Some argue that initiatives and referendums undermine representative government by circumventing the elected representatives of the people and allowing the people to directly make policy: they fear excessive majoritarianism (tyranny of the majority) as a result, believing that minority groups may be harmed. They sought a method to counter thisa way in which average persons could become directly involved in the political process. A recall is when a political committee petitions the electors of the state, county, city/town, or district to demand an officer be recalled based on a statement of grounds by the committee. Within six months from this measure's approval by voters, the Secretary of State would be required to develop a system that allows voters to view initiative, referendum, and recall petitions on a statewide internet website and do either of the following: (1) electronically sign the petition (with necessary identifying information) via that website or (2) download, print, and sign a petition document in the "portable document format" (known as PDF). The guide advised their supporters that, "It is OK to stand in front of their . True Progressive-era Governor Hiram Johnson is . What are the Mechanisms for Reform and Amendment? Registered voters are allowed to participate in an initiative and referendum. The vote reflects public preference on different issues that are generally of major political significance, such as whether or not to amend a constitution or join an international organization. If the proposed law receives the majority vote, it is approved, although there are some exceptions to this rule. [9], A May 2021 decision by the Mississippi Supreme Court nullified a voter-passed initiative that permitted medical marijuana in the state, with the 63 majority citing a fundamental flaw in the state's constitutional process that was viewed by media as effectively banning future use of indirect initiatives in the amendment process, barring a future constitutional amendment. [10][11], Called Popular referendum, or alternatively Veto Referendum, Citizen referendum, Statute referendum, Statute remand, People's veto, or Citizen's veto, in which a predetermined number of signatures (typically lower than the number required for an initiative) qualifies a ballot measure for voting on repealing or not a specific state law. Over time, after the development of the online petition system, the state and local government net costs or savings from this measure would depend on the system that the Secretary of State develops under this measure. THIS IS THE BEST ANSWER . Specifically popular during the Progressive Era, and are an example of "Direct Democracy" Advertisement Advertisement New questions in Social Studies. This database contains information on state processes, including subject matter, petitions, circulator requirements, signature requirements and more. In the indirect process, the proposal is submitted to the legislature. If a majority of state citizens vote to affirm the law, the state legislature will be barred from ever amending the law, and it can be amended or repealed only if approved by a majority of state citizens in a direct vote.[16]. The "Yes" option was endorsed with 56.85% of the votes. If the government approves it, the proposal becomes law without going to ballot. [25] John Diaz wrote in an editorial for the San Francisco Chronicle in 2008:[26]. They gather signatures so that the city council will vote on it. Under the Geneva Constitution of 1794, any . In 1964, Arkansas voters chose to abolish the poll tax. (19 Mar 2014), Formula for the number of Members of Parliament? The progressive era as a whole established what would become known as direct democracy, and established reforms that are still in use to this day, which are various forms of initiative, referendum, and recall. Youll encounter them anywhere that uses a democratic process, such as in organizations, clubs and associations, to name a few. One of the methods they came up with was the initiative and referendum. 303.335.4536. The signature requirement varies based on what districts are targeted for signature collection. Holingsworth; Actual state legislation, by J.A. 67. SECTION 1. Advantages. An "initiative" allows voters to directly enact new legislation, while a "referendum" allows voters to overturn legislation enacted by the jurisdiction's legislative body. In some states with the indirect process, the legislature may submit a competing measure that appears on the ballot along with the original proposal. County election officials have to verify the validity of thousands of voter signatures on petitions. The responsibility of conducting these referendums is with the Secretary of Agriculture, and eligibility to vote is limited to producers of the agricultural product in question. Therefore, it may prove difficult for the system to be developed within six months, as this measure could be interpreted to require. Recalls, referendums and initiatives exist beyond political bodies. Initiatives and referendumscollectively known as "ballot measures," "propositions," or simply "questions"differ from most legislation passed by representative democracies; ordinarily, an elected legislative body develops and passes laws. referendum and initiative, electoral devices by which voters may express their wishes with regard to government policy or proposed legislation. Initiatives and referendums, along with recall elections and popular primary elections, are signature reforms of the Progressive Era; they are written into several state constitutions, particularly in the West. Accordingly, some states are seeking a middle route. These topic pages provide a quick overview and easy access to all content that can be found on ACE for any give topic of interest - weather encyclopaedia files, electoral materials, comparative data, consolidated replies, case studies, or other. Initiative. A recall allows people to remove public officials from office, while referendum voting and initiatives allow citizens to propose, approve, or veto specific legislation. In 1902 thirteen amendments were adopted, including provisions for the initiative, the referendum and the recall. In 1911, California voters approved the constitutional processes of initiative, referendum, and recall. Every state except Delaware requires voter approval of constitutional amendments. [29] Signatures can be declared void based on technical omissions, and initiatives can be thrown out based on statistical samplings of signatures. Acquire the appropriate initiative, referendum, or recall petition in-person from the Secretary of State's Office. The following states have initiative and/or veto referendum processes at the statewide level: Click on the links below to read about signature requirements and deadlines for ballot initiatives in each state. As discussed in the L.A. Times Op-Ed column by Mark Baldassare, Californians consistently favor retention of the initiatives on the ballot. Once a recall petition is filed with the required signatures, the politician can resign or run for retention in a special election against a qualified candidate. Direct democracy has 4 devices - Referendum, Initiative, Recall and Plebiscite. Titles 16 and 19), prior to beginning any . Since they work on behalf of the majority, they are subject to voter control. It is a form of direct democracy. This is grounded on the principle that officials are agents of the electorate. Referendum 14. Initiative, Referendum and Recall. Its a good idea to understand these electoral devices. Initiative, Referendum, and Recall. In 1904, voters enacted the direct primary and, in 1908, Oregon's Constitution was amended to allow for recall of public officials. . The technical name of these types of votes used internationally is referendum, but within the United States they are commonly known as ballot measures, propositions or ballot questions. The availability of the powers at the local level varies by jurisdiction depending on state and local laws. To qualify a statutory initiative for the ballot, campaign organizers must collect a number of signatures equal to 8 percent of the legal voters. Apply today! Many states have laws in their constitution requiring a question to hold a constitutional convention to appear before the voters after a scheduled amount of time. c. Televised debates on ballot initiatives. Recall, Initiative, and Referendum are new authority granted to citizens. Referendum, however, is a measure submitted by the government to the people for their approval. NCSL summarizes the results of the Feb. 21, 2023, special elections in Kentucky, New Hampshire, Virginia and Wisconsin. In three states, Republican legislators asked voters to approve initiatives that would restrict their right to bring and pass future initiatives. Most of them are also initiative states. What are examples of initiative? Cal. The popular referendum is ameasure that appears on the ballot as a result of a voter petition drive andis similar to the initiative in that both are triggered by petitions, but there are important differences. Source: National Council of State . 1-10, 13-15; Art. Statutory initiatives typically require fewer signatures to qualify to be placed on a future ballot.). SEC. Legislatures themselves may tighten already arduous requirements. [13], Legislative referral (aka "legislative referendum", or "referendum bill" in the state of Washington for legislatively referred state statute), in which the legislature puts proposed legislation up for popular vote (either voluntarily or, in the case of a constitutional amendment, as an obligatory part of the procedure). The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, and ratification. This is the requirement for each of the two rounds of signatures, therefore, in total, the requirement is 248,093 valid signatures, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Alaska, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Arizona, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Arkansas, Signature requirements for ballot measures in California, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Colorado, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Florida, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Idaho, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Illinois, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Maine, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Maryland, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Massachusetts, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Michigan, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Mississippi, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Missouri, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Montana, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Nebraska, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Nevada, Signature requirements for ballot measures in New Mexico, Signature requirements for ballot measures in North Dakota, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Ohio, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Oklahoma, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Oregon, Signature requirements for ballot measures in South Dakota, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Utah, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Washington, Signature requirements for ballot measures in Wyoming, Changes in 2009 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2008 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2007 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2010 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2011 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2012 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2013 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2014 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2016 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2015 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2017 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2018 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2019 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2020 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2021 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2022 to laws governing ballot measures, Changes in 2023 to laws governing ballot measures, States that allow initiated constitutional amendments, Chart of American states and their access to direct democracy, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Kansas, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Nevada, Laws governing citizen grand juries in North Dakota, Laws governing citizen grand juries in New Mexico, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Nebraska, Laws governing citizen grand juries in Oklahoma, Indirect initiated constitutional amendment, Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute, Legislatively referred constitutional amendment, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=States_with_initiative_or_referendum&oldid=8750094, Pages using DynamicPageList parser function, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Campaigns to support or oppose such measures regularly raise millions of dollars to develop proposals, fund signature-gathering campaigns, and present their viewpoints to the public at large. (27 May 2015), Experiences with reserved seats or constituencies for women in parliamentary elections b. A further disadvantage is the sheer number and complexity of issues that voters are expected to vote on. question of affirmative action was interpreted by some as. There are critics that disapprove of . Depending on the nature of the referendum, the result may be binding. (20 Dec 2011), Proportional Representation in Hong Kong Government However, research undertaken in the US has produced different conclusions about whether initiatives do actually restrict the rights of minorities or not. China: Village Committee Elections: First Steps on a Long March? Proponents of an initiative, referendum, or recall effort must apply for an official petition serial number from the Town Clerk. See NCSL's Initiative and Referendum Processes resourceformore comprehensive details on citizen initiatives, popular referenda and each state's laws. Please note that the comment period applies only to initiatives and will conclude after 30 days.