Invalid signature

Laws governing ballot measures in the U.S.

---

Laws governing ballot measures in the U.S.

Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

Ballot measure policy topics

---

Select a state from the dropdown to learn more about laws governing ballot measures in that state.

Select a state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

An invalid signature on a ballot initiative petition is a signature that an election official determined does not meet the state or local legal standards.

Types of ballot measures

See also: Ballot measure

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

• Forms of direct democracy in the American states
• States with initiative or referendum
• Types of ballot measures
• Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
• Valid signature

Footnotes

Laws governing ballot measures in the United States

Laws governing ballot measures

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measures • Legislatively referred ballot measures • Automatically referred ballot measures • Commission-referred ballot measures • Convention-referred constitutional amendments

Ballot measure policy terms

Glossary of ballot measure policy terms