Legislatively referred bond measure


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 legislatively referred bond measure is a legislative referral that issues a bond. This type of ballot measure is also called a state or municipal bond issue.

States, along with local governments, have various requirements for when voter approval is required for a bond, including general obligation bonds and revenue bonds.

Bond issue

A bond issue is a debt that is similar to a loan. However, the funds for a bond issue do not come from a bank. Rather, the government gets funds from people or entities who purchase the bond. When someone buys a government bond, they're lending funds to the government. The government, in return, has to make regular payments to the bondholder, including both the original amount borrowed (called the principal) and interest until the loan is paid off. Bonds often have fixed terms, like 10 years, meaning the government commits to repaying the debt within that time frame.

There are two main types of government-issued bonds:

General Obligation (GO) Bonds: These bonds are backed by the government's ability to use its taxing power to repay the bond. In simple terms, the government ensures repayment by using its authority to collect taxes.

Revenue Bonds: These bonds are tied to a specific project, like toll roads, airports, or utilities. The money to repay these bonds comes from the revenue generated by the project itself.

Legislatively referred bond measures on the ballot

See also: 2024 ballot measures and 2025 ballot measures

The following is a list of legislatively referred constitutional amendments certified for the current year and next year:

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