For constitutional amendments, 8% of total votes cast for all candidates for governor in last general election. IDEA. XVII, 1; Art. Vote requirement for passage: Majority (Utah Code 20A-7-209). 3, 50; V.A.M.S. Fourteen states do not have any process for withdrawal: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. 34-1804, 34-1809). Colorado and Nevada require a simple majority for statutory measures only. Statewide election or a special election called by the governor, Next regular or general election that occurs 125 days after filing, Const. 12, 2; M.C.L.A. Initiative. Wyoming: in excess of 50% (Const. Application process information: Petition as to be circulated is filed with secretary of state prior to circulation and must include the title of the referred law, the effective date, the date of the election at which it will be submitted. Submission deadline of signatures: For statute initiatives, no later than three months prior to the election the measure is to be voted upon, and must submit to the county officials no sooner than nine months and no later than four weeks prior to the final deadline (MT CONST Art. For direct constitutional amendments, a timeline beginning on Sept. 1 before the general election it is to be voted upon and ends on the third Tuesday of June of an even-numbered year. Proponent financial disclosure requirements: Within three days of making an expenditure or receiving a contribution, a political committee must file a statement of organization and designated a treasurer (ORS 260.035). 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. Ballot title and summary: Ohio ballot board. II, 1g; Art. XLVII , Pt. (Note: This provision was found unconstitutional by a superior court judge, affirmed by the state supreme court in August 2020.) Art. Art. A referendum is defined as a general vote by a specific electorate over a specific political question. Art. VI, Subpt. Conflicting measures: If the governor believes that two approved laws, or parts laws, are entirely in conflict, they proclaim the measure to be law that has received the greatest number of affirmative votes (U.C.A. Details on who or which offices write the title and summary are listed below: Cal.Const. Application process information: The sponsor must file a printed petition part with the secretary of state in the exact form that will be used for signature gathering (A.C.A. Law 13-202). II, 1g and ORC 3501.38). Oklahoma: Secretary of state reviews and processes the petition, along with the attorney general and the supreme court. Filed within one year of receiving notice that petitions are ready. Paid per signature: The 2017 ban on paying circulators per signature was overturned in May 2022. III, 3 and 4). Majority to pass: Sixty % majority required (F.S.A. 2, 10), Timeline for taking effect: Day after the election unless otherwise specified (Cal.Const. Public review or notice: A pamphlet regarding the ballot questions is sent to voters' residential addresses and published in the Massachusetts register (M.G.L.A. Who creates petitions: Secretary of state prepares a sample petition (MCA 13-27-202 and -205). Signatures must be filed with the secretary of state by the 50th day of the first regular session or by the 25th day of the second regular session. Const. Next state election, and depending on type, must be submitted by September, then December, and then possibly July (see deadlines and timelines topic). The legislature has four months to pass the bill in amended or unchanged form. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. A requirement for 5% of the registered voters in two-fifths of the counties each was held unconstitutional, but that case was vacated because of an issue of standing. Limited to matters that can be enacted by legislation, and no measures that interfere with the legislatures ability to direct taxation of necessary revenues. Who can sign the petition: Registered electors of the state (Const. Where to file: Secretary of state and attorney general (ORC 3519.01(B)). Petition title and summary creation: Prepared by sponsor, approved by secretary of state. For indirect statutory initiatives, it is roughly 11 months and two weeks. These guidelines may include an application process, registering a certain number of sponsors, submitting the full text and an explanation of the measure, affidavits, the office or offices to file with, registering a proponent or opposition organization, campaign finance issues and the process for withdrawing an initiative. II, 1b), Types allowed: Direct statutory and constitutional amendment initiatives, and popular referendum, Single subject rule: Yes (OK Const. 168.476). Ballot title and summary: Secretary of state in consultation with the attorney general, but the full text of the measure is included if it is not too long (NDCC, 16.1-06-09). Legislature or other government official review: Nonpartisan staff of general assembly prepare summary, analysis and fiscal review (C.R.S.A. Six states do not have a law governing conflicting measures: Florida, Illinois, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota and Wyoming. Timeline for collecting signatures: Must be 180 days from official summary date by attorney general (Cal.Elec.Code 9014). For indirect initiatives, about nine months (proposed measure submitted within 10 months of the session it is to be submitted at with a deadline of 10 days before the session). Number of signatures required: For statutes, 5 % of the total qualified electors of the state, determined by the number of votes cast for governor in the preceding general election. 19-102), Fiscal review: Prepared by joint legislative budget committee staff (A.R.S. II, 1g; O.R.C. 4, 1, Pt. These may be accepted or rejected. Vote requirement for passage: Majority (Const. Art. Art. Restrictions included 120 days before election for amendments, and 160 days before an election and not less than 10 days before legislative session for statutes. Art. Utah: The governor must decide that two measures are in conflict (U.C.A. Art. Collected in-person: Yes (Mo.Rev.Stat. Art. Art. 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. 901 and 1 M.R.S.A. Const. Vote requirement for passage: Majority, provided that the votes cast on the measure shall equal at least one-third of the total votes cast at the election (Const. If there are insufficient state funds and the measure does not provide a source, it is effective 45 days after next regular legislative session. General review of petition: Within 20 days after initial petition filing, attorney general reviews and recommends revisions in an advisory capacity. Petition title and summary creation: The title of the act subject to the petition appears on the petition (Utah Code 20A-7-303). 1-40-111). Const. 34-1807), Circulator oaths or affidavits: Yes (I.C. Application process information: Before circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, a copy shall be submitted to the attorney general who shall prepare a title and summary of the measure as provided by law. Art. 3, 1 and Const. III, 2). Attorney general then submits petition to the secretary of state which begins the deadline clock (Cal.Elec.Code 336, 9001, 9002, 9004). 4, 1, Pt. Bill No. Allowed to pay another for their signature: Prohibited (NSR 295.300). II, 1(d) and RCW 29A.72.030 and .160. The requirements for an election with statewide ballot measures vary by state. Const. Art. This practice was first adopted by the state of Connecticut in 1818, and by the 20th century it had become the prevailing way of changing constitutions. All states require proponents of a popular referendum to follow guidelines. 905-A and M.R.S.A. 4, Pt. Several states require two officials to write or review the title and/or summary, given the importance of these items for a ballot measure. Proponent organization and requirements: Must follow financial statutes and file with Ethics Commission (A.C.A. 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). Art. 2, 3; Const. Registration must include the circulator's full name, residence address, phone number and email address; the petition for which the circulator will gather signatures; a statement that the circulator consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of Arizona in resolving any disputes concerning the circulation of petitions by the circulator; the address of the committee in Arizona for whom the circulator works and will accept service of process related to disputes; a notarized affidavit by the circulator (ARS 16-118). 3, 19). OH Const. 902) concisely require the counting and verification of signatures, without detailed guidance. Const. 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. Proponent financial disclosure requirements: Include but are not limited to reporting for contributions over $1,000, restrictions on what organizations can support, disclosure statements, semi-annual and pre-election statements, quarterly ballot measure statements, expedited and triggered statements and more (Cal.Gov.Code 82013, 84200, 84202.3, 85309, 84511, 84101, Cal.Elec.Code 18680; Form 460). Art. 5, 1), Repeal or change restrictions: No veto by governor, and two-thirds vote by legislature may amend or repeal (Ark. Clerks check the names, verify they are 18 or older, and determine if they are a registered voter. The first statewide general, special, special runoff, or primary election after the petition has been filed, a legislative session has convened and adjourned, and a period of 120 days has expired since the adjournment of the legislative session. Cure period for insufficient signatures: Subsequent to the filing of a petition under this subtitle, but prior to the deadline for filing the petition, additional signatures may be added to the petition by filing an amended information page and additional signature pages conforming to the requirements of this subtitle (Elec. 19-111; 19-124). 22-24-407). Time period restrictions before placed on the ballot: No additional other than deadlines, Majority to pass: Yes (MT CONST Art. Art. Art. Referendum is the power to reject or overturn legislative actions taken by the Council. See Const. Normal constitutional amendment requirements are needed to overturn an amendment (M.G.L.A. What is on each petition: Sponsors create petitions pursuant to guidelines in statute. Art. Application process information: Proponents prepare ballot statements and file them (MCA 13-27-202; 13-27-312). An important political aim of the Progressive movement was to. Question 3. Next statewide or general election, whichever comes first that is not less than 60 days after the petition is submitted, At the next ensuing election held throughout the state for members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Signatures in each of one-half of the 27 congressional districts of the state. Art. Number of signatures required: 6% of the qualified electors at the time of the last general election (IC 34-1805). II, 1g; O.R.C. 22-24-413). Laws 168.471. 353, 354). 3519.01). Timeline for taking effect: Thirty days after governor proclaims election results, which happens within 10 days after the vote has been canvassed and determined. II, 1g; Art. 3, 4. Legislature or other government official review: Reviews done by attorney general and legislative services division. 250.015; 250.052; 250.045). Art. Art. 1-40-130, 1-40-111), Number of signatures required: Five % of votes cast for secretary of state in last election (C.R.S.A. For indirect statute petitions, the legislature has 40 session days to pass or reject the unchanged or unamended measure. III, 5(1) and MCA 13-27-202, Const. Const. Art. Art. III, 4). 3, 1; Constitution 48, Init., Pt. Tit. Art. They are an effort to ensure that petition signers do not represent just the interests of heavily populated areas. 3, 50; Art. 2. stimulate democratic reforms such as the initiative and the referendum. Repeal or change restrictions: Laws approved by the people under the referendum provision of this section may be amended by the legislature at any subsequent session thereof (Const. IV, 1; O.R.S. 4, 5), Forty percent in Mississippi (MS Const. 2; 21 Okl.St.Ann. Other subject restrictions: May not repeal/modify the state's Bill of Rights, amend/repeal provisions relating to the state's public employees' retirement system, amend/repeal right-to-work provision, or modify the initiative process, and special rules if includes expenditures (MS Const. OK Const. Ballot title and summary: Full text is printed on the ballot if it is 200 words or less; if it is more than 200 words, secretary of state drafts a title. Art. Art. XVI, 3(d)). II, 10). 3, 18 and 21-A M.R.S.A. 2, 24). What is on each petition: There is very little in statute relating to petition contents or format. Art. Withdrawal process of individual signature: By crossing out his or her own signature at any time prior to the time when the petition is presented to the county clerk for signature verification, or at any time after presentation of the petition to the county clerk but prior to verification of the signature, by presenting in writing or submitting electronically to the county clerk a signed statement that the signer desires to have his name removed from the petition. Repeal or change restrictions: No veto from governor, and legislature may pass statutes normally (V.A.M.S. Number of signatures required: Five % of votes cast for governor in last election for stator. Const. Nine states (Arkansas, California, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Washington) also allow referenda on special election ballots. No more than one-quarter of signatures may come from a single county. Outer page of petition pamphlet includes warning to signers. 4, Pt. Any time before the final submission of signatures, the delegated proponents may write to the secretary of state to withdraw. Circulator requirements: U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older and a resident of the state as determined by AS 15.05.020 (AS 15.45.335). By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. 15, 273; Miss. Art. Where to file: secretary of state (Const. 3, 6). Cannot relate to: religion, the judiciary, specific appropriations, local or special legislation, the 18th Amendment of the constitution, anything inconsistent with the Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (M.G.L.A. 34-1811, 34-1813). Weve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. Indirect initiatives can require two rounds of signature gathering, so timelines and deadlines for these are more complex. At general elections except when a special election is ordered by the legislature, and must be filed at least six months before the election it is to be voted on. See also 21-A MRS 904-A, the repealed provision that prohibited payment per signature. . 48, Init., Pt. Public review or notice: State board of canvassers holds a public meeting on the amendment or question, make an official announcement 60 days before the election, and publicly post the amendment, including in newspapers and websites (M.C.L.A. Monthly reports are due on the 10th for any preceding month in which total contributions received or total expenditures made exceed $200. File a letter with secretary of state, signed by designated representatives, no later than 60 days prior to the election. 1953 20A-7-205). III, 3). 2, 9; Const. 14, 3), Who can sign the petition: Registered Illinois voters (ILCS Const. Must report name and address of donors of $50 or more. 54 53). Verification: Submitted to local registrars of each signer two weeks before submission to secretary of state, who establishes regulations to verify. Art. 3; Const. Const. 3, 52), Ballot title and summary: Secretary of state, approved by attorney general (V.A.M.S. Art. Repeal or change restrictions: The legislature shall not have the power to repeal a referendum measure passed by a majority of the voters (Const. Art. 74). 903-C). 8), South Dakota (SDCL 12-13-25.1; 12-13-26; 2-1-1-1; 2-1-1-2), South Dakota (SDCL 12-13-25.1; 12-13-26), Alaska: AS 15.13.040; 15.13.050; 15.13.065; 15.13.110, Arkansas: A.C.A. Time period restrictions before placed on the ballot: If 60 days do not so intervene between submission of the petition and the date for holding the next state election, then such law shall be submitted to the people at the next following state election, unless in the meantime it shall have been repealed (Const. 4). Geographic requirements based on U.S. House districts, which must be highly equal in population, have been ruled constitutional. Who can sign the petition: Registered voters of the state (Const. Verification: County officials ascertain whether each part-petition is properly verified, and whether the names on each part-petition are on the registration lists of such county, or whether the persons whose names appear on each part-petition are eligible to vote in such county, and to determine any repetition or duplication of signatures, the number of illegal signatures, and the omission of any necessary details required by law (ORC 3519.15). As in the case of the initiative and referendum, the recall process gives citizens a chance to practice grassroots democracy by removing elected officials who are disapproved of by a majority of voters. III, 2). 106.19), Allowed to pay another for their signature: No prohibition found, Number of signatures required: Eight pecent of total votes cast statewide in last presidential election (F.S.A. Vote requirement for passage: Majority (Const. Application process information: Any legal voter of the state may file with the secretary of state a legible copy of the part of such act on which a referendum is desired, an affidavit that the sponsor is a registered voter and a filing fee in an amount to be established by the secretary of state (RCW 29A.72.010).