Types of ballot measures in Texas

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.
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In Texas, the state Legislature can vote to refer measures to the ballot. Citizens of Texas do not have the power to initiate statewide ballot measures. This page provides an overview of the type of ballot measures that can appear on state ballots in Texas.

The type of state ballot measures in Texas is:

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

Citizen-initiated ballot measures

In Texas, 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 two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Texas State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Political party advisory questions

See also: Political party advisory question

A political party advisory question is a ballot measure placed on primary ballots by a political party. The advisory questions are not legally binding on the party but are used to gauge voter sentiment about party positions.

In Texas, a party's state executive committee, by a simple majority vote, can decide to place questions on the general primary election ballot. State law also authorizes citizens to petition political parties to place advisory questions on a party’s primary ballot if they gather signatures equal to 5% of that party’s last gubernatorial primary turnout and submit signatures by the regular filing deadline for candidates. The party may adopt a rule requiring the petition to contain signatures from voters based on "party alignment or preference." The state executive committee would write the ballot language for initiated advisory questions.

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

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

• Legislatively referred state statute

• Legislatively referred bond measure

• Advisory question

Other type of state ballot measure

• Automatic ballot referral

• Constitutional convention question

• Commission-referred ballot measure

• Convention-referred constitutional amendment

• Political party advisory question

See also

• List of Texas ballot measures
• Laws governing ballot measures in Texas
• Laws governing the initiative process
• States with initiative or referendum
• States without initiative or referendum
• Amending state constitutions