Chart of 2016 initiative activity
There are 26 states with some form of direct democracy. In 2016, for all measures on the ballot, a total of 17 initiative and referendum states had measures up for a public vote. However, before initiatives in these states were placed on the ballot, their sponsors had to file petitions with their state election officials and collect signatures.
This process means that some initiative efforts fail for various reasons, including unconstitutional ballot text, shortage of valid signatures, and missed deadlines. Not all of the measure petitions filed make the ballot.
In 2016, a total of 1,069 initiatives were filed with intent to circulate for signature gathering. Of those 1,069 initiative proposals, 76 were certified to appear on the ballot. Those 76 included veto referendums, initiated constitutional amendments, and initiated state statutes.
Summary of 2016
In 2016, 1,069 proposed initiatives were filed with election officials. Of the 1,069 filings, 76 initiatives or 7.11 percent were certified to appear on statewide ballots.
| # of initiatives proposed | # initiatives certified in 2016 | % certified | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totals: | 1,069 | 76 | 7.11% |
Outcome - by year
Between 2010 and 2016, 3,252 initiatives were proposed for statewide ballots. Of those 3,252 initiatives, 250 or 7.69 percent were certified to appear on the ballot. With a certification percentage of 7.11 percent, 2016 was 0.58 percentage points short of the total certification rate of 7.69 percent. This is an increase from 2014, however, when 6.49 percent of initiatives were certified. The initiative certification rate was 11.13 percent in 2012 and 8.40 percent in 2010.
The total number of initiative petition filings in 2016 was 1,069, topping the number filed in 2014 by 453. The number of initiatives certified for the ballot in 2016 was 76, which was 13 more than in 2012.
NOTE: The chart below specifically details the number of proposed initiatives per year and the number/percentage of successfully certified initiatives.
| Year | # of initiatives proposed | # initiatives certified | % certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 606 | 51 | 8.40% |
| 2011 | 137 | 12 | 8.76% |
| 2012 | 566 | 63 | 11.13% |
| 2013 | 133 | 3 | 2.26% |
| 2014 | 616 | 40 | 6.49% |
| 2015 | 125 | 5 | 4.00% |
| 2016 | 1,069 | 76 | 7.11% |
| Totals: | 3,252 | 250 | 7.69% |
Outcome - certified initiatives of 2016
In 2016, 7.11 percent of total initiatives filed for certified for the ballot. The highest rates of certification were in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Maine. In South Dakota, 90 percent, or nine of ten, initiatives were certified. In North Dakota, 80 percent, or four of five, initiatives were certified. In Maine, 50 percent, or five of ten, initiatives were certified to appear on the ballot. Initiatives were proposed in nine states where none were certified for the ballot.
About 76 percent of initiative proposals were filed in just five states – Washington, Missouri, California, Colorado, and Oregon. The most filed initiatives occurred in Washington, where 268 were filed. In Maryland and New Mexico, where citizens have the power to initiate veto referendums but not statutes or amendments, zero measures were filed. California had the largest number of certified initiatives in 2016 at 15.
NOTE: The chart below specifically details the number of proposed initiatives per state and the number/percentage of successfully certified initiatives for 2016 ballots.
| I&R State | # of initiatives proposed | # initiatives certified in 2016 | % certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 4 | 1 | 25.0% |
| Arizona | 36 | 2 | 5.6% |
| Arkansas | 16 | 1 | 6.3% |
| California | 137 | 15 | 10.9% |
| Colorado | 104 | 7 | 6.7% |
| Florida | 28 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Idaho | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Maine | 10 | 5 | 50.0% |
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Massachusetts | 35 | 4 | 11.4% |
| Michigan | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mississippi | 12 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Missouri | 220 | 4 | 1.8% |
| Montana | 24 | 4 | 16.7% |
| Nebraska | 6 | 1 | 16.7% |
| Nevada | 13 | 4 | 30.8% |
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| North Dakota | 5 | 4 | 80.0% |
| Ohio | 24 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Oklahoma | 13 | 3 | 23.1% |
| Oregon | 82 | 4 | 4.9% |
| South Dakota | 10 | 9 | 90.0% |
| Utah | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Washington | 268 | 6 | 2.2% |
| Wyoming | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Totals: | 1,069 | 76 | 7.11% |
See also
- 2016 ballot measures
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2016 ballot
- Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot
- Petition drive deadlines, 2016
Footnotes
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