Ballot measure petition deadlines and requirements, 2026
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A ballot initiative is a citizen-initiated ballot measure. The ballot initiative process allows citizens to propose statutes or constitutional amendments, depending on the state, and collect signatures to place their proposals on the ballot for voters to decide. Some states have an indirect process in which legislatures have the option to approve the proposals outright. A citizen-initiated ballot measure can also be a veto referendum, which asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law.
There are 26 states that allow for citizen-initiated ballot measures. However, in Mississippi, the process has been suspended due to a court ruling.
Signatures must be collected for citizen-initiated ballot measures. Requirements related to signatures and deadlines are state-specific. This page provides information on these requirements for 2026. To see the filing deadline requirements for state and federal candidates, click here.
- See also: 2026 ballot measures
Requirements
The tables below provide information on signature deadlines and dates for citizen-initiated ballot measures in 2026.
Notes:
This symbol signifies that a signature deadline has passed for a type of ballot measure in a state.
Initiatives
The tables below provide information on signature deadlines and dates for initiatives, including initiated constitutional amendments and initiated statutes, in 2026.
| State | Type | Deadlines | Explanation | Signatures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | IndISS |  01/20/2026 | Signatures must be submitted before the start of the legislative session | 34,098 |
| Arizona | CICA | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 383,923 |
| Arizona | CISS | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 255,949 |
| Arkansas | CICA | 07/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 90,704 |
| Arkansas | CISS | 07/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 72,563 |
| California | CICA | 06/25/2026 | Signatures must be verified at least 131 days before the general election | 874,641 |
| California | CISS | 06/25/2026 | Signatures must be verified at least 131 days before the general election | 546,651 |
| Colorado | CICA | 08/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least three months before the general election | 124,238 |
| Colorado | CISS | 08/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least three months before the general election | 124,238 |
| Florida | CICA | 02/01/2026 | Signatures must be verified on or before February 1 | 880,062 |
| Idaho | CISS | 05/01/2026 | Signatures must be verified on or before May 1 | 70,725 |
| Illinois | CICA | 05/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least six months before the general election | 328,371 |
| Maine | IndISS | 02/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted within 25 days after the convening of the legislative session | 67,682 |
| Massachusetts | IndICA | 11/19/2025 | Signatures must be submitted two weeks before the first Wednesday in December | 74,574 |
| Massachusetts | IndISS | 11/19/2025 (Round 1) 06/17/2026 (Round 2) | Round 1: Signatures must be submitted two weeks before the first Wednesday in December Round 2: Signatures must be submitted two weeks before the first Wednesday in July | 74,574 (Round 1) 12,429 (Round 2) |
| Michigan | CICA | 07/06/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 120 days before the general election | 446,198 |
| Michigan | IndISS | 05/27/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 160 days before the general election | 356,958 |
| Mississippi | IndICA | Suspended[1] | Signatures must be submitted at least 90 days before the next regular legislative session | 106,190 |
| Missouri | CICA | 05/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least six months before the general election | 170,215 |
| Missouri | CISS | 05/03/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least six months before the general election | 106,384 |
| Montana | CICA | 06/21/2026 | Signatures must be verified on or before the third Friday of June | 60,241 |
| Montana | CISS | 06/21/2026 | Signatures must be verified on or before the third Friday of June | 30,121 |
| Nebraska | CICA | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 10% of registered voters at time of deadline |
| Nebraska | CISS | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 7% of registered voters at time of deadline |
| Nevada | CICA | 06/24/2026[2] | Signatures must be filed by 15 days after the primary election | 148,788 |
| Nevada | IndISS | 11/20/24 | Signatures must be filed by 15 days after the general election | 102,362 |
| North Dakota | CICA | 07/06/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 120 days before the general election | 31,164 |
| North Dakota | CISS | 07/06/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 120 days before the general election | 15,582 |
| Ohio | CICA | 07/01/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 125 days before the general election | 413,487 |
| Ohio | IndISS | 12/26/2025 (Round 1) 07/01/2026 (Round 2) | Round 1: Signatures must be submitted at least 10 days before the legislative session begins Round 2: Signatures must be submitted at least 125 days before the general election[3] | 124,046 (Round 1) 124,046 (Round 2) |
| Oklahoma | CICA | 08/25/2026 | Signatures must be verified at least 70 days before the general election | 172,993 |
| Oklahoma | CISS | 08/25/2026 | Signatures must be verified at least 70 days before the general election | 92,263 |
| Oregon | CICA | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 156,231 |
| Oregon | CISS | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 117,173 |
| South Dakota | CICA | 05/05/2026 | Signatures must be filed by the first Tuesday in May of a general election year | 35,017 |
| South Dakota | CISS | 05/05/2026 | Signatures must be filed by the first Tuesday in May of a general election year | 17,508 |
| Utah | CISS | 02/15/2026 | Signatures must be submitted on or before February 15 | 140,748 |
| Utah | IndISS | 11/15/2025 (Round 1) 02/15/2026 (Round 2) | Round 1: Signatures must be submitted on or before November 15 Round 2: Signatures must be submitted on or before February 15 | 70,374 (Round 1) 70,374 (Round 2) |
| Washington | CISS | 07/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least four months before the general election | 308,911 |
| Washington | IndISS | 01/02/2026 | Signatures must be submitted at least 10 days before the legislative session | 308,911 |
| Wyoming | IndISS | 02/06/2026 | Signatures must be submitted before the legislative session | 40,669 |
Referendums
Note: Deadlines for veto referendums will be added in 2026 based on state legislative session schedules.
See also
- States with initiative or referendum
- Laws governing the initiative process
- Signature requirements for ballot measures
- Length of signature gathering periods for ballot initiatives
- Ballot initiative
- State and federal candidate filing deadlines for 2026
Footnotes
- ↑ Mississippi has an initiated constitutional amendment process, including a signature distribution requirement based on five congressional districts. However, the requirements cannot be met, according to the Mississippi Supreme Court, because the state has four congressional districts following reapportionment in 2001. As a result, the process remains part of the state constitution but cannot be carried out in practice.
- ↑ This deadline is a projection based on state law.
- ↑ The requirement for each indirect initiative is 90 days following the legislature's four-month deadline to address the initiative. While signatures can be submitted within that time frame, after July 1, 2026, the initiative would appear on the following year's ballot.
