States with initiative or referendum
 |
| 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. |
In the U.S., 26 states provide for a statewide initiative process, referendum process, or both. Washington, D.C. also has an initiative and referendum process. These types of ballot measures are known as citizen-initiated ballot measures.
- The initiative process allows citizens to collect signatures to place a new statute or constitutional amendment on the ballot.
- The referendum process, also called a veto referendum or citizen's veto, allows citizens to collect signatures to ask voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law.
States with initiative and referendum
- See also: States with initiative or referendum
The following 26 states have an initiative process, referendum process, or both at the statewide level. Washington, D.C. also has an initiative and referendum process.
Note on Mississippi:
Mississippi has an initiated constitutional amendment process, including a signature distribution requirement based on five congressional districts. However, the requirements cannot be met, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court, because the state has four congressional districts following reapportionment in 2001.[1]
Map of states
The following is a map of the 26 states and information on the different types of citizen-initiated measures in these states:
See also
- Initiative and referendum
- Forms of direct democracy in the American states
- Types of ballot measures
- Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
- Laws governing ballot measures
- Changes to laws governing ballot measures
- List of ballot measures by state
Foot notes
- ↑ Mississippi Supreme Court, "In Re Initiative Measure No. 65: Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler V Michael Watson, in His Official Capacity as Secretary of State for the State of Mississippi," May 14, 2021
- ↑ Mississippi has an initiated constitutional amendment process, including a signature distribution requirement based on five congressional districts. However, the requirements cannot be met, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court, because the state has four congressional districts following reapportionment in 2001.
- ↑ In 1898, voters approved an amendment providing for initiated state statutes and veto referendums. In 1972, voters approved a revised constitution, which included a process for initiated constitutional amendments.
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 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 is 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 is 232,072 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.
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