Initiative signature requirement changes caused by 2018 voter turnout

Click here to see how voter turnout in 2020 affected ballot measure signature requirements.

Voter turnout in 2018 elections caused a change in the number of valid signatures required for initiatives and veto referendums in 18 of the 26 states with at least one form of statewide initiative or referendum. Signature requirements are determined differently depending on the state. The majority of states with citizen-initiated measures—16—base signature requirements on ballots cast for gubernatorial candidates in the preceding gubernatorial election. Four states base signature requirements on total ballots cast in the preceding general election. Of the remaining states, two states base requirements on voters for presidential candidates within the state, two states base requirements on registered voters, one state bases requirements on votes cast for secretary of state candidates, and one state bases requirements on the state population.

HIGHLIGHTS

There are 13 states with initiative signature requirements based on Midterm gubernatorial or secretary of state elections. In each of these states, turnout was higher than in 2014 and signature requirements increased.

In these 13 states, the signature requirement increases ranged from 3.2 percent in Maine to 70.3 percent in California, where the signature requirements are higher than they've ever been in the state’s 106 years of direct democracy.

There are four states with signature requirements based on turnout at general elections. In each of those states, turnout was lower than in 2016 and signature requirements decreased.

In these four states, the signature requirement decreases ranged from 11.3 percent in Alaska to 20.7 percent in Wyoming.

Six states base initiative signature requirements on odd-year or presidential year gubernatorial elections, and 2018 elections had no effect on the signature requirements in those states.

Three states base signature requirements on voter registration or population.

Note: The chart only shows signature requirements for initiated constitutional amendments and initiated state statutes. It does not show the requirements for veto referendums, except for the two states—Maryland and New Mexico—that only feature veto referendums (in which cases the requirement is listed under "Statute"). Moreover, for states where the process requires multiple phases of signature submission, these separate requirements are combined to arrive at a total signature requirement.

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Signature requirement changes

States with requirements based on Midterm gubernatorial or SoS elections

State	pre-2018		post-2018 (2019 - 2022) affected election years depend on the state		Percent change
State	Constitutional	Statute	Constitutional	Statute	Percent change
Arizona	225,963	150,642	356,467	237,645	+57.8%
Arkansas	84,859	67,887	89,151	71,321	+5.1%
California	585,407	365,880	997,139	623,212	+70.3%
Colorado	98,492	98,492	124,632	124,632	+26.54%
Illinois	290,216	N/A	363,813	N/A	+25.4%
Maine	N/A	61,123	N/A	63,067	+ 3.2%
Maryland	N/A	51,996	N/A	69,135	+32.9%
Massachusetts IndISS (2016/18 to 2020/22)	N/A	75,542	N/A	93,611	+23.9%
Massachusetts IndICA (2018/20 to 2022/24)	64,750	N/A	80,239	N/A	+23.9%
Michigan	315,654	252,523	425,059	340,047	+34.7%
Ohio	305,591	183,355	442,958	265,774	+45.0%
Oklahoma	123,725	65,987	177,958	94,911	+43.8%
Oregon	117,578	88,184	149,360	112,020	+27.0%
South Dakota	27,741	13,871	33,921	16,961	+22.3%

States with requirements based on general election turnout

State	pre-2018		post-2018 (2019 - 2022) affected election years depend on the state		Percent change
State	Constitutional	Statute	Constitutional	Statute	Percent change
Alaska	N/A	32,127	N/A	28,501	-11.3%
Nevada CICA (2018 to 2020)	112,543	N/A	97,598	N/A	-13.3%
Nevada IndISS (2020 to 2022)^[1]	N/A	112,543	N/A	97,598	-13.3%
New Mexico	N/A	80,407^[2]	N/A	70,165^[3]	-12.7%
Wyoming	N/A	38,818	N/A	30,792	-20.7%

States with requirements based on voter registration or population

State	pre-2018		post-2018 (2019 - 2022) affected election years depend on the state		Percent change
State	Constitutional	Statute	Constitutional	Statute	Percent change
Idaho	N/A	56,192	N/A	55,057	-2.0%
Nebraska	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	N/A
North Dakota	26,904	13,452	26,904	13,452	N/A

States with requirements based on turnout in presidential election years or odd-numbered years

State	pre-2018		post-2018		Percent change
State	Constitutional	Statute	Constitutional	Statute	Percent change
Florida	766,200	N/A	766,200	N/A	N/A
Mississippi	86,185	N/A	86,185	N/A	N/A
Missouri^[4]	160,199	100,126	160,199	100,126	N/A
Montana	50,936	25,468	50,936	25,468	N/A
Utah	N/A	113,143	N/A	113,143	N/A
Washington	N/A	259,622	N/A	259,622	N/A

Data

Footnotes

↑ As signatures for indirect-initiated state statutes are due about two years before the targeted general election in Nevada, the number of signatures required for a 2020 initiated statute was based on ballots cast in the 2016 election and the number required for a 2022 initiated statue was based on 2018 turnout.
↑ This was the requirement for a veto referendum petition that did not suspend the targeted law until the election. To put the targeted law on the ballot and suspend it until the election, 201,018 valid signatures were required.
↑ This was set as the requirement for a veto referendum petition not suspending the targeted law until the election. The requirement to put the targeted law on the ballot and suspend it until the election was set as 175,413 valid signatures.
↑ These numbers represent the smallest possible number of valid signatures that could qualify a measure for the ballot in Missouri, but the actual signature requirement depends on the congressional districts in which signatures are collected.

[1] As signatures for indirect-initiated state statutes are due about two years before the targeted general election in Nevada, the number of signatures required for a 2020 initiated statute was based on ballots cast in the 2016 election and the number required for a 2022 initiated statue was based on 2018 turnout.

[2] This was the requirement for a veto referendum petition that did not suspend the targeted law until the election. To put the targeted law on the ballot and suspend it until the election, 201,018 valid signatures were required.

[3] This was set as the requirement for a veto referendum petition not suspending the targeted law until the election. The requirement to put the targeted law on the ballot and suspend it until the election was set as 175,413 valid signatures.

[4] These numbers represent the smallest possible number of valid signatures that could qualify a measure for the ballot in Missouri, but the actual signature requirement depends on the congressional districts in which signatures are collected.

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Initiative signature requirement changes caused by 2018 voter turnout

Contents

Signature requirement changes

States with requirements based on Midterm gubernatorial or SoS elections

States with requirements based on general election turnout

States with requirements based on voter registration or population

States with requirements based on turnout in presidential election years or odd-numbered years

Data

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