Laws governing ballot measures in Idaho

Laws governing ballot measures
State
• Laws governing state initiative processes
• Laws governing state recall processes
• Changes to ballot measure law in 2025
• Difficulty analysis of changes to laws governing ballot measures
• Analysis of 2025 changes to laws governing ballot measures
Local
• Laws governing local ballot measures
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This page provides an overview of resources addressing the laws and procedures that govern statewide and local ballot measures in Idaho, including the initiative and referendum process, constitutional amendments, signature requirements, recall procedures, and campaign finance regulations.

Explore the links below for more information:

• Types of ballot measures in Idaho
• Laws governing the initiative process in Idaho
• Amending the Idaho Constitution
• Laws governing local ballot measures in Idaho
• Signature requirements for ballot measures in Idaho
• Laws governing recall in Idaho
• Laws governing state constitutional conventions in Idaho
• Campaign finance requirements for Idaho ballot measures
• Changes to laws governing ballot measures in Idaho

Laws governing ballot measures in Idaho

Types of ballot measures in Idaho

• Idaho has two types of citizen-initiated ballot measures: initiated state statutes and veto referendums.

• In Idaho, the legislature can refer constitutional amendments, advisory questions, and constitutional convention questions to the ballot.

Laws governing the initiative process in Idaho

• In Idaho, citizens have the power to initiate state statutes, as well as the power to repeal legislation through veto referendums.

• Idaho adopted the initiative and referendum process in 1912, with voter approval of SJR 12 and SJR 13.

Amending the Idaho Constitution

• Idaho became a state in 1890. The current state constitution was ratified in 1890.

• The Idaho Constitution can be amended in two ways:
  • Legislatively referred constitutional amendment: The Idaho State Legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot, with a two-thirds (66.67%) vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session.
  • Convention-referred constitutional amendment: A state constitutional convention can vote to refer constitutional changes to the ballot.

Laws governing local ballot measures in Idaho

• In Idaho, the initiative and referendum process is mandated for all general law cities and counties and guidelines for the process are established by state law to a large degree of specificity. Idaho State Statutes Title 34 Ch. 18 lays out laws regarding initiative and referendum elections.
  • These statutes apply to all counties as all are general law counties.
  • Of the 200 cities, 199 of them are general law and thus fall under this mandate. Bellevue, the one charter city, has initiative and referendum in its charter and the rules and procedures are very similar to the state mandated rules and procedures.

Signature requirements for ballot measures in Idaho

• In Idaho, the number of signatures required to place a measure on the ballot is equal to 6% of the number of registered voters as of the state's last general election.

• Additionally, Idaho has a distribution requirement, requiring signatures to equal at least 6% of registered voters in 18 of the state's 35 legislative districts.

Laws governing recall in Idaho

• Title34, Chapter 17 of the Idaho State Statutes provides for the rules governing the recall process for state and local officials.

Laws governing state constitutional conventions in Idaho

• According to Article XX, Section 3 of the Idaho Constitution, a constitutional convention can be called if two-thirds (66.67%) of the members of each house of the Idaho State Legislature vote to place the question on the ballot.

• A simple majority is required to pass both a constitutional convention question and an amendment proposed by the convention.

Campaign finance requirements for Idaho ballot measures

• PACs that support or oppose ballot measures in Idaho must register and report campaign finance.

Changes to laws governing ballot measures in Idaho

See also: Changes to laws governing ballot measures

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

See also: Changes in 2025 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Joint Resolution 4: The proposed constitutional amendment, which requires voter approval in 2026, would provide that only the state legislature has the power to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or psychoactive substances and prohibiting citizen initiatives to legalize these substances.

HJR 4 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	29	6	0	58	10	2
Democratic (D)	0	6	0	0	9	0
Republican (R)	29	0	0	58	1	2

• House Bill 0377: The bill required recall petitions for city council members in cities that elect council members based on districts to include at least 20% of the number of registered voters in the last election.

H 0377 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	33	0	2	66	0	4
Democratic (D)	6	0	0	9	0	0
Republican (R)	27	0	2	57	0	4

• Senate Bill 1117: The bill required a new fiscal impact statement for initiatives if proponents modify the initiative after receiving the certificate of review and initial fiscal impact statement.

Senate Bill 1117 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	35	0	0	66	0	4
Democratic (D)	6	0	0	7	0	2
Republican (R)	29	0	0	59	0	2

See also: Changes in 2024 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 574: The bill required bond measure ballot questions, when including information about guaranteed state tax relief funds, to include a specific dollar amount and expiration date. The bill prohibits a specific dollar amount of state tax relief funds from being referenced in such a ballot question unless the amount is guaranteed to the taxing district.

HB 574 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	25	8	2	57	19	4
Democratic (D)	0	7	0	0	9	2
Republican (R)	25	1	2	47	10	2

• House Bill 521: The bill removed the ability for school districts to hold August elections on property tax bond questions.

HB 521 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	23	11	1	61	6	3
Democratic (D)	4	3	0	4	6	1
Republican (R)	19	8	1	57	0	2

• Senate Bill 1376: The bill allowed for an Idaho Legislator to use public property and resources to communicate with the public advocating for or against an initiative or referendum.

SB 1376 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	30	5	0	55	12	3
Democratic (D)	2	5	0	0	11	0
Republican (R)	28	0	0	55	1	3

• Senate Bill 1377: The bill required paid signature gatherers to wear a badge, verbally inform signatories that they are paid signature gatherers, and require petitions to include a disclosure that it is being circulated by paid signature gatherers.

SB 1377 Vote	Senate			House
	Yes	No	NV	Yes	No	NV
Total	26	8	1	54	16	0
Democratic (D)	0	7	0	0	11	0
Republican (R)	26	1	1	54	5	0

See also: Changes in 2023 to laws governing ballot measures

The Idaho State Legislature did not pass legislation concerning ballot measures in 2023.

See also: Changes in 2022 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 695: The legislation aligned the number of signatures required for a local recall petition with the votes cast in that specific district, subdistrict, or zone. Previously, state law aligned the number of signatures with the votes cast in the district, without mention of subdistrict or zone.

See also: Changes in 2021 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 290: The legislation prohibited electronic petition signatures, including for ballot initiatives, and stated that county clerks are responsible for verifying signatures.

• Senate Bill 1067: The legislation made several changes to election policies in Idaho, including making county clerks, rather than city clerks, responsible for receiving recall petitions, except recall petitions for state offices.

• Senate Bill 1110: The bill was designed to change the signature distribution requirement for ballot initiatives from 6% of voters in 18 (of 35) state legislative districts to 6% of voters in all 35 legislative districts. On August 23, 2021, the Idaho Supreme Court struck down SB 1110 as unconstitutional, writing "[the bill] would result in a scheme that squarely conflicts with the democratic ideals that form the bedrock of the constitutional republic created by the Idaho Constitution, and seriously undermines the people’s initiative and referendum powers enshrined therein."

• Senate Bill 1150 (Vetoed): The legislation was designed to prohibit initiative and referendum petitions from being circulated or signed outside the state's borders.

See also: Changes in 2020 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 548: The bill required that initiatives be limited to a single subject; required that initiative petitions include a statement informing signers that they have the option to remove their signatures from the petition; required individuals or entities who pay signature gatherers to report such activity to the secretary of state; and set the earliest and default effective date for ballot initiatives as July 1 of the year following the election.

• Senate Bill 1310: The legislation required that a non-conflicting officer be responsible for the ordering of a recall election.

• Senate Bill 1350: The legislation added a fiscal impact and funding source statement, drafted by the Division of Financial Management, to the voter information guide for ballot initiatives.

See also: Changes in 2019 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 296 (Vetoed): The legislation made changes to Senate Bill 1159, which was also vetoed, to make the revised distribution requirement 24 legislative districts, rather than 32, and allow nine months for signature gathering, rather than 180 days.

• Senate Bill 1159 (Vetoed): The legislation would have made changes to the laws governing the initiative process in Idaho, including:

• increasing the signature requirement for initiatives and veto referendums from 6% to 10% of registered voters as of the last general election;
• increasing the state's distribution requirement to require initiative and referendum petitioners to meet the 10% requirement in 32 legislative districts, rather than 6% in 18 legislative districts;
• reducing the amount of time allowed for signature gathering from 18 months to 180 days;
• enacting a single-subject rule for initiatives;
• and requiring a fiscal impact statement for each initiative certified for the ballot.

See also: Changes in 2018 to laws governing ballot measures

• House Bill 568: The legislation was designed to conform local initiative and referendum laws with a court ruling that prevented the use of citizen-initiated ballot measures regarding local zoning laws.

• House Bill 620: The legislation prohibited a government or public entity, or their employees, from using public funds, resources, or property to advocate for or against a ballot measure.

See also

• Laws governing ballot measures

Footnotes

Laws governing ballot measures in the United States

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Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measures • Legislatively referred ballot measures • Automatically referred ballot measures • Commission-referred ballot measures • Convention-referred constitutional amendments

Ballot measure policy terms

Glossary of ballot measure policy terms