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Initiative

From dKosopedia

Category: Elections

Contents 1 Definition 2 Initiative States 3 Signature Requirements 4 Timing of Ballot Issues 5 States Without Initiatives 6 Criticism 7 References

Definition

The initiative process gives voters the power to propose and enact legislation by popular vote, rather than through the traditional legislative process. Voters have this power in twenty-four states.

An initiative may be either direct or indirect. In the case of an indirect initiative, the voters must submit legislation to the legislature; if the legislation is not enacted, then it goes to the voters. In the case of a direct initiative, voters may bypass the legislature entirely.

Initiative States

While most initiative states allow voters to propose both laws and amendments, some states permit only one or the other; the maps below show initiative states, whether voters may propose laws, amendments, or both, and whether the initiative may be direct or indirect.

Initiative States
Amendment	Law
The constitution cannot be amended by inititiave.     The constitution may be amended by direct initative.     The constitution may be amended by indirect initiative.	Laws cannot be passed by inititiave.     Laws may be passed by direct initative.     Laws may be passed by indirect initiative.     Laws may be passed by both direct and indirect initiative.

Signature Requirements

Before its sponsors can submit an initiative to the legislature or to the voters of their state, the state requires that its sponsors show proof of popular support. To provide such proof, sponsors circulate petitions in support of the initiative among state residents; if sponsors gather sufficient signatures within a certain time, the initiative will proceed to the legislature or to the voters.

The number of signatures, their geographic distribution, and the time afforded to collect them may vary by state, by year, and by inititiative type. The maps below show whether a state requires signatures follow a certain geographic distribution and how long the state allows signatures to be gathered. The table below further details the signature requirements for each state and initiative type.

Signature Requirements
Geographic Distribution	Circulation Period
No initiative.     Signatures need not follow a geographic distribution.     Signatures must follow a certain geographic distribution.	No initiative.     Petitions may be circulated for an unlimited period of time.     Petitions may be circulated between one and four years.     Petitions may be circulated for less than one year.

State	Type	Signatures Required		Geographic Distribution						Circulation Period
AK	IL	10.0%	of votes cast in the last GE	At least 1 signature in 2/3 of Election Districts						1	years
AR	DA	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	5.0%	in	15	of	75	Counties		Unlimited
AR	DL	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	5.0%	in	15	of	75	Counties		Unlimited
AZ	DA	15.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						20	months
AZ	DL	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						20	months
CA	DA	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						150	days
CA	DL	5.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						150	days
CO	DA	5.0%	of votes cast for SOS	No geographic distribution						6	months
CO	DL	5.0%	of votes cast for SOS	No geographic distribution						6	months
FL	DA	8.0%	of ballots cast in the last PE	8.0%	in	12	of	23	Congressional Districts	4	years
ID	DL	6.0%	of registered voters	6.0%	in	22	of	22	Counties	18	months
MA	IA	3.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No more than 25% from a single county						64	days
MA	IL	3.5%	of votes cast for Governor	No more than 25% from a single county						64	days
ME	IL	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						1	years
MI	DA	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						180	days
MI	IL	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						180	days
MO	DA	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	5.0%	in	6	of	9	Congressional Districts	16	months
MS	IA	12.0%	of votes cast for Governor	20.0%	in	4	of	4	Congressional Districts	1	years
MT	DA	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	10.0%	in	40	of	50	Legislative Districts	1	years
MT	DL	5.0%	of votes cast for Governor	5.0%	in	34	of	50	Legislative Districts	1	years
ND	DA	4.0%	of population	No geographic distribution						1	years
ND	DL	2.0%	of population	No geographic distribution						1	years
NE	DA	10.0%	of registered voters	5.0%	in	38	of	93	Counties	1	years
NE	DL	7.0%	of registered voters	5.0%	in	38	of	93	Counties	1	years
NV	DA	10.0%	of registered voters	10.0%	in	13	of	17	Counties	11	months
NV	IL	10.0%	of votes cast in the last GE	10.0%	in	13	of	17	Counties	10	months
OH	DA	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	5.0%	in	44	of	88	Counties		Unlimited
OH	IL	6.0%	of votes cast for Governor	1.5%	in	44	of	88	Counties		Unlimited
OK	DA	15.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						90	days
OK	DL	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						90	days
OR	DA	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution							Unlimited
OR	DL	6.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution							Unlimited
SD	DA	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						1	years
SD	DL	5.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						1	years
UT	DL	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	10.0%	in	20	of	29	Counties		Unlimited
UT	IL	10.0%	of votes cast for Governor	10.0%	in	20	of	29	Counties		Unlimited
WA	DL	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						6	months
WA	IL	8.0%	of votes cast for Governor	No geographic distribution						10	months
WY	IL	15.0%	of votes cast in the last GE	15% of total votes cast in the last election from at least 2/3 of the counties						18	months

Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Idaho Maine Massachusetts Washington

Timing of Ballot Issues

Only five states permit ballot issues in odd numbered years. They are Maine, Colorado, Mississippi, Ohio and Washington State.

States Without Initiatives

Half of the states (25) do not have the citizen initiative for either constitutional amendments or for laws. They are:

Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Generally speaking, the earlier a state entered the United States, the less likely it is to authorize initiatives.

Criticism

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Progressive Era reformers wrote the initiative into state constitutions, they hoped that the process would allow the people and counteract corporate corruption of state legislatures. Unfortunately, the same corporate corruption now influences the initiative process, with corporate interests turning to the initiative when their efforts in the legislature fail.

Critics of the initiative process argue that it leads to bad policy because there is no room to debate or amend a measure -- the citizens must give it an up or down vote as proposed by its sponsor. Critics also argue that voters are often ill informed about initiatives due to a lack of time to study their details or to consider the problems addressed globally (e.g. tax limitations within the context of an overall budget picture).

References

• Initiative and Referendum Institute at The University of Southern California

• Ballot Initiative Strategy Center

View source | Discuss this page | Page history | What links here | Related changes Main Page | About dKosopedia | Recent changes |   This page was last modified 23:08, 23 February 2008 by dKosopedia user DrDebug. Based on work by Chad Lupkes and Andrew Oh-Willeke and dKosopedia user(s) Drew. Content is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.