Ballot 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.
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In the United States, a ballot measure is a law, issue, or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide.

Most of the laws governing ballot measures are state laws as there is no federal ballot measure process. This means the process for ballot measures varies depending on the state.

This page provides an overview of the different types of ballot measures in the U.S. The different types of ballot measures can be grouped based on their origins.

• There are citizen-initiated ballot measures, in which people collect signatures to place an issue on the ballot.

• There are legislative ballot measures, in which legislators vote to place a statute or constitutional amendment on the ballot.

While citizen initiatives and legislative referrals are the most common types of ballot measures, there are also automatic ballot referrals, constitutional convention-referred amendments, and commission-referred measures.

2025 ballot measures

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Visit the following links to learn more about the current year's state and local ballot measures:

• 2025 state ballot measures
• 2025 local ballot measures

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

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

• Legislatively referred state statute

• Legislatively referred bond measure

• Advisory question

Other type of state ballot measure

• Automatic ballot referral

• Constitutional convention question

• Commission-referred ballot measure

• Convention-referred constitutional amendment

Citizen-initiated ballot measures

See also: Ballot initiative

A ballot initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure. The ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide. Some states have an indirect process in which legislatures have the option to approve the proposals outright.

Other names for ballot initiatives include popular initiatives, citizen initiatives, and citizen referendums.

A citizen-initiated ballot measure can be an initiated state statute, initiated constitutional amendment, or a veto referendum. A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law.

There are 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures.

• 18 allow for initiated constitutional amendments.
• 21 allow for initiated state statutes.
• Two — Maryland and New Mexico — allow for veto referendums but not initiated statutes or initiated amendments.