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Ballot initiatives filed for the 2016 ballot

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This is a research page for collecting information to track the number of initiatives filed in each of the states with an initiative or referendum. This page is updated within the first two weeks of each month and lists the number of proposed initiatives as of the first day of the month through July 2016.[1]

This page does count:

  • Initiatives that were filed in states with a rolling petition deadline that might still qualify for the 2017 ballot or 2018 ballot.[3]
  • Multiple versions of what appears to be basically the same initiative.[4]
  • Initiatives that have already qualified for a 2016 ballot.

This page does not count:

  • Ballot measures proposed by a state legislature.[5]
  • Initiatives that groups have said they are going to file but have not actually filed.

Click here to see the number of initiatives filed in each state.


Lowered signature requirements indicated that we would see an increase in the number of citizen-initiated measures on the ballot.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • In 2016, citizen initiatives and veto referendums made up 33 out of the 69 ballot measures that were on the ballot. This compares to a total of 35 citizen initiatives certified for the ballot in 2014.

    • The number of signatures required to get an initiative on a ballot is based on a percentage of votes cast in an election in all but three of the states offering citizens the power of initiative; the three states with different requirements are North Dakota, Idaho, and Nebraska, which base signature requirements on the number of registered voters or the state's population.

    Voter turnout for the 2014 general election was the lowest since World War II, which caused signature requirements to drop by an average of 10.5 percent in the 15 states basing their requirements on the 2014 general election.[6][7]

    In California, for example, signature requirements plunged 27.5 percent to 585,407 for initiated constitutional amendments and 365,880 for initiated state statutes. Signature requirements had not been set this low in California since 1979, when the state's population was only 60 percent of what it was in 2014. This led commentators to speculate that 2016 would be an "initiative avalanche" or "initiative carnival," at least in California. Ultimately, 15 measures were put on the ballot in California through citizen petitions. This compares to four in 2014, 13 in 2012, and 11 in 2010.[8][9]

    The drop was even more pronounced in Nevada, where signature requirements fell by 45.7 percent. Nevada is unique, however, because the state's signature requirements are based on votes cast in the general election; therefore, requirements fluctuate every two years.

    Only Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, and Oregon saw signature requirements for 2016 initiatives increase relative to 2014 requirements.

    About 1,000 initiatives were filed for circulation with state officials across the nation. This compares to approximately 616 initiatives filed in 2014.

    Signature requirements for initiated statutes by state, 2014 to 2016
    2014 requirements 2016 requirements Percent change
    Alaska 30,169 28,545 -5.38%
    Arizona 172,809 150,642 -12.83%
    Arkansas 62,507 67,887 8.61%
    California 504,760 365,880 -27.51%
    Colorado 86,105 98,492 14.39%
    Illinois 298,399 290,216 -2.74%
    Maine 57,277 61,123 6.71%
    Massachusetts 68,911 64,750 -6.04%
    Michigan 258,087 252,523 -2.16%
    Nevada 101,666 55,237 -45.67%
    Ohio 115,574 91,677 -20.68%
    Oklahoma 82,782 65,987 -20.29%
    Oregon 116,284 117,578 1.11%
    South Dakota 15,854 13,870 -12.51%
    Wyoming 37,606 25,673 -31.73%

    Initiative signature requirements, 2014-2016.png


    Filed initiatives by state

    State Filings website # on 1/1/2016 # on 2/1/2016 # on 3/1/2016 # on 4/1/2016 # on 5/1/2016 # on 6/1/2016 # on 7/1/2016
    Totals 690 723 955 1,022 1,062 1,066 1,069
    Red padlock.png Alaska Current filings 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
    Red padlock.png Arizona Current filings 25 27 28 32 36 36 36
    Red padlock.png Arkansas Current filings 10 10 11 11 11 14 16
    Red padlock.png California Current filings 121 121 122 137 137 137 137
    Red padlock.png Colorado Current filings 33 39 60 72 104 104 104
    Red padlock.png Florida Current filings 28[10] 28[11] 28[12] 28[13] 28[14] 28[15] 28[16]
    Red padlock.png Idaho Current filings 5 5 5 6 6 6 6
    Red padlock.png Illinois Current filings 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
    Red padlock.png Maine Current filings 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
    Red padlock.png Maryland Current filing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Red padlock.png Massachusetts Current filings 35 35 35 35 35 35 35
    Red padlock.png Michigan Current filings 10 10 12 12 12 12 12
    Red padlock.png Mississippi Current filings 9 12 12 12 12 12 12
    Red padlock.png Missouri Current filings 86 86 217 219 220 220 220
    Red padlock.png Montana Current filings 21 22 24 24 24 24 24
    Red padlock.png Nebraska Current filings 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
    Red padlock.png Nevada Current filings 11 11 12 12 12 13 13
    Red padlock.png New Mexico Current filings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    Red padlock.png North Dakota Current filings 3 3 3 5 5 5 5
    Red padlock.png Ohio Current filings 15 15 19 23 23 23 24
    Red padlock.png Oklahoma Current filings 6 8 13 13 13 13 13
    Red padlock.png Oregon Current filings 77 81 81 82 82 82 82
    Red padlock.png South Dakota Current filings 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
    Red padlock.png Utah Current filings 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
    Red padlock.png Washington Current filings 162 176 239 265 268 268 268
    Red padlock.png Wyoming Current filings 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Sponsors of most of the initiatives filed for the 2016 ballot will withdraw or abandon them, in many cases without mounting a serious petition drive.
    2. ↑ A separate list of initiatives whose sponsors officially withdrew them is forthcoming. Most initiatives that are destined to fail are not officially withdrawn.
    3. ↑ This is true even if sponsors missed their 2016 deadline, as long as they did have a chance of qualifying for the 2016 ballot.
    4. ↑ As evidenced by the fact that the multiple versions were filed by the same sponsor or group of sponsors and include very similar but not entirely identical language.
    5. ↑ See 2016 ballot measures and Potential 2016 ballot measures for information about legislative referrals that have qualified or might qualify for the 2016 ballot.
    6. ↑ Washington Post, "Voter turnout in 2014 was the lowest since WWII," November 10, 2014
    7. ↑ Al Jazeera America, "Actual election turnout far lower than reported," November 5, 2015
    8. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle, "2016 election poised for initiative avalanche," December 11, 2014
    9. ↑ Los Angeles Daily News, "Expect a ballot initiative carnival in 2016: Thomas Elias," February 16, 2015
    10. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    11. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    12. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    13. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    14. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    15. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
    16. ↑ Ballotpedia initially counted all active initiative petitions in 2016. The numbers listed now represent the initiatives filed for the 2016 election cycle and more accurately represent the measures that were able to qualify for the 2016 election ballot.
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