Indirect initiated state statute

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Types of ballot measures

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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

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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about that state's types of ballot measures.

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An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are nine (9) states that allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.

While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.

Legislatures in five states — Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington — can propose an alternative proposal to appear alongside the indirect initiated state statute as a competing ballot measure.

The nine states that provide for indirect initiated state statutes are:

* Alaska
* Maine
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Nevada

* Ohio
* Utah
* Washington
* Wyoming

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## Contents

* 1 States with indirect initiated statutes
* 1.1 List of states
* 2 Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state
* 3 Other types of ballot measures
* 4 See also
* 5 Footnotes

## States with indirect initiated statutes[edit]

The following map illustrates which states provide for initiated state statutes and information on whether the initiatives are direct or indirect:

### List of states[edit]

The following table provides a list of what states provide for indirect initiated state statutes, as well as information on the signature requirements and legislative processes.

States that provide for indirect initiated state statutesState| Adopted| Constitutional Provision| Signature Requirement| Legislative Process| Governor Veto

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Alaska| 1956| Article XI, Section 1 of Alaska Constitution| 10% of votes cast in the last general election| • Legislature is not required to consider the initiative, and the initiative goes on the ballot after the legislative session adjourns
| Cannot veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Maine| 1908| Article IV, Section 18 of Maine Constitution| 10% of votes for governor at the last general election| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.
• The Legislature can propose an alternative, competing measure.
| Can veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Massachusetts| 1918| Article LXXIV of Massachusetts Constitution| 3.5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.
• The Legislature can propose an alternative, competing measure.
| Can veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Michigan| 1908| Article II, Section 9 of Michigan Constitution| 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.
• The Legislature can propose an alternative, competing measure.| Cannot veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Nevada| 1905| Article 19, Section 2 of Nevada Constitution| 10% of the votes cast in the preceding general election| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.
• The Legislature can propose an alternative, competing measure.| Can veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Ohio| 1912| Article II, Section 1b of Ohio Constitution| 3% of the total number of active voters for the legislature and an additional 3% for the ballot| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.| Can veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Utah| 1900| Article VI, Section 1 of Utah Constitution| 4% of the total number of active voters for the legislature and an additional 4% for the ballot| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.| Can veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Washington| 1912| Article II, Section 1 of Washington Constitution| 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election| • A simple majority vote is required for the Legislature to approve the initiative.
• The Legislature can propose an alternative, competing measure.| Cannot veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.
Wyoming| 1968| Article 3 of Wyoming Constitution| 15% of the total ballots cast in the previous general election| • Legislature is not required to consider the initiative, and the initiative goes on the ballot after the legislative session adjourns.
• The attorney general may determine a legislative act is the same as the initiative and remove the initiative from the ballot.| Cannot veto a legislatively approved indirect initiative.

## Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state[edit]

See also: States with initiative or referendum

There are 26 states that provide citizens with the power of initiative, referendum, or both. The following table shows the type of citizen-initiated ballot measures in each of those states. The table also provides the signature requirements for each type of measure for the 2025-2026 election cycle.

States that provide for types of citizen-initiated measures and current signature requirements

State | Constitutional | Signatures | Statute | Signatures | Referendum | Signatures
Alaska | No | N/A | Yes | 34,098 | Yes | 34,098
Arizona | Yes | 383,923 | Yes | 255,949 | Yes | 127,975
Arkansas | Yes | 90,704 | Yes | 72,563 | Yes | 54,422
California | Yes | 874,641 | Yes | 546,651 | Yes | 546,651
Colorado | Yes | 124,238 | Yes | 124,238 | Yes | 124,238
Florida | Yes | 880,062 | No | N/A | No | N/A
Idaho | No | N/A | Yes | 70,725 | Yes | 70,725
Illinois | Yes | 328,371 | No | N/A | No | N/A
Maine | No | N/A | Yes | 67,682 | Yes | 67,682
Maryland | No | N/A | No | N/A | Yes | 60,157
Massachusetts | Yes | 74,490 | Yes | 74,490 | Yes | 37,245[1]
Michigan | Yes | 446,198 | Yes | 356,958 | Yes | 223,099
Mississippi[2] | Yes | 106,190 | No | N/A | No | N/A
Missouri | Yes | 170,215[3] | Yes | 106,384[3] | Yes | 106,384[3]
Montana | Yes | 60,241 | Yes | 30,121 | Yes | 30,121
Nebraska | Yes | 126,838 | Yes | 88,787 | Yes | 63,419[4]
New Mexico | No | N/A | No | N/A | Yes | 92,829[5]
Nevada | Yes | 102,362 | Yes | 135,561 | Yes | 102,362
North Dakota | Yes | 31,164 | Yes | 15,582 | Yes | 15,582
Ohio | Yes | 413,487 | Yes | 248,092[6] | Yes | 248,093
Oklahoma | Yes | 172,993 | Yes | 92,263 | Yes | 57,664
Oregon | Yes | 156,231 | Yes | 117,173 | Yes | 78,115
South Dakota | Yes | 35,017 | Yes | 17,508 | Yes | 17,508
Utah | No | N/A | Yes | 140,748 | Yes | 140,748
Washington | No | N/A | Yes | 308,911 | Yes | 154,456
Wyoming | No | N/A | Yes | 40,669 | Yes | 40,669

## Other types of ballot measures[edit]

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[edit]

* Forms of direct democracy in the American states
* States with initiative or referendum
* Types of ballot measures
* Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
* Initiated state statute
* Indirect initiative

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ This was the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement was 49,660 valid signatures.
2. ↑ On May 14, 2021, the Mississippi Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision stating that it is impossible for any petition to meet the state's distribution requirement and has been impossible since congressional reapportionment in 2001. The six justices wrote, "... Whether with intent, by oversight, or for some other reason, the drafters of [the constitutional signature distribution requirement] wrote a ballot initiative process that cannot work in a world where Mississippi has fewer than five representatives in Congress. To work in today’s reality, it will need amending—something that lies beyond the power of the Supreme Court."
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 This is the minimum required if signatures are collected in the congressional districts with the lowest numbers of votes cast in 2020. The signature requirement varies based on what districts are targeted for signature collection.
4. ↑ To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement is 126,838 valid signatures.
5. ↑ This is the number of signatures required to put a targeted law before voters. To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement is 232,072 valid signatures.
6. ↑ This is the requirement for two rounds of signatures to get an initiated statute on the ballot; half the number of signatures—124,046—is required to place the initiative before the legislature.

v • e

Types of ballot measures

Initiatives|

Initiated constitutional amendment • Indirect initiated constitutional amendment • Initiated state statute • Indirect initiated state statute • Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute • Veto referendum • Statute affirmation (Nevada)

Referrals|

Legislatively referred constitutional amendment • Legislatively referred state statute • Legislatively referred bond issue • Advisory question

Other|

Automatic ballot referral • Commission-referred ballot measure • Convention-referred amendment

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Local|

Types of local ballot measures