State Ballot Measure Monthly: September 2019
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By Ballot Measures Project staff
This edition of the State Ballot Measure Monthly covers certifications and a selection of notable ballot measure news from August 15 through September 16. In that time, one statewide ballot measure was certified for the Nov. 5 ballot. Twenty-four statewide measures have been certified for the 2019 ballot so far. One statewide measure was certified for the Nov. 2020 ballot as well. Thirty-nine measures have been certified for 2020 so far.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Number of certifications in past years:
- 2017: By the third Tuesday in August, 27 measures had been certified for the 2017 ballot. No more measures were added to the ballot.
- The 27 measures of 2017 set a seven-decade record for the lowest number of statewide measures certified for an odd-numbered year ballot.
- 2015: By the second Tuesday in August, 28 measures had been certified for the 2015 ballot.
- No more measures were added to the ballot above the 28 certified by the second Tuesday in August.
- 2013: By the second Tuesday in September, 31 measures had been certified for the 2013 ballot.
- No more measures were added to the ballot above the 31 certified by the second Tuesday in September.
- 2011: By the first Tuesday in September, 34 measures had been certified for the 2011 ballot.
- No more measures were added to the ballot above the 34 certified by the first Tuesday in September.
The graph below shows the number of certifications in each week of 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, as well as the average for each week. The graph also shows 2019 certifications and will be updated each week on Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count page until ballots are finalized for all states.
Even-numbered years
- At this point in the year before even-year elections from 2012 through 2018, an average of 42 measures were certified for the next even-numbered year. From 2012 through 2018, an average of 169 measures were ultimately certified to appear on the general election ballot.
2019 certifications
From August 15 to September 16, one 2019 statewide ballot measure was certified for the ballot:
August 30:
- Maine Question 1, Transportation Infrastructure Bond Issue (2019) - This measure would authorize $105 million in general obligation bonds for transportation infrastructure projects. Article IX, Section 14, of the Maine Constitution requires that state general obligation bonds exceeding $2 million be referred to the ballot for voter approval. A two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Maine State Legislature is required to put bond issues before voters. Sen. Bill Diamond (D-26) introduced the bond issue as Legislative Document 1850 (LD 1850) at Gov. Janet Mills (D) request. Both chambers of the state legislature passed LD 1850 on Aug. 26. In the state House, the vote was 127-8. In the state Senate, the vote was 32-0. Gov. Mills signed LD 1850 on Aug. 30, allowing the bond issue to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.
2020 certifications
From August 15 to September 16, one 2020 statewide ballot measure was certified for the ballot:
August 29:
- Colorado Proposition 113, National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Referendum (2020) - The Colorado Legislature passed and Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed Senate Bill 42 adding Colorado to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which would give Colorado's nine electoral college votes to the presidential candidate that wins the most votes nationwide if the NPVIC goes into effect. The NPVIC would go into effect if states representing at least 270 electoral college votes—the number required to win the presidency—adopt the legislation. Currently, Colorado's electoral college votes go to the presidential candidate that wins the most votes in Colorado. Opponents of Colorado joining the NPVIC, organized as Protect Colorado's Vote, launched a veto referendum petition drive to block Senate Bill 42 and put it before voters. The secretary of state determined the veto referendum petition had the 124,632 valid signatures required to qualify for the ballot and certified the measure on Aug. 29. Protect Colorado's Vote reported submitting over 227,000 signatures to the secretary of state on the Aug. 1 deadline. To qualify for the ballot, 124,632 valid signatures were required.
- This is the first veto referendum certified for the ballot in Colorado since 1932. From 1912 to 1932, 13 veto referendums appeared on the ballot in Colorado. Ten of those 13 referendums succeeded in overturning the targeted legislation. In the other three instances, the targeted legislation was upheld by voters. Beginning in the mid-1930s, most legislative bills were drafted to automatically include a safety clause declaring the bill "necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety," which made the bill immune to referendum petition efforts. In 1997, the Executive Committee of Legislative Council directed the Office of Legislative Legal Services to only include a safety clause in bills if directed to do so by the requesting legislator.
See also
- 2019 ballot measures
- 2020 ballot measures
- List of ballot measures by state
- List of ballot measures by year
- Ballot initiatives filed for the 2019 ballot
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2019
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2020
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2019
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2020
Related articles
Footnotes
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