Initiative states compared by number of initiatives on their ballot

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Amendments
Citizen initiatives Indirect initiative Legislative referrals Convention referrals
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Citizen initiatives Indirect initiative Legislative referrals
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There are 26 states with citizen initiative processes at a statewide level, meaning they allow petitions signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters to put measures on the ballot. Citizen-initiated ballot measures can propose changes to statutes or state constitutions, or they can seek to repeal laws passed by the state legislature through veto referendums.

HIGHLIGHTS

Oregon was the first state to feature citizen-initiated measures on state ballots in 1904. As of 2020, Oregon state ballots have featured 444 initiatives and veto referendums, which is the highest amount for states that allow the processes.

The most recent state to adopt the initiative process was Mississippi in 1995. Since its adoption, seven citizen-initiated measures have appeared on state ballots.

Since 1980, one initiative has appeared on Illinois ballots. Illinois allows one type of initiative: initiated constitutional amendments.

The sortable table below details the number of initiatives that have appeared on state ballots since each state adopted the process:

State	Initiatives thru 2020	The year an initiative was first featured on ballots
Oregon	444	1904
California	433	1912
Colorado	257	1912
North Dakota	270	1918
Massachusetts	121	1920
Arizona	215	1912
Washington	226	1914
Arkansas	136	1912
Oklahoma	112	1908
Missouri	120	1910
Montana	99	1912
Ohio	96	1913
Michigan	90	1914
South Dakota	126	1908
Nevada	66	1918
Maine	96	1911
Alaska	60	1960
Nebraska	69	1914
Florida	42	1976
Idaho	40	1938
Utah	27	1952
Wyoming	7	1968
Mississippi	7	1995
Maryland	18	1938
New Mexico	3	1995
Illinois	1	1980

Information source: John Matsusaka, Initiative & Referendum Institute

External resources

v • e Statewide ballot measures

State	A • Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • C • California • Colorado • Connecticut • F • Florida • G • Georgia • H • Hawaii • I • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • K • Kansas • Kentucky • L • Louisiana • M • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • N • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • O • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • P • Pennsylvania • R • Rhode Island • S • South Carolina • South Dakota • T • Tennessee • Texas • U • Utah • V • Vermont • Virginia • W • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

By topic	A • Abortion • Admin of gov't • Affirmative action • Alcohol • Animal rights • Assisted death • B • Bonds • Budgets • Business regulation • C • Campaigns • Civil rights • Constitutional conventions • Constitutional language • County government • D • Daylight Saving Time • Death penalty • Direct democracy • E • Earthquakes • Education • Elections • Eminent domain • English • Environment • Executives • F • Federal constitutional issues • Firearms • G • Gambling • Government accountability • H • Healthcare • Housing • Hunting • I • Immigration • Insurance • J • State judiciary • L • LGBT • Labor • Law enforcement • Legislatures • M • Marijuana • Marriage • Minimum wage • Mottos • Municipal government • N • Natural resources • P • Pensions • Property • Public finance • R • Recall • Redistricting • Race and ethnicity • Religion • Rules about Sunday • S • Salaries of elected officials • Smoking bans • State budgets • State executives • State judiciary • State legislatures • Stem cells • Supermajority requirements • Sundays • T • Taxes • Tobacco • Transportation • U • Unions • Utilities • V • Veterans • W • Wages • War and peace • Water • Welfare

By type	Advisory vote • Automatic referral • Bond measure • Commission referral • Constitutional amendment (by initiative) • Constitutional amendment (referred by legislature) • Grand Jury Panels • State statute (by initiative) • State statute (referred by legislature) • Veto referendums Forms of direct democracy in the American states

By year	2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995 • 1994 • 1993 • 1992 • 1991 • 1990 • 1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985 • 1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980 1979 • 1978 • 1977 • 1976 • 1975 • 1974 • 1973 • 1972 • 1971 • 1970 • 1969 • 1968 • 1967 • 1966 • 1965 • 1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960 1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955 • 1954 • 1953 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950 • 1949 • 1948 • 1947 • 1946 • 1945 • 1944 • 1943 • 1942 • 1941 • 1940 1939 • 1938 • 1937 • 1936 • 1935 • 1934 • 1933 • 1932 • 1931 • 1930 • 1929 • 1928 • 1927 • 1926 • 1925 • 1924 • 1923 • 1922 • 1921 • 1920 1919 • 1918 • 1917 • 1916 • 1915 • 1914 • 1913 • 1912 • 1911 • 1910 • 1909 • 1908 • 1907 • 1906 • 1905 • 1904 • 1903 • 1902 • 1901 • 1900

Other	Tuesday Count reports • Features of official voter guides • Ballot measure campaign websites by year • Ballot measure endorsements • How to find campaign finance information about ballot measure campaigns

v • e Types of ballot measures

General terms	Initiated state statute • Initiated constitutional amendment • Indirect initiative • Indirect initiated state statute • Indirect initiative amendment • Indirect initiative • Legislative referral • Legislatively referred state statute • Legislatively referred constitutional amendment • Commission referral • Automatic ballot referral • Veto referendum • Constitutional convention • Convention referral • Bond issue • Recall • Advisory question

State-specific terms	Bond Propositions (California) • Initiatives to the Legislature (Washington) • Initiatives to the People (Washington) • Referendum Bill (Washington) • Statute affirmation (Nevada) • Referendum Election (Navajo Nation)

Local terms	City council ballot referral • Initiated city charter amendment • Initiated city ordinance • Grand jury • Redevelopment and Housing Authority Referendum (Virginia) • Reverse referendum (Minnesota) • Tax rate recall referendum (Kentucky)

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Initiative states compared by number of initiatives on their ballot

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