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Ballot measure petition deadlines and requirements, 2015
| 2015 U.S. state ballot measures | |
|---|---|
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| |
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| Overview | |
| 2015 ballot measures | |
| Scorecard | |
| Tuesday Count | |
| Initiatives filed | |
In order to land an initiative or referendum on a statewide ballot, supporters must collect enough valid signatures from voters. The required number of signatures and the dates by which they are due to state election officials vary by state. For amendments, Ohio had the highest number of required signatures at 305,591. Washington had the highest number of signatures required for statutes at 246,372. Ohio also had the highest signature threshold for veto referendums, requiring at least 183,355. Maine, on the other hand, had the lowest signature thresholds for statutes and referendums, requiring 61,123 for both. Colorado had the lowest number of required signatures for amendments at 98,492, and the state also had the latest filing deadline, which was August 3, 2015.
Legend:
= A deadline that has passed. Some states have more than one deadline, with differing deadlines depending on the type of ballot measure or because there are multiple stages in the petition submission process.
Status
The information below includes the filing deadlines and signature requirements for state ballot measures.
| State | Filing deadline for 2015 ballot | Signatures for amendment | Signatures for initiative | Signatures for referendum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | August 3, 2015[1]
|
98,492 | 98,492 | 98,492 |
| Maine | January 22, 2015, was the deadline for initiatives. For referendums, petitions must be submitted to the Secretary of State within 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session in which the legislation under question was approved.[2]
|
N/A | 61,123 | 61,123 |
| Mississippi | October 8, 2014, since the legislature convened on the planned date of January 6, 2015.[3]
|
107,216 | N/A | N/A |
| Ohio | July 1, 2015[4]
|
305,591 | 91,677[5] | 183,355 |
| Washington | January 2, 2015, was the deadline for Initiatives to the Legislature.
|
N/A | 246,372 | 123,186 |
Key terms
See also
- State ballot measure websites
- Initiative frequency of constitutional amendments related to time for signature collection
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2015 Election Calendar," accessed December 16, 2014
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Deadlines for Current Citizen Initiatives," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Initiative Guide," accessed December 16, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Election 2015 Calendar," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ Ohio uses both direct and indirect initiated statutes. For the Legislature to consider an indirect statute, 91,677 signatures are needed, which equals three percent of the total number of ballots cast in the 2014 Governor's election. If the Legislature fails to qualify the statute, a sponsor must collect an additional 91,677 signatures.
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar," accessed December 16, 2013
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Signature requirements |
|---|---|
| Signature requirements |
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| Petition companies |
American Petition Consultants • Arno Political Consultants • Bader & Associates, Inc. • Canvasser Services • Capitol Assets • Democracy Direct • Democracy Resources • Discovery Petition Management • FieldWorks • JSM, Inc. • Kimball Petition Management • LAMM Political Partners, LLC • Masterson & Wright • National Ballot Access • National Petition Management • National Solutions • National Voter Outreach • PCI Consultants, Inc. |
| Terms |
Approved for circulation • Initiative petition circulation periods • Circulator • Circulator affidavit • Forged signature • Fraudulent signature • Invalid signature • Paid circulator • Petition • Random sampling • Registered voter • Signature certification • Signer • Signer intent • Valid signature • Volunteer circulator • Signature transcription |
| Petition drive deadlines |
2008 deadlines • 2009 deadlines • 2010 deadlines • 2011 deadlines • 2012 deadlines • 2013 deadlines • 2014 deadlines • 2015 deadlines • 2016 deadlines • 2017 deadlines • 2018 deadlines • 2019 deadlines • 2020 deadlines • 2021 deadlines • 2022 deadlines • 2023 deadlines • 2024 deadlines • 2025 deadlines |
| Signature law |
States where signature requirements are based on votes cast for governor |
