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State Ballot Measure Monthly: March 2017
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By Ballot Measures Project staff
Five ballot measures have been certified for 2017 statewide ballots in four states so far. Nine measures have been certified for 2018 ballots. Over the last month, no additional statewide measures were certified for 2017 ballots, and five were certified to go before voters in 2018.
There will likely be between 30 and 50 statewide ballot measures in 2017, based on previous odd-numbered year elections. From 1989 through 2015, the average number of certified measures was 45, but, in the last decade, the average decreased to 35. In 1999, the number of measures certified for statewide ballots in odd-numbered years peaked at 72.
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Ballot measure certifications February 10 through March 10
2017 measures
- See also: 2017 ballot measures
No additional 2017 measures were slated to go before voters last month, and none were removed from the ballot, leaving the total number of certified measures at five. So far, 113 proposed initiatives have been filed with state officials targeting 2017 ballots. Of that total, 97 were filed in Washington.
2015 comparison
- See also: 2015 ballot measures and Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2015
By early March of 2015, five measures had also been certified for statewide ballots. Ultimately, 28 measures—including five citizen initiatives—were certified for the ballot in 2015.
By early March of 2015, a total of 78 proposed citizen initiatives had been filed with state officials, with 73 of those filed in Washington.
| Type of ballot measure | 2015 | 2013 | 2011 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislatively referred constitutional amendments | 16 | 17 | 21 | 20 |
| Initiatives | 5 | 3 | 10 | 6 |
| Veto referendums | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Legislatively referred state statutes | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Legislatively referred bond questions | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Automatic ballot referrals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Commission-referred ballot measures | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Advisory questions | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 28 | 31 | 34 | 32 |
2018 measures
- See also: 2018 ballot measures
Nine statewide ballot measures have been certified for the 2018 ballot, in seven states, as of March 10, 2017. Over the last four even-numbered years, the average number of statewide measures on the ballot is 173. There will likely be between 155 and 190 ballot measures in 2018. Between February 10 and March 10, the following five measures were certified for 2018 ballots:
- This proposed statute was put on the ballot by the Montana State Legislature to seek voter approval for the 10-year renewal of a six-mill property tax—$6 for each $1,000 in assessed property value—to fund the state university system. Voters first approved this tax 1948, and it was approved again every ten years until the most recent measure in 2008.
- This proposed constitutional amendment was put on the ballot by the Utah State Legislature to shorten the time required in service before active military personnel become eligible for property tax exemptions. It would change the required amount of time served in the military under an order of active duty to receive a property tax exemption from 200 days in a calendar year to 200 days in any 365-day period.
- This legislatively referred constitutional amendment would cap attorney contingency fees, limit punitive damages and non-economic damages awards, and allow the legislature to adopt, amend, or repeal rules regarding pleading, practice, or procedure prescribed by the state supreme court.
- This amendment would require voters to present photo identification to cast a ballot at the polls or an absentee ballot. The amendment would allow for a provisional ballot—which could be validated later on by showing valid photo id—for voters that do not present a photo id.
- This amendment would eliminate the office of state treasurer and replace the state treasurer with the lieutenant governor on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which is responsible for generating investment income for public school libraries, making loans to municipalities and school districts, managing state trust lands for timber management, and archiving land records.
2016 comparison
- See also: 2016 ballot measures and Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2016
By this time in March of 2015, eight measures had been certified for 2016 ballots. In 2016, there was a total of 162 statewide measures on the ballot. By October of 2016, 165 measures were slated to appear on the ballot, but three of them were removed by court decisions between October and the November election.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Initiatives have been filed for 2018 ballots. Ballotpedia will report this number starting in August of 2017.
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