Legislatively referred bond measure

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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

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

A legislatively referred bond measure is a legislative referral that issues a bond. This type of ballot measure is also called a state or municipal bond issue.

States, along with local governments, have various requirements for when voter approval is required for a bond, including general obligation bonds and revenue bonds.

Bond issue

A bond issue is a debt that is similar to a loan. However, the funds for a bond issue do not come from a bank. Rather, the government gets funds from people or entities who purchase the bond. When someone buys a government bond, they're lending funds to the government. The government, in return, has to make regular payments to the bondholder, including both the original amount borrowed (called the principal) and interest until the loan is paid off. Bonds often have fixed terms, like 10 years, meaning the government commits to repaying the debt within that time frame.

There are two main types of government-issued bonds:

  • General Obligation (GO) Bonds: These bonds are backed by the government's ability to use its taxing power to repay the bond. In simple terms, the government ensures repayment by using its authority to collect taxes.
  • Revenue Bonds: These bonds are tied to a specific project, like toll roads, airports, or utilities. The money to repay these bonds comes from the revenue generated by the project itself.

Legislatively referred bond measures on the ballot

See also: 2024 ballot measures and 2025 ballot measures

The following is a list of legislatively referred constitutional amendments certified for the current year and next year:

There are no legislatively referred bond measures certified for the current or next year's ballot.

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

See also

Footnotes