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Ballot measure signature costs, 2018
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This Ballotpedia report is an in-depth look at the total signature gathering costs and the cost-per-required-signature for measures that qualified for 2018 state ballots.
Of the 26 states that feature a process for some kind of citizen-initiated measure, 21 of them featured either a ballot initiative, a veto referendum, or both in 2018. A total of between $74.4 million and $78.8 million was spent on the signature petitions for the 68 citizen-initiated measures that were on the ballot in 2018. A combined total of 11,110,180 valid signatures from registered voters were required to qualify the measures for the ballots.
Measuring the cost
This report uses two ways to measure the cost of an initiative or veto referendum petition drive.
- According to the total cost of gathering the required signatures to put the initiative or veto referendum on the ballot
- According to the total cost divided by the number of signatures required to qualify the measure for the ballot or Cost Per Required Signature (CPRS)
The total cost depends on all of the factors that can make a petition effort more or less expensive, including the population of the state and the state's signature requirements. This measurement does not necessarily indicate how difficult it is to run a signature petition campaign in a state relative to other states or how hard and expensive it is to collect a given valid signature. It takes into consideration the population and signature requirements for a state. For example, the average total cost of a successful initiative petition drive in California in 2016 was just over $2.9 million, while in Oklahoma the average total cost was about $870,000. Initiatives in California, however, require over four times as many signatures and affect 10 times as many people.
Cost Per Required Signature (CPRS): The cost per required signature cuts out the variable of a state's signature requirements and shows the cost for each signature needed to qualify the measure for the ballot. This second measurement is a better indication of how difficult it is to run a signature petition campaign in a given state relative to other states. For example, the average CPRS in California in 2016 was $6.20 while the average CPRS in Oklahoma was $9.59, but the average total petition cost was $2.9 million in California and about $870,000 in Oklahoma.
From the perspective of a national organization or proponents of a national agenda, this means that a lower CPRS generally means that a campaign could potentially affect more people and achieve more political influence per dollar spent, while the total petition cost might dictate in which states the campaign could actually afford to launch a successful petition drive.
The cost of a petition campaign
Rules and regulations
- See also: Laws governing the initiative process
The cost of getting an initiative before voters varies widely by state and by initiative proposal. The requirements and restrictions imposed by state law form a major factor in the expense of an initiative signature petition effort.
Higher signature requirements are a straightforward example of a reason an initiative petition campaign might be more expensive in one state than in another. Other restrictions that can make a difference in the cost of a petition campaign include:
- Distribution requirements - It is easier and less expensive to collect a lot of signatures in one very populous area than a small number of signatures from lots of smaller, less-populated areas.
- Pay-per-signature bans - Paying signature gatherers by signature is one of the most cost-efficient ways to fund signature gathering efforts.
- Restrictions on circulators - Restricting who can collect signatures limits competition between petition companies and professional signature gatherers.
- Initiative petition circulation periods - If proponents have less time to collect signatures, the process can be more expensive.
Petition companies
The number of professional signature petition companies in the state and the way those companies operate can also make a difference in the CPRS. If more petition companies are active in a state, there will be more competition. Likewise, if more petitions are being circulated, demand could be higher in some years than in others.
Issue topic
Another factor is the topic of the proposed initiative or referendum. Some laws are more compelling to voters and easier to collect signatures for than others.
Analysis, averages, and highlights
- A total of between $74.4 million and $78.8 million was spent on the signature petitions for the 68 citizen-initiated measures that were on the ballot in 2018.[1]
- A combined total of 11,110,180 valid signatures were required to qualify the measures for the ballots across the 21 states with citizen-initiated measures.
- The average total cost for qualifying an initiative or veto referendum for the ballot in 2018 was between $1.1 million and $1.2 million.[2]
- The average CPRS across all the initiatives that were on the ballot in 2018 was between $6.19 and $6.85.
- In 2016, the average total cost was $1.03 million, and the average CPRS was $5.60.
- From 2010 through 2016, the average total cost per initiative in even-numbered years was $801,836, and the average CPRS was $4.2. Citizen-initiated measures were on the ballot in between 14 and 17 states from 2010 through 2016.
- The states with the highest average total cost for initiative petitions were Florida, Ohio, and California.
- The states with the lowest average total cost for initiative petitions were Oklahoma, Maine, and South Dakota.
- The states with the highest average CPRS for initiatives that were on the ballot were Arkansas, Ohio, and Idaho.
- The states with the lowest average CPRS for initiatives that were on the ballot were Michigan, Maine, and Oklahoma.
- The most expensive individual initiative petition drives in 2018 were Arizona Proposition 127 ($5,843,652), Florida Amendment 3 ($5,282,534), and California Proposition 5 ($5,140,990).
- The three individual initiative petition drives with the highest cost per required signature in 2018 were Arizona Proposition 127 ($25.86), Idaho Proposition 1 ($22.27), and Arkansas Issue 4 ($16.69).
- Gambling was the topic with the most expensive signature gathering efforts; the three gambling-related initiatives on the ballot (in Arkansas, Florida, and Idaho) had the highest average CPRS at $15.28.
According to total cost
| Total signature petition costs by state | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | # of initiatives | Lowest | Median | Highest | Average | Total |
| Alaska | 1 | $196,101.31 | $196,101.31 | $196,101.31 | $196,101 | $196,101.31 |
| Arizona | 3 | $25,050.00 | $1,256,249.98 | $5,843,652.00 | $2,374,984 | $7,124,951.98 |
| Arkansas | 2 | $510,946.70 | $963,714.00 | $1,416,481.70 | $963,714 | $1,927,428.40 |
| California | 8 | $1,648,357.38 | $2,147,066.87 | $5,140,990.49 | $2,560,871 | $20,486,968.40 |
| Colorado | 7 | $146,352 | $567,175 | Unknown | $580,087 - $1,047,426 |
$2,900,435 - $7,331,985.41 |
| Florida | 2 | $3,890,759.12 | $4,586,647.00 | $5,282,534.31 | $4,586,647 | $9,173,293.43 |
| Idaho | 2 | $0.00 | $625,775.00 | $1,251,549.68 | $625,775 | $1,251,549.68 |
| Maine | 2 | $4,306.80 | $95,698.00 | $187,088.68 | $95,698 | $191,395.48 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $56,056.34 | $153,000.00 | $570,518.17 | $259,858 | $779,574.51 |
| Michigan | 3 | $0.00 | $783,535.66 | $2,258,871.43 | $1,014,136 | $3,042,407.09 |
| Missouri | 6 | $530,296.96 | $916,839.59 | $1,266,514.04 | $899,953 | $5,399,720.90 |
| Montana | 2 | $219,131.60 | $234,557.00 | $249,981.63 | $234,557 | $469,113.23 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $727,178.67 | $727,178.67 | $727,178.67 | $727,179 | $727,178.67 |
| Nevada | 4 | $110,125.00 | $381,477.98 | $1,402,142.75 | $568,806 | $2,275,223.71 |
| North Dakota | 4 | $0.00 | $124,428.50 | $260,000.00 | $127,214 | $508,857.00 |
| Ohio | 1 | $3,669,266.74 | $3,669,266.74 | $3,669,266.74 | $3,669,267 | $3,669,266.74 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $0.00 | $13,494.00 | $26,988.00 | $13,494 | $26,988.00 |
| Oregon | 5 | $38,326.29 | $179,124.05 | $1,586,178.00 | $654,524 | $3,272,620.48 |
| South Dakota | 3 | $18,750.00 | $18,750.00 | $275,008.50 | $104,170 | $312,508.50 |
| Utah | 3 | $473,798.75 | $1,040,087.00 | $1,329,013.50 | $947,633 | $2,842,899.25 |
| Washington | 4 | $802,695.60 | $1,902,444.51 | $3,785,576.00 | $2,098,290 | $8,393,160.62 |
According to CPRS
| Cost per required signature (CPRS) by state | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | # of initiatives | Lowest | Median | Highest | Average |
| Alaska | 1 | $6.10 | $6.10 | $6.10 | $6.10 |
| Arizona | 3 | $0.33 | $5.56 | $25.86 | $10.58 |
| Arkansas | 2 | $7.53 | $12.11 | $16.69 | $12.11 |
| California | 8 | $3.58 | $5.72 | $8.78 | $6.07 |
| Colorado | 7 | $1.49 | $5.67 | Unknown | $5.87 - $10.62 |
| Florida | 2 | $5.08 | $5.99 | $6.89 | $5.99 |
| Idaho | 2 | $0.00 | $11.14 | $22.27 | $11.14 |
| Maine | 2 | $0.07 | $1.57 | $3.06 | $1.57 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $1.73 | $2.03 | $7.55 | $3.77 |
| Michigan | 3 | $0.00 | $3.10 | $7.16 | $3.42 |
| Missouri | 6 | $3.31 | $7.31 | $10.56 | $7.19 |
| Montana | 2 | $8.60 | $9.21 | $9.82 | $9.21 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $8.56 | $8.56 | $8.56 | $8.56 |
| Nevada | 4 | $1.99 | $6.91 | $12.46 | $7.07 |
| North Dakota | 4 | $0.00 | $4.63 | $9.66 | $4.73 |
| Ohio | 1 | $11.97 | $11.97 | $11.97 | $11.97 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $0.00 | $0.21 | $0.41 | $0.21 |
| Oregon | 5 | $0.65 | $1.52 | $13.49 | $5.67 |
| South Dakota | 3 | $1.35 | $1.35 | $9.91 | $4.20 |
| Utah | 3 | $4.19 | $9.19 | $11.75 | $8.38 |
| Washington | 4 | $3.09 | $7.33 | $14.58 | $8.08 |
Petition company breakdown
By petition company
| Total signature petition costs by state | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | # of initiatives | Average CPRS | States involved | ||
| FieldWorks, LLC | 11 | $11.03 | • Arizona • Colorado • Idaho • Michigan • Missouri • Nebraska • Nevada | ||
| AAP Holding Company | 8 | $8.64 | • California • Utah • Washington | ||
| The Monaco Group | 5 | $6.51 | • California • Utah | ||
| National Petition Management | 4 | $7.20 | • California • Michigan • Missouri | ||
| Advanced Micro Targeting | 3 | $8.34 | • Alaska • North Dakota | ||
| National Ballot Access | 3 | $10.71 | • Arkansas • Missouri | ||
| Ballot Access LLC | 2 | $12.72 | • Oregon | ||
| Direct Action Partners | 2 | $7.14 | • Colorado • Montana | ||
| PCI Consultants, Inc. | 2 | $4.52 | • Florida • Washington | ||
| Gathering, Inc. | 1 | $4.19 | • Utah | ||
| GOCO Consulting | 1 | $3.58 | • California | ||
| Grassroots Utah | 1 | $9.19 | • Utah | ||
| Innovative Quotient Management, LLC | 1 | $0.33 | • Arizona | ||
| JEF Associates | 1 | $7.55 | • Massachusetts | ||
| Kennedy Enterprises | 1 | $3.26 | • Colorado | ||
| Kimball Petition Management | 1 | $4.51 | • California | ||
| M&R Strategic Services | 1 | $9.82 | • Montana | ||
| Masterton & Wright | 1 | $5.15 | • California | ||
| Ballot Access Management LLC | 1 | $2.03 | • Massachusetts | ||
| AZ Petition Partners, LLC | 1 | $5.56 | • Arizona | ||
| National Voter Outreach, Inc. | 1 | $6.89 | • Florida | ||
| Paladin Petitions | 1 | $1.73 | • Massachusetts | ||
| Ramirez Group | 1 | $6.48 | • Nevada | ||
| SMI Enterprises LLC and the Operation Group Inc. | 1 | $11.97 | • Ohio | ||
| Scott Kohlhaas | 1 | $6.10 | • Alaska | ||
By state
Below are the 21 states featuring initiatives or veto referendums in 2018 and the petition companies used in each state:
|
Petition costs by issue
| Cost per required signature (CPRS) by state | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic | # of initiatives | Lowest CPRS | Highest CPRS | Average CPRS | |
| Taxes | 11 | $0.65 | $13.49 | $6.15 | |
| Marijuana | 7 | $0.00 | $10.56 | $4.21 | |
| Healthcare | 6 | $0.00 | $11.75 | $6.71 | |
| Bond issues | 4 | $3.26 | $7.23 | $5.41 | |
| Energy | 4 | $3.09 | $25.86 | $12.19 | |
| Gambling | 3 | $6.89 | $22.27 | $15.28 | |
| Direct democracy measures | 2 | $1.35 | $3.58 | $2.47 | |
| Environment | 2 | $6.10 | $9.82 | $7.96 | |
| Minimum wage | 2 | $6.86 | $7.53 | $7.20 | |
| Abortion | 1 | $1.52 | $1.52 | $1.52 | |
| Banking | 1 | $12.94 | $12.94 | $12.94 | |
| Charter schools and vouchers | 1 | $0.33 | $0.33 | $0.33 | |
| Civil and criminal trials | 1 | $11.97 | $11.97 | $11.97 | |
| Civil service | 1 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Elections (including redistricting) | 11 | $0.07 | $9.91 | $5.78 - $7.82 | |
| Firearms | 1 | $14.58 | $14.58 | $14.58 | |
| Fracking | 1 | $5.67 | $5.67 | $5.67 | |
| Housing | 1 | $5.42 | $5.42 | $5.42 | |
| Immigration | 1 | $0.74 | $0.74 | $0.74 | |
| Labor and unions | 4 | $4.51 | $7.91 | $6.93 | |
| LGBT issues | 1 | $1.73 | $1.73 | $1.73 | |
| Treatment of animals | 1 | $6.01 | $6.01 | $6.01 | |
Signatures costs by state
Alaska
- See also: Alaska 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Salmon Habitat Protections and Permits Initiative (2018) | Fisheries and fishing regulations | Advanced Micro Targeting, Scott Kohlhaas | $196,101.31 | 32,127 | $6.10 |
Arizona
- See also: Arizona 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Proposition 126, Prohibit New or Increased Taxes on Services Initiative (2018) | Taxes | AZ Petition Partners, LLC | $1,256,249.98 | 225,963 | $5.56 |
| Arizona Proposition 127, Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2018) | Carbon emissions regulations | Fieldworks LLC | $5,843,652.00 | 225,963 | $25.86 |
| Arizona Proposition 305, Expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Referendum (2018) | School choice policy | Innovative Quotient Management, LLC | $25,050.00 | 75,321 | $0.33 |
Arkansas
- See also: Arkansas 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Issue 4, Casinos Authorized in Crittenden, Garland, Pope, and Jefferson Counties Initiative (2018) | Gambling policy | National Ballot Access | $1,416,481.70 | 84,859 | $16.69 |
| Arkansas Issue 5, Minimum Wage Increase Initiative (2018) | Minimum wage laws | National Ballot Access | $510,946.70 | 67,887 | $7.53 |
California
- See also: California 2018 ballot propositions
Colorado
- See also: Colorado 2018 ballot measures
Seven citizen initiatives were on the ballot in Colorado in November 2018, second only to California with eight. A total of $7,331,985.41 was spent by committees behind the citizen-initiated measures that qualified for the ballot. All seven citizen initiatives required 98,492 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Initiated constitutional amendments, however, also had to meet the state's distribution requirement of signatures equal to 2 percent of the registered voters from each of the state's 35 senate districts.
The signature costs for Amendment 74 and Amendment 75 are unknown because expenditures for signature gathering were not found by the committees officially registered to support those initiatives. The signature costs, petition companies, required signatures, and the cost per required signatures (CPRS) for the other initiatives on the ballot are below:
| Ballot measure: | Topic: | Petition company: | Cost: | Signatures: | CPRS: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Amendment 73 | Taxes | various individuals | $146,352.15 | 98,492 | $1.49 |
| Colorado Proposition 109 | Bond issues and transportation | Kennedy Enterprises | $321,112.62 | 98,492 | $3.26 |
| Colorado Proposition 110 | Bond issues and transportation | Kennedy Enterprises, Rocky Mountain Voter Outreach, and FieldWorks | $591,356.82 | 98,492 | $6.00 |
| Colorado Proposition 111 | Banking | FieldWorks | $1,274,439 | 98,492 | $12.94 |
| Colorado Proposition 112 | Fracking | Direct Action Partners and Encore Political Services | $567,174.82 | 98,492 | $5.67 |
Of the total, $4.4 million was spent by Protect Colorado, the committee opposing Proposition 112 and that provided at least $10 million to the committee behind Amendment 74. It is unclear on what initiative or initiatives this $4.4 million was spent. As of October 25, Protect Colorado did not respond to Ballotpedia's requests for information on which initiatives these expenditures were used. Besides contributing to the committee behind Amendment 74, Protect Colorado reported in-kind contributions of $187,500 to the committee backing Proposition 110 in the form of paid signature gathering. Protect Colorado hired PAC/West to gather signatures. PAC/West and the Colorado Farm Bureau—which was also behind Amendment 74—provided contributions of $23,806.76 and $10,000, respectively, to the committee behind Amendment 75. According to the secretary of state's records on which organizations and companies were licensed to collect signatures for which initiative petitions, every organization or company that was licensed to collect signatures for Amendment 74 (Initiative #108) was also licensed to collect signatures for Amendment 75 (Initiative #173). Many on the list, however, were licensed for multiple different initiative efforts.
Given the uncertainties surrounding the expenditures by Protect Colorado and the signature petition costs for Amendments 74 and 75, Ballotpedia is providing a range of possible average and total signature petition costs in Colorado:
- Total state petition costs: $2,900,435 - $7,331,985
- Average petition costs: $580,087 - $1,047,426
- Average cost per required signatures (CPRS): $5.87 - $10.62
Florida
- See also: Florida 2018 ballot measures
A total of $9.2 million was spent on signature gathering costs for the two initiatives in Florida. Florida was the state with the highest average total petition cost in 2018. The second most expensive initiative petition drive in 2018 was for Amendment 3.
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Amendment 3, Voter Approval of Casino Gambling Initiative (2018) | Gambling policy | National Voter Outreach, Inc | $5,282,534.31 | 766,200 | $6.89 |
| Florida Amendment 4, Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative (2018) | Voting rights for persons with criminal convictions | PCI Consultants, Inc. | $3,890,759.12 | 766,200 | $5.08 |
Signature petition costs in Florida include the cost of verifying signatures unless committees state they are unable to pay for verification, in which case proponents are not allowed to pay signature gatherers. Proponents of both 2018 initiatives used paid signature gatherers and paid for signature verification. For Amendment 3 and Amendment, the signature verification costs were $108,385.79 and $143,973.64, respectively.
Idaho
- See also: Idaho 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Proposition 1, Authorize Betting on Historical Horse Races Initiative (2018) | Gambling policy | Fieldworks LLC | $1,251,549.68 | 56,192 | $22.27 |
| Idaho Proposition 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative (2018) | Public health insurance | volunteers | $0.00 | 56,192 | $0.00 |
Maine
- See also: Maine 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maine Question 1, Payroll and Non-Wage Income Taxes for Home Care Program Initiative (2018) | Taxes | various individuals | $187,088.68 | 61,123 | $3.06 |
| Maine Question 1, Ranked-Choice Voting Delayed Enactment and Automatic Repeal Referendum (June 2018) | Ranked-choice voting | volunteers, various individuals | $4,306.80 | 61,123 | $0.07 |
Massachusetts
- See also: Massachusetts 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Question 1, Nurse-Patient Assignment Limits Initiative (2018) | Healthcare governance | JEF Associates | $570,518.17 | 75,542 | $7.55 |
| Massachusetts Question 2, Advisory Commission for Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Regarding Corporate Personhood and Political Spending Initiative (2018) | Campaign finance | Ballot Access Management | $153,000.00 | 75,542 | $2.03 |
| Massachusetts Question 3, Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Veto Referendum (2018) | LGBTQ issues | Paladin Petitions | $56,056.34 | 32,375 | $1.73 |
Michigan
- See also: Michigan 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Proposal 1, Marijuana Legalization Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | National Petition Management, Inc. | $783,535.66 | 252,523 | $3.10 |
| Michigan Proposal 2, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2018) | Redistricting policy | volunteers | $0.00 | 315,654 | $0.00 |
| Michigan Proposal 3, Voting Policies in State Constitution Initiative (2018) | Absentee and mail voting | Fieldworks LLC | $2,258,871.43 | 315,654 | $7.16 |
Missouri
- See also: Missouri 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Amendment 1, Lobbying, Campaign Finance, and Redistricting Initiative (2018) | Redistricting policy | Fieldworks LLC | $1,082,515.83 | 160,199 | $6.76 |
| Missouri Amendment 2, Medical Marijuana and Veteran Healthcare Services Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | Fieldworks LLC | $530,296.96 | 160,199 | $3.31 |
| Missouri Amendment 3, Medical Marijuana and Biomedical Research and Drug Development Institute Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | Fieldworks LLC | $1,266,514.04 | 160,199 | $7.91 |
| Missouri Proposition A, Right to Work Referendum (August 2018) | Right-to-work laws | Fieldworks LLC | $776,494.17 | 100,126 | $7.76 |
| Missouri Proposition B, $12 Minimum Wage Initiative (2018) | Minimum wage laws | Fieldworks LLC | $686,714.90 | 100,126 | $6.86 |
| Missouri Proposition C, Medical Marijuana and Veterans Healthcare Services, Education, Drug Treatment, and Public Safety Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | National Petition Management, Inc. | $1,057,185.00 | 100,126 | $10.56 |
Montana
- See also: Montana 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana I-185, Extend Medicaid Expansion and Increase Tobacco Taxes Initiative (2018) | Public assistance programs | Direct Action Partners | $219,131.60 | 25,468 | $8.60 |
| Montana I-186, Requirements for Permits and Reclamation Plans of New Hard Rock Mines Initiative (2018) | Business regulations | M&R Strategic Services | $249,981.63 | 25,468 | $9.82 |
Nebraska
- See also: Nebraska 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Initiative 427, Medicaid Expansion Initiative (2018) | Public health insurance | Fieldworks LLC | $727,178.67 | 84,908 | $8.56 |
Nevada
- See also: Nevada 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Question 3, Changes to Energy Market and Prohibit State-Sanctioned Electric-Generation Monopolies Amendment (2018) | Energy market regulations | Fieldworks LLC | $405,259.96 | 55,234 | $7.34 |
| Nevada Question 4, Medical Equipment Sales Tax Exemption Amendment (2018) | Sales taxes | Bennett Medical Services | $110,125.00 | 55,234 | $1.99 |
| Nevada Question 5, Automatic Voter Registration via DMV Initiative (2018) | Voter registration | Ramirez Group | $357,696.00 | 55,234 | $6.48 |
| Nevada Question 6, Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2018) | Carbon emissions regulations | Fieldworks LLC | $1,402,142.75 | 112,543 | $12.46 |
North Dakota
- See also: North Dakota 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Measure 1, Ethics Commission, Foreign Political Contribution Ban, and Conflicts of Interest Initiative (2018) | Campaign finance | Advanced Micro Targeting | $260,000.00 | 26,904 | $9.66 |
| North Dakota Measure 2, Citizen Requirement for Voting Amendment Initiative (2018) | Citizenship voting requirements | Advanced Micro Targeting | $248,857.00 | 26,904 | $9.25 |
| North Dakota Measure 3, Marijuana Legalization and Automatic Expungement Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | volunteers | $0.00 | 13,452 | $0.00 |
| North Dakota Measure 4, Special License Plates and Free Access to State Parks for Volunteer Emergency Responders Initiative (2018) | Civil service | volunteers | $0.00 | 13,452 | $0.00 |
Ohio
- See also: Ohio 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Issue 1, Drug and Criminal Justice Policies Initiative (2018) | Drug crime policy | Stand Up for Ohio, Ohio Voter Action Fund, SMI Enterprises LLC, The Operation Group Inc | $3,669,266.74 | 306,591 | $11.97 |
Oklahoma
- See also: Oklahoma 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State Question 788, Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative (June 2018) | Marijuana laws | volunteers, various individuals | $26,988.00 | 65,987 | $0.41 |
| Oklahoma State Question 793: Right of Optometrists and Opticians to Practice in Retail Establishments Initiative (2018) | Business regulations | volunteers | $0.00 | 123,725 | $0.00 |
Oregon
- See also: Oregon 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Measure 101, Healthcare Insurance Premiums Tax for Medicaid Referendum (January 2018) | Public assistance programs | volunteers, various individuals | $38,326.29 | 58,789 | $0.65 |
| Oregon Measure 103, Ban Tax on Groceries Initiative (2018) | Taxes | Morning in America, Ballot Access LLC | $1,403,992.14 | 117,578 | $11.94 |
| Oregon Measure 104, Definition of Raising Revenue for Three-Fifths Vote Requirement Initiative (2018) | State and local government budgets, spending, and finance | Ballot Access LLC | $1,586,178.00 | 117,578 | $13.49 |
| Oregon Measure 105, Repeal Sanctuary State Law Initiative (2018) | Immigration policy | volunteers, various individuals | $65,000.00 | 88,184 | $0.74 |
| Oregon Measure 106, Ban Public Funds for Abortions Initiative (2018) | Abortion policy | volunteers, various individuals | $179,124.05 | 117,578 | $1.52 |
South Dakota
- See also: South Dakota 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota Constitutional Amendment W, State Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws, Government Accountability Board, and Initiative Process Amendment (2018) | Initiative and referendum process | an unknown petition company | $275,008.50 | 27,741 | $9.91 |
| South Dakota Initiated Measure 24, Ban Out-of-State Contributions to Ballot Question Committees Initiative (2018) | Ballot measure process | various individuals | $18,750.00 | 13,871 | $1.35 |
| South Dakota Initiated Measure 25, Tobacco Tax Increase Initiative (2018) | Tobacco laws | various individuals | $18,750.00 | 13,871 | $1.35 |
Utah
- See also: Utah 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Proposition 2, Medical Marijuana Initiative (2018) | Marijuana laws | various individuals, Gathering, Inc | $473,798.75 | 113,143 | $4.19 |
| Utah Proposition 3, Medicaid Expansion Initiative (2018) | Public health insurance | Grassroots Utah | $1,329,013.50 | 113,143 | $11.75 |
| Utah Proposition 4, Independent Advisory Commission on Redistricting Initiative (2018) | Redistricting policy | AAP Holding Company, Inc | $1,040,087.00 | 113,143 | $9.19 |
Washington
- See also: Washington 2018 ballot measures
| Ballot Measure | Topic | Petition Companies | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Initiative 1631, Carbon Emissions Fee Measure (2018) | Carbon emissions regulations | AAP Holding Company, Inc | $802,695.60 | 259,622 | $3.09 |
| Washington Initiative 1634, Prohibit Local Taxes on Groceries Measure (2018) | Taxes | AAP Holding Company, Inc | $2,780,184.10 | 259,622 | $10.71 |
| Washington Initiative 1639, Changes to Gun Ownership and Purchase Requirements Measure (2018) | Firearms policy | AAP Holding Company, Inc | $3,785,576.00 | 259,622 | $14.58 |
| Washington Initiative 940, Police Training and Criminal Liability in Cases of Deadly Force Measure (2018) | Law enforcement officers and departments | PCI Consultants, Inc. | $1,024,704.92 | 259,622 | $3.95 |
Signature costs data for all measures
Comparison to previous years
- See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2016
2016:
- See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2016
- In 2016, a total of $78.12 million[3] was spent on signature gathering efforts across 17 states to put 76 citizen-initiated measures on statewide ballots—more than in any year from 2006 through 2016. A total of 13,677,856 valid signatures were required to qualify 2016's initiatives and veto referendums for the ballot.[4]
- The average cost of a successful initiative or veto referendum petition drive was $1,027,890.77 across the 17 states featuring such measures in 2016.
- The average CPRS across the 17 states with initiatives or referendums was $5.6.
2014:
- In 2014, a total of $16.9 million was spent on signature gathering across 15 states to put 40 citizen-initiated measures on statewide ballots.
- The average total cost of a successful initiative or veto referendum petition drive was $608,516.
- The average CPRS across the 15 states was $3.2.
2012:
- In 2012, a total of $51.9 million was spent on signature gathering across 17 states to put 61 citizen-initiated measures on statewide ballots.
- The average total cost of a successful initiative or veto referendum petition drive was $850,936.
- The average CPRS across the 17 states was $4.30.
2010:
- In 2010, a total of $36 million was spent on signature gathering across 14 states to put 50 citizen-initiated measures on statewide ballots.
- The average total cost of a successful initiative or veto referendum petition drive was $720,000.
- The average CPRS across the 14 states was $3.7.
See also
Other petition cost reports
- 2012 ballot measure petition signature costs
- 2013 ballot measure petition signature costs
- 2014 ballot measure petition signature costs
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2015
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2016
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2017
- Ballot measures cost per required signatures analysis
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2019
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2020
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2021
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2022
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2023
- Ballot measure signature costs, 2024
- User:Jackie Mitchell/CPRS 2024
Footnotes
- ↑ A range was required because of unknown variables concerning petition costs in Colorado. Exact range: $74,380,285.97 and $78,811,835.97
- ↑ A range was required because of unknown variables concerning petition costs in Colorado. Exact range: Between $1,110,153.52 and $1,158,997.59
- ↑ The exact figure was $78,119,698.89.
- ↑ Note: Many more than that were collected. 13.7 million was the minimum number of valid signatures that were required.
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