List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2021
This page lists summaries of lawsuits about local ballot measures filed or ruled on in 2021. Lawsuits can be filed before an election specifically to keep a measure from being put on the ballot. Such pre-election lawsuits often allege one or more of the following:
- invalid signatures,
- unqualified signature gatherers,
- the unconstitutionality of the measure,
- biased or misleading petition language, or
- other criticisms that—if agreed to by a judge—could cause the measure to be removed or blocked from the ballot.
Pre-election lawsuits are most often filed against citizen initiatives and veto referendums; very infrequently are they filed against measures referred to the ballot by the legislature.
Lawsuits alleging the invalidity or unconstitutionality of a measure can also be filed after the election. Sometimes these court cases extend for years after a measure has been approved.
Click on the tabs below to see summaries of lawsuits:
- The By state tab organizes lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 by state.
- The By subject tab organizes lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 according to the subject of the lawsuits.
- The Historical measures tab lists lawsuits filed or ruled on in 2021 about historical local ballot measures.
- The State tab will bring you to information about lawsuits over statewide ballot measures.
By state
This tab lists lawsuits that were filed or ruled on in 2021—by state—for local measures proximate to 2021. It also lists 2021 lawsuits about any local measures targeting a ballot in 2021 or a later year.
California
Ballotpedia is not covering any 2021 lawsuits about local measures in this state at this time.
Minnesota
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Does Minneapolis City Council have the authority to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court | |
| Ruling: Ruled that the Minneapolis City Council has the power to add an explanatory note, but that the explanatory note, as it existed, could mislead voters and had to be removed from the ballot language | |
| Plaintiff(s): Yes 4 Minneapolis | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
| Plaintiff argument: The city of Minneapolis does not have the authority to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question and it could mislead voters. | Defendant argument: The city of Minneapolis needs to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question to make sure that voters know what they are voting for. |
Source: Star Tribune
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Was the ballot question misleading? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court | |
| Ruling: On September 7, 2021, Judge Jamie L. Anderson struck down the ballot question as unreasonable and misleading. | |
| Plaintiff(s): Don Samuels and Sondra Samuels | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
| Plaintiff argument: The ballot question excluded several effects and was, therefore, misleading and vague. | Defendant argument: The ballot question did not need to include information on each individual effect and was faithful to the measure's substance. |
Source: Hennepin County District Court
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Is the ballot question that was certified after Samuels v. Minneapolis I misleading? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court and Minnesota Supreme Court | |
| Ruling: The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the ballot question, allowing for a vote on the ballot measure. | |
| Plaintiff(s): Don Samuels and Sondra Samuels | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
Source: Associated Press
By subject
This tab lists lawsuits there were filed or ruled on in 2021—by subject—for local measures proximate to 2021. It also lists 2021 lawsuits about any local measures targeting a ballot in 2021 or a later year.
Subjects listed include the following:
- Ballot language - Lawsuits challenging the accuracy, form, neutrality, or clarity of language designed to appear on petition forms or on the ballot
- Campaign finance - Lawsuits alleging campaign finance law violations
- Circulators - Lawsuits concerning the qualifications or actions of petition circulators
- Post-certification removal - Lawsuits seeking the removal of a local measure from the ballot after it was certified
- Post-election - Lawsuits filed concerning a local measure after the election has already occurred
- Preemption - Lawsuits alleging that a local measure is preempted by a higher authority (i.e. a state measure preempted by Federal authority/law or a local measure preempted by state authority/law)
- Signature validity - Lawsuits challenging the validity of signatures
- Signature deadlines - Lawsuits that argue proponents of a local measure did not meet the procedural deadlines required to put a measure on the ballot
- Single subject - Lawsuits challenging an initiative according to a state's single-subject rule
- Subject restriction - Lawsuits based on legal restrictions on the subject matter of local ballot measures
- Substantive constitutionality - Lawsuits alleging that the content of a local measure violates a constitutional provision such as a right to free speech or equal protection.
- Voter approval requirements - Lawsuits concerning supermajority vote requirements, double majority vote requirements, or other requirements for approval at the ballot.
- Voter guide - Lawsuits challenging the accuracy, form, neutrality, or clarity of language designed to appear on state-produced voter guides
Methodological note: Since multiple lawsuits are often filed surrounding one measure, and these lawsuits provide important context for each other, information about all lawsuits surrounding a specific measure will be listed whether or not each separate lawsuit concerns the subject under which the lawsuits are listed on this tab.
Ballot language
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Does Minneapolis City Council have the authority to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court | |
| Ruling: Ruled that the Minneapolis City Council has the power to add an explanatory note, but that the explanatory note, as it existed, could mislead voters and had to be removed from the ballot language | |
| Plaintiff(s): Yes 4 Minneapolis | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
| Plaintiff argument: The city of Minneapolis does not have the authority to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question and it could mislead voters. | Defendant argument: The city of Minneapolis needs to add an explanatory statement to the ballot question to make sure that voters know what they are voting for. |
Source: Star Tribune
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Was the ballot question misleading? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court | |
| Ruling: On September 7, 2021, Judge Jamie L. Anderson struck down the ballot question as unreasonable and misleading. | |
| Plaintiff(s): Don Samuels and Sondra Samuels | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
| Plaintiff argument: The ballot question excluded several effects and was, therefore, misleading and vague. | Defendant argument: The ballot question did not need to include information on each individual effect and was faithful to the measure's substance. |
Source: Hennepin County District Court
| Lawsuit overview | |
| Issue: Is the ballot question that was certified after Samuels v. Minneapolis I misleading? | |
| Court: Hennepin County District Court and Minnesota Supreme Court | |
| Ruling: The Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the ballot question, allowing for a vote on the ballot measure. | |
| Plaintiff(s): Don Samuels and Sondra Samuels | Defendant(s): City of Minneapolis |
Source: Associated Press
Campaign finance
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding campaign finance that took place in 2021.
Circulators
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding circulators that took place in 2021.
Post-certification removal
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding post-certification removal that took place in 2021.
Post-election
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 post-election lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 that took place in 2021.
Preemption
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding preemption that took place in 2021.
Signature validity
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding signature validity that took place in 2021.
Signature deadlines
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding signature deadlines that took place in 2021.
Single subject
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding single subject that took place in 2021.
Subject restriction
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding subject restriction that took place in 2021.
Substantive constitutionality
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding substantive constitutionality that took place in 2021.
Voter approval requirements
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding voter approval requirements that took place in 2021.
Voter guide
Ballotpedia did not cover any 2021 lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021 regarding voter guide language that took place in 2021.
Historical measures
This tab shows a list of lawsuits, by state, that were filed or ruled on in 2021 against historical local ballot measures. For lawsuits about local measures proximate to 2021, see the By state and "By subject tabs.
Ballotpedia did not cover any local ballot measure lawsuits about historical measures in 2021.
Statewide measures
- See also: List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2021
Ballotpedia covers all statewide measures in every state.
A compiled list of 2021 lawsuits about statewide ballot measures can be found here.
See also
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2017
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2012
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2013
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2014
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2015
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2016
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2011
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2010
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2009
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2016
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2015
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2017
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2018
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2018
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2019
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2019
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2020
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2021
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2020
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2022
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2022
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2023
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2023
- 2008 ballot measure lawsuits
- 2009 ballot measure litigation
- 2010 ballot measure litigation
- 2011 ballot measure litigation
- 2008 single-subject rule challenges
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 1999
- List of ballot measure lawsuits in 2024
- List of local ballot measure lawsuits in 2024
Footnotes
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