2010 ballot measure petition signature costs

How much money did initiative sponsors spend per signature to qualify their initiatives in 2010? This article compares-and-contrasts signature-collection costs based on the CPRS, or Cost Per Required Signature.

When initiative sponsors collect and submit signatures, they aim to collect many more than the required minimum number of signatures. This is done in order to provide a sufficient cushion for those signatures that inevitably are disqualified. In most states, anywhere from 25-35% of submitted signatures are disqualified.

Some initiative sponsors collect a much larger cushion of extra signatures. If it were possible to know exactly how many signatures each initiative sponsor submitted in each state, it would be possible to calculate a "cost-per-actual-signature" figure for every 2010 initiative in every state, which would allow an apples-to-apples comparison. In some states, the figure of exactly how many signatures were submitted to election officials is made publicly available but in other states, that figure is not publicly available. This is especially true in states, such as California, where signatures are submitted to each of the state's 58 counties, rather than to one central election office.

This chart, therefore, compares signature-collection costs based on a figure that is publicly available, which is the legal minimum requirement of signatures in each state.

• Overview
• State overviews
• State by state
• Cost per signature rankings
• Petition management company breakdown
• Category breakdowns

Thousands of signatures are collected each year; some by volunteers and others by petition drive companies. In comparison to 2011, 2010 was abundant with initiatives. While millions of dollars (an estimated $379 million) were spent in 2010's ballot measure campaign efforts, first initiative supporters spent an estimated $36 million to qualify the initiative for the statewide ballot by circulating initiative petitions.

More than 600 initiatives were proposed in 2010, however, only 50 were voted on in November 2010.

• This chart shows an overview of the data collected. Included is which states had initiatives on the ballot in 2010. The table also shows how many initiatives paid over $2, $4, $6 and $8 per signature. Also included is the final average CPRS among all initiatives listed.

Note: Dashes presented in the chart signify that no initiatives in that state hired a petition drive management company. A "0" in the chart shows that there were no initiative efforts in the state that spent above that CPRS..

QUICK STATISTICS:

• A total of $35,726,200.94 was spent on petition signatures
• 16 initiatives had a CPRS of above $2
• 7 initiatives had a CPRS of above $4
• 3 initiatives had a CPRS of above $6, while another 3 were above $8
• The state with the highest CPRS was Montana, with an average of $6.03 cost per required signature.

State	Measures	Measures with CPRS above $2	Above $4	Above $6	Above $8	Average CPRS
Alaska	2	0	0	0	0	$1.59
Arizona	1	0	0	0	0	$1.64
California	11	8	3	0	0	$3.52
Colorado	6	-	-	-	-	-
Florida	3	2	0	0	0	$1.74
Maine	2	0	0	0	0	$0.14
Massachusetts	3	0	1	0	0	$2.13
Missouri	2	1	0	0	1	$5.61
Montana	3	1	0	1	1	$6.03
North Dakota	1	-	-	-	-	-
Oklahoma	1	0	1	0	0	$4.31
Oregon	6	0	2	0	1	$5.52
South Dakota	2	-	-	-	-	-
Washington	6	4	0	2	0	$3.98
TOTAL	49	16	7	3	3	$3.29

This table shows which individual initiative in each state spent the most per signature. To view which initiative spent the most per signature in each state, click on the dollar amount in each row. * The following is the average of each initiative's CPRS:

Note: Dashes presented in the chart signify that no initiatives in that state hired a petition drive management company. Dashes presented in the chart were not included in the calculation of the average CPRS.

QUICK STATISTICS

• The state with the most expensive CPRS was Montana with $9.51
• Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota were the states with no CPRS due to not hiring petition management companies.

State	Most expensive CPRS
Alaska	$1.59
Arizona	$1.64
California	$5.23
Colorado	-
Florida	$2.02
Maine	$0.14
Massachusetts	$4.70
Missouri	$9.19
Montana	$9.51
North Dakota	-
Oklahoma	$4.31
Oregon	$6.92
South Dakota	-
Washington	$6.69
AVERAGE	$4.72

This chart presents the most expensive total amount spent on a petition drive by state. Also included is the average of all the most expensive initiatives found in each state.

Note: Dashes presented in the chart signify that no initiatives in that state hired a petition drive management company.

QUICK STATISTICS

• The most expensive figure in this chart was spent in California. This initiative was Proposition 27 with $3,031,085.
• The second highest was Washington at $1,613,728.80. The initiative was Washington Initiative 1107.
• The average CPRS of initiatives from the chart was $850,834.53.

State	Most expensive total cost
Alaska	$52,154.02
Arizona	$252,000
California	$3,031,085
Colorado	-
Florida	$1,366,300
Maine	$7,823.23
Massachusetts	$365,000
Missouri	$844,252
Montana	$463,000
North Dakota	-
Oklahoma	$600,000
Oregon	$763,836.74
South Dakota	-
Washington	$1,613,728.80
Average	$850,834.53

Alaska

See also: Alaska signature requirements, Alaska 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Measure 1	Gov't accountability	n/a	n/a	32,734	n/a
Measure 2	Abortion	Dewey Square Group	$52,154.02	32,734	$1.59

Arizona

See also: Arizona signature requirements, Arizona 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Medical Marijuana, Proposition 203	Marijuana	Riester Consulting Company	$252,000	153,365	$1.64

California

See also: California signature requirements, California 2010 ballot propositions

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Proposition 16	Elections	Arno Political Consultants	$2,199,794	694,354	$3.17
Proposition 17	Regulation	National Petition Management	$2,273,745	433,971	$5.23
Proposition 19	Marijuana	Masterson & Wright	$987,833	433,971	$2.27
Proposition 20	Elections	National Petition Management	$1,937,380	694,354	$2.79
Proposition 21	Taxes	Masterson & Wright	$1,144,515	433,971	$2.64
Proposition 22	State spending	Progressive Campaigns	$1,646,596	694,354	$2.37
Proposition 23	Environment	National Petition Management	$2,222,312	433,971	$5.12
Proposition 24	Taxes	Kimball Petition Management	$1,587,363	433,971	$3.65
Proposition 25	State spending	Kimball Petition Management	$2,626,808	694,354	$3.78
Proposition 26	Taxes	National Petition Management	$2,341,023	694,354	$3.37
Proposition 27	Elections	Kimball Petition Management	$3,031,085	694,354	$4.37

See also: Vendors and consultants to California's 2010 ballot proposition campaigns

Colorado

See also: Colorado signature requirements, Colorado 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Proposition 101	State budgets	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a
Proposition 102	Law enforcement	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a
Amendment 60	State budgets	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a
Amendment 61	State budgets	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a
Amendment 62	Abortion	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a
Amendment 63	Health care	n/a	n/a	76,047	n/a

Florida

See also: Florida signature requirements, Florida 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Amendment 4	Property rights	Multiple	$807,647	676,811	$1.19
Amendment 5	Redistricting	Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	$1,366,300	676,811	$2.02
Amendment 6	Redistricting	Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	$1,366,300	676,811	$2.02

Disclaimer:

• Amendment 4: The sponsoring committee of Amendment 4, Florida Hometown Democracy, used multiple petition gathering companies, including Progressive Campaigns, Inc., during their signature drive.

• Amendment 5 & Amendment 6: Due to Amendment 5 and 6 being of similar subject and having the same sponsoring committee, Fair Districts Florida, an exact individual cost and CPRV for each amendment could not be reliably calculated. Instead, the cost and CPRV were calculated by evenly dividing the total expenditure of $2,732,600.90 to the signature collection company which Fair Districts Florida reported to Florida state.

Maine

See also: Maine signature requirements, Maine 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Question 1 (June)	Taxes	n/a	n/a	55,087	n/a
Question 1 (Nov)	Gambling	National Petition Management	$7,823.23	55,087	$0.14

Massachusetts

See also: Massachusetts signature requirements, Massachusetts 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Question 1	Taxes	Spoonworks, Inc.	$365,000	77,692	$4.70
Question 2	Housing	Freedom Petition Management	$6,000	77,692	$0.08
Question 3	Taxes	Freedom Petition Management	$125,032.75	77,692	$1.62

Disclaimer:

• In February 2010, the firm Freedom Petition Management prepared a lawsuit against Massachusetts Question 2. The lawsuit claimed that $200,000 was due to them by supporters of the measure. The status of the lawsuit is unknown at this time.

Missouri

See also: Missouri signature requirements, Missouri 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Proposition A	Taxes	National Petition Management	$844,252	See details here	$9.19
Proposition B	Animal Rights	Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	$186,054	See details here	$2.03

Disclaimer:

• Due to the structuring of Missouri signature requirements, the CPRS is based on lowest possible district combination of required votes.

Montana

See also: Montana signature requirements, Montana 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
I-161	Hunting	Various employment agencies	$61,506.83	24,336	$2.53
CI-105	Taxes	Lincoln Strategy Group	$463,000	48,673	$9.51
I-164	Admin. of gov't.	M&R Strategic Services	$147,353.67	24,336	$6.05

North Dakota

See also: North Dakota signature requirements, North Dakota 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Fenced Hunting Ban	Hunting	n/a	n/a	12,844	n/a

Disclaimer:

• No signature collection company was identified as having been hired or used by the sponsoring committee, North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase. CPRS statistics are not currently available.

Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma signature requirements, Oklahoma 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
State Question 744	Education	Oklahoma Education Association	$600,000	138,970	$4.31

Oregon

See also: Oregon signature requirements, Oregon 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Measure 66 (January)	Taxes	Voice of the Electorate, LLC	$275,000	55,179	$4.98
Measure 67 (January)	Taxes	Voice of the Electorate, LLC	$275,000	55,179	$4.98
Measure 73	Law Enforcement	n/a	n/a	82,769	n/a
Measure 74	Marijuana	n/a	n/a	82,769	n/a
Measure 75	Gambling	n/a	n/a	82,769	n/a
Measure 76	Environment	Progressive Campaigns, Inc. and NW Democracy Resources	$763,836.74	110,358	$6.92

Disclaimer:

• Measure 66 and Measure 67: Due to Measure 66 and 67 being of similar subject and having the same sponsoring committee, Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, an exact individual cost and CPRV for each amendment could not be reliably calculated. Instead, the cost and CPRV were calculated by evenly dividing the total expenditure of $550,000 to the signature collection company which Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes reported to the state of Oregon.

• Measure 73: No signature collection company was identified as having been hired or used by the sponsoring committee, Yes on 73. CPRS statistics are not currently available.

• Measure 74: No signature collection company was identified as having been hired or used by the sponsoring committees, Oregonians for Responsible Regulation of Medical Marijuana, Yes on 74, Responsible Citizens of an Enlightened and Educated Society, and Regulate Medical Marijuana. CPRS statistics are not currently available.

• Measure 75: No signature collection company was identified as having been hired or used by the sponsoring committee, Good for Oregon. NW Democracy, a petition company, did participate but not in petition circulation. According to available campaign finance reports, the company helped only with canvassing and posting yard signs. CPRS statistics are not currently available.

South Dakota

See also: South Dakota signature requirements, South Dakota 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
Referred Law 12	Tobacco	n/a	n/a	16,776	n/a
Initiated Measure 13	Marijuana	n/a	n/a	16,776	n/a

Washington

See also: Washington signature requirements, Washington 2010 ballot measures

Ballot measure	Subject	Signature collection company	Cost	Signatures required	CPRS
I-1100	Alcohol	Citizens Solutions, Inc	$650,000	241,153	$2.69
I-1082	Labor	Citizens Solutions, Inc	$626,432.80	241,153	$2.60
I-1098	Taxes	Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	$591,863	241,153	$2.45
I-1053	Taxes	Citizens Solutions, Inc	$780,000	241,153	$3.23
I-1105	Alcohol	Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	$1,501,462.1	241,153	$6.23
I-1107	Taxes	National Petition Management	$1,613,728.80	241,153	$6.69

The following is a complete ranking of initiatives, from highest to lowest, by the cost per required signatures. Initiatives that did not hire a petition drive management company were not included in the chart.

QUICK STATISTICS

• 35 measures used petition drive management companies.
• 33 slots are listed below due to two measures being tied on two separate occasions.
• California had nine measures in the top 20.
• Massachusetts Question 2 had the lowest CPRS with $0.08 per require signature.

#	Measure	Amount
1	Montana I-161	$9.51
2	Missouri Proposition A	$9.19
3	Oregon Measure 76	$6.92
4	Washington Initiative 1107	$6.69
5	Washington Initiative 1105	$6.23
6	Montana I-164	$6.05
7	California Proposition 17	$5.23
8	California Proposition 23	$5.12
9	Oregon Measures 66 & 67	$4.98
10	Massachusetts Question 1	$4.70
11	California Proposition 27	$4.37
12	Oklahoma State Question 744	$4.31
13	California Proposition 25	$3.78
14	California Proposition 24	$3.65
15	California Proposition 26	$3.37
16	Washington Initiative 1053	$3.23
17	California Proposition 16	$3.17
18	California Proposition 20	$2.79

#	Measure	Amount
19	Washington Initiative 1100	$2.69
20	California Proposition 21	$2.64
21	Washington Initiative 1082	$2.60
22	Montana I-161	$2.53
23	Washington Initiative 1098	$2.45
24	California Proposition 22	$2.37
25	California Proposition 19	$2.27
26	Missouri Proposition B	$2.03
27	Florida Amendments 5 & 6	$2.02
28	Arizona Proposition 203	$1.64
29	Massachusetts Question 3	$1.62
30	Alaska Ballot Measure 2	$1.59
31	Florida Amendment 4	$1.19
32	Maine Question 1	$0.14
33	Massachusetts Question 2	$0.08

This section provides a breakdown and list of petition management companies used by all initiatives in 2010. Included is how many initiative efforts each company managed, and in what states these companies were hired in. Some initiatives hired various petition management companies, and therefore were not included in the breakdown below.

QUICK STATISTICS

• National Petition Management and Progressive Campaigns, Inc. both had seven initiative efforts managed.
• A total of five petition drive management companies were hired in California, the most among states.
• Washington came in second with two petition drive management companies.

Petition management company	# of petition drives managed	States those managed petition drives were found in
National Petition Management	7	California, Maine, Missouri, Washington
Progressive Campaigns, Inc.	7	California, Florida, Missouri, Oregon, Washington
Citizens Solutions, Inc.	3	Washington
Kimball Petition Management	3	California
Masterson & Wright	2	California
Voice of the Electorate, LLC	2	Oregon
Arno Political Consultants	1	California
Dewey Square Group	1	Alaska
Lincoln Strategy Group	1	Montana
M&R Strategic Services	1	Montana
NW Democracy Resources	1	Oregon
Riester Consulting Company	1	Arizona

This breakdown of initiatives by political topic shows which which topic had the most initiatives on the ballot and the average CPRS of each topic. Only political categories with two or more initiatives on the ballot were included in this analysis.

QUICK STATS

• The category of taxes dominated initiatives in 2010 with 12, resulting in an average $4.75 CPRS
• Elections and campaigns came in second, with a wide gap, at 3 initiatives, resulting in an average $3.44 CPRS.

Political topic	Number of initiatives relating to topic	Average CPRS
Taxes	12	$4.75
Elections	3	$3.44
Alcohol	2	$4.46
Environment	2	$6.02
Redistricting	2	$2.02
State spending	2	$3.08

See also

• 2010 ballot measures
• Ballotpedia:Analysis of the 2010 ballot measures
• Initiative activity in 2010

Articles

• Ballotpedia analyzes 2010 ballot measure petition signature costs