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Washington Permit High-Density Housing Near Public Transit Stations Referendum (2025)
| Washington Permit High-Density Housing Near Public Transit Stations Referendum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 4, 2025 | |
| Topic Land use and development policy and Public transportation | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Referendum | Origin Citizens |
The Washington Permit High-Density Housing Near Public Transit Stations Referendum is not on the ballot in Washington as a veto referendum on November 4, 2025.
The veto referendum would have asked voters whether to approve or reject House Bill 1491 (HB 1491).[1] HB 1491 was signed by the governor on May 13, 2025.[2] It requires cities that do not already allow high-density housing in areas surrounding transit stations to permit development of such housing in those areas.[3]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title is as follows:[4]
| “ | Statement of Subject: The legislature passed Third Substitute House Bill 1491 concerning promoting community and transit-oriented housing development [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this act].
Concise Description: This bill would require, with exceptions, that cities allow higher density housing in areas near certain transit stations. It also establishes affordability requirements for residential units in buildings constructed within transit station areas. Should this bill be: ___ Approved ___ Rejected[5] |
” |
Ballot summary
The official ballot summary is as follows:[4]
| “ | Third Substitute House Bill 1491 requires that cities permit high-density housing developments near public transit stations, with certain exceptions. High density development must be allowed within one-half mile walking distance of a qualifying train station and one-quarter mile walking distance of a qualifying bus station. Housing developments within these areas must offer a certain amount of lower cost housing, and the measure provides incentives, including tax exemptions, to increase the supply of lower cost housing.[5] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in Washington
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 Washington, the number of signatures required for a veto referendum is equal to 4% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Signatures for veto referendums are due 90 days following the final adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.
The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2025 ballot:
- Signatures: 154,456 valid signatures
- Deadline: 90 days after the legislature adjourned
Stages of this veto referendum
The following is the timeline of the veto referendum:[1]
- June 5, 2025: Citizen Nicholas Strathy filed for the referendum petition. It was given a serial number (RM-108), a ballot title, and a ballot summary.
- July 26, 2025: No signatures were submitted for this veto referendum and as such the measure was not placed on the 2025 ballot.
External links
See also
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Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Washington Secretary of State, "Proposed Referendum Measures," accessed June 18, 2025
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "House Bill 1491 - 2025-26," accessed June 18, 2025
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Certification of Enrollment Third Substitute House Bill 1491," accessed June 18, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Washington Secretary of State, "Ballot Title Letter," accessed June 18, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
