II, 9(c)). c. develop the issues on which the candidate will focus. Withdrawal process of individual signature: Not specified. Referendum Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Petition must be filed with county officials not later than 15 days following the primary election. Art. Code 16.1-01-10). II, 1(b)). Time period restrictions before placed on the ballot: Must be filed at least six months before the election it is to be voted on (V.A.M.S. Const. 32-630; 32-1546), Number of signatures required: For statutory initiatives, 7 % of votes cast for governor in last election. II, 1c). Reports of contributions and expenditures of $500 or more must be made within two days between the 25th day of the month before an election and the day of the election. Does the law in question take effect before the referendum vote: An act referred to the people is in effect until suspended by petitions signed by at least 15% of the qualified electors in a majority of the legislative representative districts. Art. Rev. 5, 3; 34 Okl.St.Ann. Timeline for collecting signatures: Have 180 days (M.C.L.A. Stat. In every state, petitions must follow guidelines, which vary by state. L-04, 2011 WL 1130010 (July 5, 2011). Amend. IV, 1). Art. Petitions must be submitted by 5 p.m. on or before the 90th day after the recess of the legislature, or if the 90th day is a weekend or holiday, by 5 p.m. on the preceding day that is not a weekend or holiday. Rev. Code 9006). The term soft money refers to is information to better inform your work. After certification for the ballot, the joint committee on legislative research holds a public hearing in Jefferson City to take public comments regarding the measure (V.A.M.S. 3, 23). All of the chief petitioners must sign the form to withdraw. Nevada: The secretary of state will appoint two, three-person committees, one for and one against the measure. Const. Prior to receiving a contribution or making an expenditure, a campaign must designate a treasurer by filing with the secretary of state. Art. Withdrawal of petition: None, the withdrawal process specified in statute applies only to initiative petitions (CRS 1-40-134). 3, 51; V.A.M.S. A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment. Timeline for collecting signatures: Signatures are valid for two years, but a petition can circulate indefinitely (F.S.A. 3, 19). II, 10). Verification: The secretary of state shall by rule designate a statistical sampling technique to verify whether a petition contains the required number of signatures (ORS 250.105). 1-40-111). Proponents write title (M.G.L.A. 3, 19; 21-A MRSA 903-A, sub-4), Nebraska (Neb. 7-9-105), Withdrawal process of individual signature: No statute. Who can sign the petition: Registered voters of the state (Const. Art. Eighteen months for collection, and then sponsors must submit signatures no later than six months before the election and can only start collecting the day after the previous general election. 3, 2), Proponent organization and requirements: No additional. Who can sign the petition: Registered voters (Const. 3, 17(2)). We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Proponent financial disclosure requirements: Must file a statement of organization within 20 days of becoming a committee (Mo.Rev.Stat. The majority system 250.045). Voter apathy or lack of interest is often cited as a cause of low turnout among eligible voters in jurisdictions where voting is optional, and the donkey vote where voting is compulsory. If petitions are insufficient, sponsors may circulate and file a supplementary petition within 10 days of the date that notice was given if 90 days have not expired after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the act was passed. Art. Const. Rev. Submission deadline of signatures: At least 30 days before Feb. 1 of the year of the general election that the measure is to be voted upon (F.S.A. Proponent financial disclosure requirements: Include but are not limited to regular reports filed with Ethics Commission, deadlines for filing, dollar amounts to report, dollar limits on contribution amounts, and no donations from PACs or anonymous contributors (A.C.A. V, 3 and OK Stat. Withdrawal process of individual signature: Signatures may be withdrawn up to the time of submission of the petition. 3, 52(f)). 15, 273; Miss. LXXIV, 2 and M.G.L.A. Withdrawal process of individual signature: Any person who alleges they signed as a result of fraud, coercion, or being intentional misleading as to the substance or effect of the petition, may withdraw their signature by filing an affidavit with the secretary of state any time before the secretary of state has accepted and filed the petition (Miss. For constitutional amendments, signatures must be gathered from 10% of qualified electors in each of two-fifths (40) of the state's 100 legislative districts. S127 was deleted in its entirety, meaning that Aboriginals could now be counted towards the population of the Commonwealth. Amend. Const. St. 32-1405.01; 32-1405.02; 32-1413). 2, Sec. Art. What is a referendum question? - Atheists for human rights Art. Proponent financial disclosure requirements: A committee formed to support or oppose a ballot measure must register by filing a statement of organization with the Ethics Commission when its contributions or expenditures exceed $1,000 (Ethics Commission rules 2.79 and 2.80). Of course, in some of the above states, timelines concerning filing, signature gathering and deadlines for signatures and the indirect initiative process may impose limits not otherwise spelled out in statute. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. If raising more than $5,000 in a year, the entity must register as a ballot question committee. What is necessary before a Referendum is put to the people? Circulator requirements: Can be out-of-state resident but must mark this on the affidavit. Circulator oaths or affidavits: Yes (V.A.M.S. Referendum :: California Secretary of State When American voters support only one party's candidates, they are said to be voting a Art. c. donations to a challenger. 3, 3; NDCC, 16.1-01-09), Ohio (Const, Art. 26. One year, but proponents must submit to the county officials no sooner than nine months and no later than four weeks prior to the final deadline. Indirect initiated constitutional amendment, Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute, commission-referred constitutional amendments, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, Forms of direct democracy in the American states, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Kansas, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Nevada, Laws governing citizen grand juries in North Dakota, Laws governing citizen grand juries in New Mexico, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Nebraska, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Oklahoma, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Initiative_and_referendum&oldid=9086757, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. 3, 3; NDCC, 16.1-01-09). 32-1401; 32-1405; 32-628; 32-1403). Art. 48). There must also be a five-person committee of those who favor rejection, comprised of individuals appointed by the governor, attorney general, president of the senate and speaker of the housethe fifth member is appointed by the four previous members. Art. L-04, 2011 WL 1130010, July 5, 2011). States with popular referendums (23): Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington Wyoming. Pre-election statements must be filed 40 and 12 days before the election (Govt. Time period restrictions before placed on the ballot: Certified ballot title is due at least 65 days before the election. Fiscal review: State auditor prepares, and proponents may submit proposed review (V.A.M.S. 34-1803b). 250.036; OR CONST Art. Allowed to pay another for their signature: Giving or receiving money or anything of value for signing a petition or a statement of signature withdrawal is a class 1 misdemeanor (ARS 19-113(D) and -114.01). 5, 1; A.C.A. What is on each petition: Must follow form guidelines and include signature of attorney general, affidavit of canvassers, instructions and signatures for only one county (A.C.A. Pre-election statements must be filed 40 and 12 days before the election. Proponent organization and requirements: Must obtain certificate of review from attorney general and file petition with secretary of state (I.C. Collected in-person: Original ink signatures are required (ORC 3519.051 and 3501.38(B)). Submission deadline for signatures: Not later than 90 days after the final adjournment of the legislature; if the deadline falls on a Saturday, the office of the secretary of state must be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day (Const. Subject restrictions: May not be used for laws necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, and laws making appropriations for the current expenses of the state government, for the maintenance of state institutions and for the support of public schools (Const. Verification: A random sample of 5% of the signatures is verified by county recorders (ARS 19-121.01(B)). 3, 6). b. Art. 13, 1). What is required for a referendum to succeed? 5, 1). 7-9-111). Geographic distribution: 3% of the votes cast for the office of governor in the last election in half of the counties each (OH Const. b. retrospective voting. A simple statement of the gist of the proposition is printed at the top of each signature page (34 OS 3). Const. For their primaries, most but not all state parties use what type of election? This meant that Commonwealth Parliament has an increase in law-making power. Withdrawal process of individual signature: None specified. 3, 18). 7-9-114). Art. NCSLs Statewide Ballot Measures Database includes all statewide ballot measures in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, starting over a century ago. C.R.S.A. Geographic distribution: None, but petition sheets are organized by county (A.R.S. Art. It fails if under 90 % and qualifies if at least 100 % (N.R.S. Const. Currently, for constitutional amendments signatures must be gathered from at least 2 % of the total registered electors in each state senate district (C.R.S.A. A handful require that each signature be individually verified, including Nebraska (NRS 32-1409), Ohio (ORC 3519.15), Oklahoma (OK Stat. Majority to pass: Yes (M.R.S.A. ), Const. 168.482; 168.544c). III, 8). Who can sign the petition: Electors (Const. Collected in-person: The circulator must witness each signature (OR Rev. If the total signatures meet 90-100% of the requirement, the county clerk(s) check all of the signatures until 100% is reached. Const. Art. The secretary of state, in consultation with the attorney general, prepares a condensation, explanations for and against, and concise summaries of the bill's impact on existing related laws (NRS 293.250). 24 States may have the direct initiative, the indirect initiative or the choice of either. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. 3599.03). Timeline for taking effect: The first day of July after the completion of the official canvass (SDCL 2-1-12). This committee is responsible for preparing the arguments for the measure and any rebuttal arguments in the information pamphlet (MCS 13-27-402). If the legislature does not enact the statute, another round of signatures is required equaling 0.5 % of votes for governor (M.G.L.A. 2, 10). Reports are due 30 days before the election, one week before the election, 105 days after a special election and on February 15 for all contributions and expenditures not already reported. Amend. Art. Art. 7-9-108). 14, 3, 10 ILCS 5/28-2, Massachusetts: M.G.L.A. Art. Const. 1953 20A-7-203). Reports of contributions and expenditures must be filed no later than the eighth day before the election, the 30th day after an election and the 15th day following the close of each calendar quarter. Brexit is a portmanteau of the words British and exit that was coined to refer to the U.K.'s decision in a June 23, 2016, referendum to leave the European Union (EU). All citizen initiatives require the collection of a certain number of signatures, although states vary in the number of signatures and the baseline used to determine that number. b. 8. RCW 42.17A.205, 42.17A.235, 42.17A.250, 42.17A.260, 42.17A.265. Other subject restrictions: May only amend structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV (ILCS Const. Collected in-person: Yes (NRS 295.0575). 22-24-413). Petitions must be submitted not more than 90 days after the law which is the subject of the petition has become law. What does provisional mean in voting? 11 5). Majority to pass: Initiative amendments proposed by the people and their legislative substitutes must receive at least 30 % of the total number of ballots cast in the election and a majority of the voters voting on the measure (Massachusetts Constitution 48, Init., Pt. 19-102), Fiscal review: Prepared by joint legislative budget committee staff (A.R.S. Contributions greater than $3,000 that are received after filing the pre-election report must be reported within 24 hours of receipt. Application process information: A prospective petition must be filed with the secretary of state. Attorney general certifies submitted title and measure and summary by secretary of state, with attorney general oversight. 168.472a). Ballot title and summary: Ballot language is drafted by the Ohio Ballot Board (Const. Hear a word and type it out. II, 9). What scenarios require one to cast a provisional ballot? V, 1(3)). Art. Prepared by the Office of Fiscal and Program Review. Amend. Number of signatures required: For statutory initiatives, 2 % of the residential population according the last federal decennial census. Art. Art. 3; 8). Art. Verification: Not specified: "The Secretary of State shall determine the validity of the petition and issue a written decision stating the reasons for the decision within 30 days from the date of filing of a written petition." Application process information: Proponents must submit a statement of the object of the measure and its full text to the secretary of state, along with a sworn list of their addresses and names (Neb. Art. Six states do not require fiscal statements: Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Application process information: Application must be filed by 5 p.m. within five calendar days after the legislative session ends (Utah Code 20A-7-302). Art. Must be projected to be at least 95 % accurate (10 ILCS 5/28-11, 5/28-12, 5/28-13). 4, 1, Pt. 1953 20A-7-206; 20A-7-206.3; 20A-7-207). 32-1405). 23-17-47; 23-17-49; 23-17-51; 23-17-53). Therefore, rules restricting the ability to change or repeal measures apply to statutory measures, which are available in 21 states. 2. Which election is a measure on: The next statewide election unless the legislature or governor convenes a special election for it or the governor designates a vote at the primary election (OK Const. Paid per signature: No ban found. Withdrawal of petition: None, other than the limit of circulation is one year after the petition is approved by the secretary of state (NDCC, 16.1-01-09). Collected in-person: Yes (A.R.S. The following 26 states have initiative and/or veto referendum processes at the statewide level. 15, 273). It must be accompanied by a notarized form including the names and addresses of the petition sponsors and the statement of organization provided at 12-27-6 (SDCL 2-1-3.1). II, 1g and ORC 3519.01). 3, 5). 116.334). Rev. The first statewide election held more than 180 days after adjournment of the session during which the act was passed, Regular election (state, congressional or municipal) or a special election called by proper official or when 15% of voters petition for one. For constitutional amendments, 10% of votes cast for governor in last election. Legislature or other government official review: The chief petitioner may amend the initiative without having to re-submit if the attorney general reviews the changes and certifies that it does not change it substantially (O.R.S. 19-126), Majority to pass: Yes (A.R.S. Art. 3, 3; NDCC, 16.1-01-09), Collected in-person: Yes (NDCC, 16.1-01-09). Amend. Seventeen states have a statute in place noting that if two or more conflicting measures are on the same ballot, the measure receiving the most votes passes.