footnotes

↑ This was the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement was 49,660 valid signatures.
↑ On May 14, 2021, the Mississippi Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision stating that it is impossible for any petition to meet the state's distribution requirement and has been impossible since congressional reapportionment in 2001. The six justices wrote, "... Whether with intent, by oversight, or for some other reason, the drafters of [the constitutional signature distribution requirement] wrote a ballot initiative process that cannot work in a world where Mississippi has fewer than five representatives in Congress. To work in today’s reality, it will need amending—something that lies beyond the power of the Supreme Court."
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 This is the minimum required if signatures are collected in the congressional districts with the lowest numbers of votes cast in 2020. The signature requirement varies based on what districts are targeted for signature collection.
↑ To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement is 126,838 valid signatures.
↑ This was the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement was 178,689 valid signatures.
↑ This is the requirement for two rounds of signatures to get an initiated statute on the ballot; half the number of signatures—124,046—is required to place the initiative before the legislature.

[1] This was the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement was 49,660 valid signatures.

[2] On May 14, 2021, the Mississippi Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision stating that it is impossible for any petition to meet the state's distribution requirement and has been impossible since congressional reapportionment in 2001. The six justices wrote, "... Whether with intent, by oversight, or for some other reason, the drafters of [the constitutional signature distribution requirement] wrote a ballot initiative process that cannot work in a world where Mississippi has fewer than five representatives in Congress. To work in today’s reality, it will need amending—something that lies beyond the power of the Supreme Court."

[MODisclaimer-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 This is the minimum required if signatures are collected in the congressional districts with the lowest numbers of votes cast in 2020. The signature requirement varies based on what districts are targeted for signature collection.

[4] To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement is 126,838 valid signatures.

[5] This was the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement was 178,689 valid signatures.

[6] This is the requirement for two rounds of signatures to get an initiated statute on the ballot; half the number of signatures—124,046—is required to place the initiative before the legislature.

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Direct initiative

Contents

Initiated constitutional amendment

Initiated state statute

Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

Veto referendum

Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state

Other types of ballot measures

See also

Footnotes

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