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Trifecta status of the 26 initiative and referendum states
In the U.S., 26 states provide for a statewide initiative process, referendum process, or both. Washington, D.C. also has an initiative and referendum process. These types of ballot measures are known as citizen-initiated ballot measures.
As of 2025, 22 of 26 states that provide for statewide initiative or referendum have state government trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
This page provides a comparison of the number of initiatives on the ballot by trifecta status. Explore the links below for more information:
- Trifecta status for states with the initiative process
- Number of initiatives by trifecta status
- Trifecta history in initiative and referendum states
Trifecta status for states with the initiative process
State government trifecta is a term to describe single-party government, when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. As of August 2025, states with an initiative process have the following state government trifecta status:
- 13 states are Republican,
- nine states are Democratic, and
- four states are divided.
Among Democratic trifecta states, California had the most initiatives with 59. Democrats controlled California for all but one year—2010—when it was a divided government. Among Republican trifecta states, South Dakota had the most initiatives with 28. Republicans have controlled South Dakota for the last 15 years.
Number of initiatives by trifecta status
Between 2010 and 2025, 466 initiatives were certified for statewide ballots. The years with the most initiatives in Democratic trifecta states were 2012 and 2024, with 24 initiatives. The year with the most initiatives in Republican trifecta states was 2018, with 32 initiatives. Divided states saw the greatest number of initiatives in 2016, with 31 initiatives.
The chart below shows the number of initiatives certified for even-numbered year elections between 2010 and 2024 by state trifecta status.
Democratic and Republican trifecta states each saw an average of 19 initiatives certified for even-year elections. The average number certified in divided government states was 15. Democratic trifecta states decided on a total of 154, while Republican trifecta states decided on a total of 150. The total number of initiatives in divided states was 123.
The table below shows the number of initiatives certified for even-year ballots by year and trifecta status.
Trifecta history in initiative and referendum states
Of the 26 states, five states—Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah—have remained Republican trifectas continuously from 2010 to 2025. Combined, the five states featured 76 initiatives on the ballot. The states with the most changes in trifecta control were Colorado, Michigan, and Nevada. Each changed control four times between 2010 and 2025 and saw a combined total of 79 initiatives. The states with the most change to trifecta status (four changes) saw an average of 26 initiatives, while states with no change to trifecta status featured an average of 15 initiatives.
The following table displays the history of state government trifecta status in initiative and referendum states between 2010 and 2025. Scroll to the right to view all the years.
See also
- States with initiative or referendum
- Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
- State government trifectas
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