Types of ballot measures in New York


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 New York, the state Legislature can vote to refer measures to the ballot. Citizens of Pennsylvania do not have the power to initiate statewide ballot measures. This page provides an overview of the different types of ballot measures that can appear on state ballots in New York.

The types of state ballot measures in New York are:

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
Legislatively referred bond measures
Advisory questions
Constitutional convention questions

Citizen-initiated ballot measures

In New York, citizens do not have the power to initiate ballot measures at the state level.

Legislative referrals

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the New York State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 126 votes in the New York State Assembly and 32 votes in the New York State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Legislatively referred bond measures

See also: Legislatively referred bond measure

According to Section 11 of Article VII of the New York Constitution, the state's general obligation bonds require voter approval, except for certain short-term debts; debts to "repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or defend the state in war;" and debts to suppress wildfires.

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the New York State Legislature to place a bond issue on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 126 votes in the New York State Assembly and 32 votes in the New York State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Bonds require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Advisory questions

See also: Advisory question

A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the New York State Legislature to place a non-binding question on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 126 votes in the New York State Assembly and 32 votes in the New York State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Advisory questions require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Constitutional convention questions

See also: Constitutional convention question

According to Section 2 of Article XIX of the New York 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 1957. New York 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
New York	20 years	2017	2037

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