Legislatively referred bond measure
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: 2025 ballot measures and 2026 ballot measures
The following is a list of legislatively referred constitutional amendments certified for the current year and next year:
There are no legislatively referred bond measures certified for the current or next year's ballot.
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:
See also
- Forms of direct democracy in the American states
- Amending state constitutions
- Types of ballot measures
- Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
- List of ballot measures by state
Footnotes
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