Initiated state statute
From Ballotpedia
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. |
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot. Proponents of a ballot initiative collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state.
While a direct initiative goes to voters, an indirect initiated statute first goes to the state legislature, which can select to enact the initiative. You can read more about indirect initiated state statutes here.
The 21 states that provide for initiated state statutes are:
Initiated state statutes on the ballot
- See also: 2025 ballot measures and 2026 ballot measures
The following is a list of initiated state statutes certified for the current year and next year:
- Oklahoma State Question 832, $15 Minimum Wage Initiative (June 2026)
- Wyoming Homeowner’s Primary Residence Property Tax Exemption Initiative (2026)
States that provide for initiated state statutes
The following map illustrates which states provide for initiated state statutes and information on whether the initiatives are direct or indirect:
List of states
The following table provides a list of what states provide for initiated state statutes, as well as information on the type (direct or indirect) and signature requirements.
| States that provide for initiated state statutes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Adopted | Type | Constitutional provision | Signature number requirement |
| Alaska | 1956 | Indirect | Article XI, Section 1 of Alaska Constitution | 10% of votes cast in the last general election |
| Arizona | 1912 | Direct | Article 4, Part 1 of Arizona Constitution | 10% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Arkansas | 1920 | Direct | Article 5, Section 1 of Arkansas Constitution | 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| California | 1911 | Direct | Article II, Section 8 of California Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Colorado | 1910 | Direct | Article V, Section 1 of Colorado Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for secretary of state in the last election |
| Idaho | 1912 | Direct | Article III, Section 1 of Idaho Constitution | 6% of registered voters at the last general election |
| Maine | 1908 | Indirect | Article IV, Section 17 of Maine Constitution | 10% of votes for governor at the last general election |
| Massachusetts | 1918 | Indirect | Article LXXIV of Massachusetts Constitution | 3.5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Michigan | 1908 | Indirect | Article II, Section 9 of Michigan Constitution | 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Missouri | 1908 | Direct | Article III, Section 49 of Missouri Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Montana | 1906 | Direct | Article III, Section 4 of Montana Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Nebraska | 1912 | Direct | Article III, Section 2 of Nebraska Constitution | 7% of registered voters |
| Nevada | 1905 | Indirect | Article 19, Section 2 of Nevada Constitution | 10% of the votes cast in the preceding general election |
| North Dakota | 1914 | Direct | Article III, Section 1 of North Dakota Constitution | 2% of the population |
| Ohio | 1912 | Indirect | Article II, Section 1b of Ohio Constitution | 3% of the total number of active voters for the legislature and an additional 3% for the ballot |
| Oklahoma | 1907 | Direct | Article V, Section 1 of Oklahoma Constitution | 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Oregon | 1902 | Direct | Article IV, Section 1 of Oregon Constitution | 6% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| South Dakota | 1898 | Direct | Article III, Section 1 of South Dakota Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Utah | 1900 | Direct and Indirect | Article VI, Section 1 of Utah Constitution | Direct: 8% of the total number of active voters Indirect: 4% of the total number of active voters for the legislature and an additional 4% for the ballot |
| Washington | 1912 | Direct and Indirect | Article II, Section 1 of Washington Constitution | 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election |
| Wyoming | 1968 | Indirect | Article 3 of Wyoming Constitution | 15% of the total ballots cast in the previous general election |
Changing voter-approved initiated state statutes
- See also: Legislative alteration
States have different laws governing when and how legislators can amend voter-approved initiated state statutes. Of the 21 states that provide for initiated state statutes:
- Eleven states have no restrictions on when or how legislators can amend or repeal voter-approved initiated statutes.
- Ten states have restrictions on how and when the legislature can amend or repeal voter-approved initiatives.
- Eight states have a supermajority vote requirement or a time requirement.
- Two states require voter approval to amend voter-approved initiatives.
Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state
- See also: States with initiative or referendum
There are 26 states that provide citizens with the power of initiative, referendum, or both. The following table shows the type of citizen-initiated ballot measures in each of those states. The table also provides the signature requirements for each type of measure for the 2025-2026 election cycle.
| States that provide for types of citizen-initiated measures and current signature requirements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Constitutional | Signatures | Statute | Signatures | Referendum | Signatures |
| Alaska | No | N/A | Yes | 34,098 | Yes | 34,098 |
| Arizona | Yes | 383,923 | Yes | 255,949 | Yes | 127,975 |
| Arkansas | Yes | 90,704 | Yes | 72,563 | Yes | 54,422 |
| California | Yes | 874,641 | Yes | 546,651 | Yes | 546,651 |
| Colorado | Yes | 124,238 | Yes | 124,238 | Yes | 124,238 |
| Florida | Yes | 871,500 | No | N/A | No | N/A |
| Idaho | No | N/A | Yes | 70,725 | Yes | 70,725 |
| Illinois | Yes | 328,371 | No | N/A | No | N/A |
| Maine | No | N/A | Yes | 67,682 | Yes | 67,682 |
| Maryland | No | N/A | No | N/A | Yes | 60,157 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 74,490 | Yes | 74,490 | Yes | 37,245[1] |
| Michigan | Yes | 446,198 | Yes | 356,958 | Yes | 223,099 |
| Mississippi[2] | Yes | 106,190 | No | N/A | No | N/A |
| Missouri | Yes | 185,152[3] | Yes | 115,720[3] | Yes | 115,720[3] |
| Montana | Yes | 60,240 | Yes | 30,120 | Yes | 30,120 |
| Nebraska | Yes | 126,838 | Yes | 88,787 | Yes | 63,419[4] |
| New Mexico | No | N/A | No | N/A | Yes | 92,829[5] |
| Nevada | Yes | 102,362 | Yes | 135,561 | Yes | 102,362 |
| North Dakota | Yes | 31,164 | Yes | 15,582 | Yes | 15,582 |
| Ohio | Yes | 413,487 | Yes | 248,092[6] | Yes | 248,093 |
| Oklahoma | Yes | 172,993 | Yes | 92,263 | Yes | 57,664 |
| Oregon | Yes | 156,231 | Yes | 117,173 | Yes | 78,115 |
| South Dakota | Yes | 35,017 | Yes | 17,508 | Yes | 17,508 |
| Utah | No | N/A | Yes | 140,748 | Yes | 140,748 |
| Washington | No | N/A | Yes | 308,911 | Yes | 154,456 |
| Wyoming | No | N/A | Yes | 40,669 | Yes | 40,669 |
Types of ballot measures
- See also: Ballot measure
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
- States with initiative or referendum
- Types of ballot measures
- Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
- Indirect initiated state statute
Footnotes
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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.