How many veto referendums have there been in Washington?

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Question: How many veto referendums have there been in Washington?

Answer: Since the first in 1914, Washington voters have decided 39 statewide veto referendum measures at the ballot.

Details and context: A veto referendum is a type of citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature. Opponents of the law collect signatures for the veto referendum petition hoping that voters will repeal it at the ballot. The most recent veto referendum was on the ballot in Washington in 2020. In 79.5% of cases (31 of 39), the veto referendum resulted in the targeted bill being repealed. Conversely, 20.5% (eight of 39) of veto referendum measures resulted in the targeted law being upheld. In Washington, successful veto referendum petitions suspend the targeted law until the veto referendum is placed on the ballot and voted on in an election.

Number of Washington veto referendums
Total veto referendums	Laws upheld	Laws repealed	Year of last measure
39	8	31	2020

The veto referendum ballot measure is also known as a popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. In Washington, these are called referendum measures. Washington uses the term referendum bills for proposed laws referred to voters by the legislature. There are 23 states that have a process for veto referendums.

Learn more:

Click here for a list of veto referendums in Washington.

Click here for a list of all veto referendums in the U.S.

See also

• Washington 2019 ballot measures
• Washington ballot measures
• Laws governing the initiative process in Washington

• Referendum
• States with referendum only
• Forms of direct democracy in the American states