Types of ballot measures in Maryland


Types of ballot measures
Initiated
• Initiated constitutional amendment
• Initiated state statute
• Veto referendum
Legislative
• Legislative constitutional amendment
• Legislative state statute
• Legislative bond issue
• Advisory question
Other
• Automatic ballot referral
• Commission-referred measure
• Convention-referred amendment
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about that state's types of ballot measures.

In Maryland, the state legislature can vote to refer measures to the ballot. Citizens of Maryland have the power to initiate veto referendums, but do not have the power to initiate state statutes or constitutional amendments. This page provides an overview of the different types of ballot measures that can appear on state ballots in Maryland.

The types of state ballot measures in Maryland are:

Veto referendums
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
Legislatively referred state statutes
Constitutional convention questions

Citizen-initiated ballot measures

Veto referendums

See also: Veto referendum

A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. This type of ballot measure is also called statute referendum, popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. There are 23 states that allow citizens to initiate veto referendums.

In Maryland, the number of signatures required for a veto referendum is equal to 3% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election.

For non-emergency bills, at least one-third of the required signatures must be filed with the secretary of state by the first of June on which the bill would have gone into effect. If this is accomplished, petitioners have until June 30 to turn in the remaining two-thirds of the required signatures.

For emergency bills or bills passed less than 45 days before June 1, referendum petitioners have until 30 days after the bill is passed by the legislature to turn in one-third of the required signatures. If this is accomplished, they have 30 more days to collect and submit the remaining two-thirds of the signatures. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

Legislative referrals

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Maryland State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 85 votes in the Maryland House of Delegates and 29 votes in the Maryland State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Legislatively referred state statutes

See also: Legislatively referred state statute

Section 1 of Article XIX of the Maryland Constitution requires that the Maryland General Assembly submit laws expanding commercial wagering to a referendum at a general election. A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Maryland State Legislature to place a state statute on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 71 votes in the Maryland House of Delegates and 24 votes in the Maryland State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The governor must sign the legislation within 30 days, or the measure will be certified for the ballot without the governor's signature.

Constitutional convention questions

See also: Constitutional convention question

According to Section 2 of Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years starting in 1970. Maryland is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.

The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:

State	Interval	Last question on the ballot	Next question on the ballot
Maryland	20 years	2010	2030

Other types of ballot measures

Most ballot measures are placed on the ballot through citizen initiatives or legislative processes. Others are placed on the ballot automatically, by a special commission, or by a state constitutional convention. The following is a list of different types of state ballot measures:

Types of state ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measure

• Initiated constitutional amendment

• Direct initiated constitutional amendment

• Indirect initiated constitutional amendment

• Initiated state statute

• Direct initiated state statute

• Indirect initiated state statute

• Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

• Veto referendum

• Statute affirmation (Nevada)

Legislatively referred ballot measure