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Ballot measure petition deadlines and requirements, 2018
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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.
Latest deadlines of the year:
Colorado had the second-to-last deadline on August 6, 2018. Oklahoma had the last deadline on September 6, 2018. Moreover, certain states have maximum circulation periods that set deadlines specific to each initiative.
Expandable signature deadline calendar:
| Click [show] to see a full list of signature deadline dates for 2018 from the earliest to the latest. — |
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Deadlines and requirements
The table below shows the signatures deadlines for each state that features a process for initiatives, veto referendums, or both. It also gives an explanation of the deadline since the significance of the dates can vary by state. For example, some deadlines are for signatures submission, while others are the deadline to complete verification. Finally, the chart shows the number of signatures required for initiated state statutes (CISS), veto referendums (VR), and initiated constitutional amendments (CICA).
Legend:
= Signifies 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.
| Deadlines and Requirements for 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Deadlines | Explanation | Signatures required |
| Alaska | 01/16/2018
|
January 16, 2018, or 365 days after the Division of Elections prepares petition forms for initiatives, whichever comes first[1]; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[2][3] | CISS: 32,127 VR: 32,127 CICA: N/A |
| Arizona | 07/05/2018 |
July 5, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislative session adjourns for veto referendums[4] | CISS: 150,642 VR: 75,321 CICA225,963 |
| Arkansas | 07/06/2018 |
July 6, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[5] | CISS: 67,887 VR: 50,916 CICA: 84,859 |
| California | 04/24/2018[6] |
Each initiative has its own deadline. The secretary of state suggested submitting signatures by April 24, 2018. Referendum signatures must be submitted 90 days after the enactment date of the targeted bill. | CISS: 365,880 VR: 365,880 CICA: 585,407 |
| Colorado | 08/06/2018 |
August 6, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[7] | CISS: 98,492 VR: 98,492 CICA: 98,492 |
| Florida | 02/01/2018 |
Initiative signatures must be verified by February 1, 2018, and, thus, must be submitted to county officials long enough before that date to allow for the verification process.[8][9] | CISS: N/A VR: N/A CICA: 766,200 |
| Idaho | 05/01/2018 |
May 1, 2018, for initiatives; 60 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[10] | CISS: 56,192 VR: 56,192 CICA: N/A |
| Illinois | 05/07/2018 |
May 7, 2018, for initiatives[11] | CISS: N/A VR: N/A CICA: 290,216 |
| Maine | 01/29/2018 |
January 29, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the adjournment of the session for veto referendums[12] | CISS: 61,123 VR: 61,123 CICA: N/A |
| Maryland | 05/31/2018 06/30/2018 |
May 31, 2018, for one-third of veto referendum signatures; June 30, 2018, for the remaining two-thirds of the signatures; Maryland did not have an initiative process as of 2018.[13] |
CISS: N/A VR: 51,996 CICA: N/A |
| Massachusetts | 12/06/2017 07/03/2018 12/07/2016 12/02/2015 |
December 6, 2017,[14] was the deadline for the verified initiative statute petitions to be submitted to the secretary of state, which means signatures were due to local registrars two weeks earlier; A second round of signatures was due on the first Wednesday of July 2018 in cases where the legislature did not enact the initiative statute[15] The deadline for veto referendums is 90 days after the governor signs the targeted bill[16] | CISS: 75,542[17] VR: 32,375 CICA: 64,750 |
| Michigan | 05/30/2018 07/09/2018 |
May 30, 2018, for initiated state statutes; July 9, 2018, for initiated constitutional amendments; and 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[18][19] | CISS: 252,523 VR: 157,827 CICA: 315,654 |
| Mississippi | 10/04/2017 |
October 4, 2017,[20] was the deadline for signatures for initiatives to be verified and submitted to the secretary of state, which means signatures must be submitted to local elections officials earlier[21][22] | CISS: N/A VR: N/A CICA: 86,185 |
| Missouri | 05/06/2018 |
May 6, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[23] | CISS: 100,126[24] VR: 100,126[24] CICA: 160,199[24] |
| Montana | 06/22/2018 07/20/2018 |
For initiated statutes and initiated amendments, June 22, 2018, was the deadline for submission to county clerks, and July 20, 2018, was the deadline for submission to the secretary of state. Signatures for veto referendums must be submitted by six months after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns.[25] | CISS: 25,468 VR: 25,468 CICA: 50,936 |
| Nebraska | 07/06/2018 |
July 6, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums. | CISS: 84,908[26] VR: 60,648[26][27] CICA: 121,297[26] |
| Nevada | 06/19/2018 11/08/2016 01/07/2017 |
June 19, 2018, for initiated constitutional amendments and veto referendums; November 8, 2016, was the deadline to file signatures for initiated statutes with local election officials, and January 7, 2017, was the deadline for the submission of such signatures to the secretary of state[28] | CISS: 55,234 VR: 112,543 CICA: 112,543 |
| New Mexico | 07/06/2018 |
July 6, 2018, for veto referendums; New Mexico did not have an initiative process as of 2018. | CISS: N/A VR: 80,407[29] CICA: N/A |
| North Dakota | 07/09/2018 |
July 9, 2018, for initiatives[30]; 90 days after the targeted legislation is signed into law for veto referendums[31] | CISS: 13,452 VR: 13,452 CICA: 26,904 |
| Ohio | 12/29/2017 07/04/2018 |
July 4, 2018, for initiated constitutional amendments[32]; December 29, 2017,[33] for the first round of signatures for initiated statutes; and 90 days after the targeted bill is filed with the secretary of state for referendums | CISS: 91,677 VR: 183,355 CICA: 305,591 |
| Oklahoma | 09/08/2018 |
September 8, 2018, for initiatives, which was 60 days before the election[34] Moreover, initiatives have specific deadlines 90 days after initial filings. The deadline for veto referendums is 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns. | CISS: 65,987 VR: 41,242 CICA: 123,725 |
| Oregon | 07/06/2018 |
July 6, 2018, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums | CISS: 88,184 VR: 58,789 CICA: 117,578 |
| South Dakota | 11/06/2017 |
November 6, 2017, for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums[35] | CISS: 13,871 VR: 13,871 CICA: 27,741 |
| Utah | 11/15/2017 04/16/2018 |
April 16, 2018, for direct initiatives; November 15, 2017, for indirect initiatives; and 40 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums. Initiatives also have individual deadlines 316 days after initiative was filed with the Lt. Governor. | CISS: 113,143 VR: 113,143 CICA: N/A |
| Washington | 12/29/2017 07/06/2018 |
December 29, 2017, for Initiatives to the Legislature; July 6, 2018, for Initiatives to the People; and 90 days[36] after the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed adjourns for referendums[37] | CISS: 259,622 VR: 129,811 CICA: N/A |
| Wyoming | 02/09/2018 |
February 9, 2018,[38] for initiatives; 90 days after the legislature that passed the targeted bill adjourns for veto referendums. Initiative signatures must be submitted within 18 months of sponsors receiving the approved petition forms, but they must be submitted prior to the convening of the next legislative session to qualify for the most proximate election ballot.[39] | CISS: 38,818 VR: 38,818 CICA: N/A |
Key terms
See also
- Laws governing the initiative process
- State ballot measure websites
- Initiative frequency of constitutional amendments related to time for signature collection
- Ballotpedia's election and deadline calendar
Footnotes
- ↑ Signatures must be submitted before the legislature convenes.
- ↑ Alaska State Legislature, "Home," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "Initiative Petition Process," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Initiative, Referendum and Recall," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2018 Election Dates," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ This is the date that was suggested for submitting signatures; it was not a legally binding deadline.
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ County supervisors of elections have a maximum of 30 days to verify signatures and submit them to the secretary of state, which means to guarantee that local officials verify and submit signatures, they should have been submitted by January 2, 2018.
- ↑ Florida Department of State, "2018 Initiative Petition Handbook," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2018 Calendar," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Illinois Elections, "2018 Election Calendar," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ Maine Secretary of State, "Deadlines for Current Citizen Initiatives," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Maryland.gov, "2018 Election Calendar," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ This was also the deadline for signatures for 2020 Massachusetts initiated constitutional amendments. The deadline for 2018 initiated constitutional amendments was either on December 2, 2015, or on December 7, 2016.
- ↑ This fell on July 4 in 2018 and was adjusted for the holliday.
- ↑ Mass.gov, "Initiative Petition Process, 2015-2016," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ An initial 64,750 signatures put an initiative statute before the legislature; an additional 10,792 signatures put the initiative statute on the ballot in the event that the legislature does not enact it.
- ↑ March 28, 2017, was the deadline for veto referendums targeting legislation passed in the 2016 legislative session.
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ This was the estimated deadline. It could be adjusted slightly by state officials.
- ↑ The deadline was 90 days before the start of the legislative session, which began on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Initiatives," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Make Your Voice Heard," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 This signature requirement is the requirement if petitioners collect signatures in the smallest of the state's congressional districts to satisfy the state's distribution requirement. Collecting signatures in larger districts would result in a slightly larger signature requirement.
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, "Ballot Issue Overview, Forms and Guidelines," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 This requirement is approximate. Since the Nebraska signature requirement is based on the number of registered voters at the time of filing, it can vary slightly.
- ↑ This was the signature requirement for a veto referendum petition that did not suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election. To suspend the targeted law, approximately 121,297 signatures would have been required.
- ↑ Nevada Secretary of State, "Initiatives & Referenda," accessed August 15, 2016
- ↑ 80,407 signatures were required to put the targeted bill before voters without suspending the enactment of the law. 201,018 signatures were required to suspend the law until the election.
- ↑ Signatures for initiatives targeting the June 12, 2018 primary election were due February 12, 2018.
- ↑ North Dakota Secretary of State, "2017-2019 INITIATING AND REFERRING LAW IN NORTH DAKOTA," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ July 4, 2018, was also a deadline for the second round of signatures for initiative state statutes to get on the November 2018 ballot.
- ↑ This was the estimated deadline. The constitutional deadline is 10 days prior to the beginning of the legislative session. The session is set to begin on the first Monday of January in each year, unless that January is a holliday, in which case the session begins on the following Monday. The first Monday in January 2018 is New Year Day.
- ↑ The Oklahoma Secretary of State suggests that signatures be submitted eight months before the election.
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Ballot Question Information," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ June 6 was the estimated deadline for referendum signatures based on the expected March 8 legislative session adjournment date. Changes based on the actual date of adjournment were possible.
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar - 2017," accessed May 1, 2017
- ↑ The Wyoming secretary of state gave February 9 as the deadline but qualified it saying that the deadline is "prior to the time at which the Legislative Session convenes on February 12, 2018." The statutory deadline is set by a provision saying that an initiative must go on the ballot after a full legislative session convenes and adjourns.
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "2018 Key Election Dates," accessaed August 15, 2017
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Signature requirements |
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| Signature requirements |
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| 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 |
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| Signature law |
States where signature requirements are based on votes cast for governor |
