Iowa 2028 ballot measures
As of November 12, 2025, zero statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in Iowa on November 7, 2028.
Potential measures
- See also: Potential 2028 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Allow Limits on the Right to Confront Witnesses in Court | Criminal trials | Permit state law to limit the rights of a person accused of a crime to confront a witness in court if the witness is under the age of 18, has an intellectual or developmental disability, or has a mental illness |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens
Iowa is one of the 24 states that do not have initiative or veto referendum processes. Thus, Iowa citizens cannot qualify a ballot measure for the statewide ballot by collecting signatures. Iowa voters have never voted on a ballot measure to authorize a statewide initiative and referendum process.
Legislature
To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on the ballot for voter ratification, a simple majority vote is required in both the Iowa State Senate and the Iowa House of Representatives in two successive legislative sessions with an election for state legislators in between. Every two years, half of the state senators and all of the members of the state House are up for election. Once an amendment is on the ballot, it must be approved by a simple majority of voters in order to become part of the constitution. For constitutional amendments to appear on the 2028 ballot, they must be approved during the 2025-2026 legislative session and the 2027-2028 legislative session.
Publication process
When a constitutional amendment has passed the general assembly in the first session and thus been referred to the succeeding legislature, the state legislature is required by Article X in the Iowa Constitution to publish the amendment in two newspapers in each of Iowa's congressional districts and on the legislature's website once per month for three months.[1] Before the approval of House File 764 of 2019, this was the duty of the Secretary of State. House File 764 of 2019 also provided that a proposed amendment that has been agreed to by two succeeding sessions of the general assembly cannot be invalidated due to an error or omission in the publication process.[2]
Information on the publication of proposed constitutional amendments may be found here.
Historical facts
- See also: List of Iowa ballot measures
In Iowa, a total of 19 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2024. Twelve ballot measures were approved, and seven ballot measures were defeated.
| Iowa statewide ballot measures, 1985-2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
See also
- Iowa State Senate
- Iowa House of Representatives
- 2028 ballot measures
External links
Footnotes
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