List of Washington ballot measures
From Ballotpedia
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| Laws • History |
| List of measures |
Washington ballot measures come in several different varieties:
- legislatively referred state statute - Appears on a state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- initiated state statute - Earns a spot on the ballot when sponsors collect signatures according to the laws governing the initiative process in Washington.
- legislatively referred constitutional amendment - A constitutional amendment that appears on a state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters.
- veto referendum - When citizens of Washington disagree with a statute or legislative bill enacted by the state legislature, they can collect signatures to force the issue to a vote. If enough signatures are collected, the bill is placed on the statewide ballot.
- advisory question - A non-binding referendum question put on the ballot by the state legislature to gauge voters' wants.
2020-2029
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2010-2019
2000-2009
1990-1999
1980-1989
1970-1979
1960-1969
1950-1959
1940-1949
1930-1939
1920-1929
1910-1919
1900-1909
1890-1899
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Interesting facts
- Washington residents got the right to initiative and referendum and the right to recall in November 1912.
- In 2013, opponents of Initiative 522 set a state record for the most money ever raised in support or opposition of a ballot measure, spending $22 million. A new record was set in 2018 by opponents of Initiative 1631, who spent $31.5 million.[1]
- The Washington Secretary of State's office provided a list of the top 25 initiatives with the most number of signatures filed, which is available here. The initiative with the most filed signatures was Initiative 282 of 1973, for which 699,098 signatures were filed. The measure limited the salaries of elected officials and judges.[2] More initiative statistics from the Washington Secretary of State are available here.
Historical facts
All years:
- A total of 121 measures appeared on the statewide ballot in Washington through all years (even and odd) from the 20-year period between 1999 and 2019.
- From 1999 to 2019, the number of measures on the statewide ballot ranged from two to 15.
- Between 1999 and 2019, 57% (69) of the total number of measures that appeared on the statewide ballot were approved, and 43% (52) were defeated.
- Between 1999 and 2019, an average of six measures appeared on the ballot in Washington each year.
Even years:
- A total of 60 measures appeared on the statewide ballot in Washington during even years from the 18-year period between 2000 and 2018. 58% (35) were approved and 42% (25) were defeated.
Odd years:
- A total of 61 measures appeared on the statewide ballot in Washington during odd years from the 20-year period between 1999 and 2019. 56% (34) were approved and 44% (27) were defeated.
| Washington statewide ballot measures, 1999-2019 | |||||||||
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| Years | Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Annual average | Annual median | Annual minimum | Annual maximum |
| Even years | 60 | 35 | 58.33% | 25 | 41.67% | 6.00 | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| Odd years | 61 | 34 | 55.74% | 27 | 44.26% | 5.55 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| All years | 121 | 69 | 57.02% | 52 | 42.98% | 5.76 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
See also
External links
- Statistical summary of State Initiatives & Referendums 1914 - 2006
- List of Washington initiatives from 1914-2001 (PDF)
- List of all Initiatives to the People
- List of all Initiatives to the Legislature
- List of Referendum Bills through 2006
- History of Referendum Measures through 2006
- Washington Secretary of State: Procedures for initiatives and referenda
Additional reading
Footnotes
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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