Veto referendum
 |
| 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 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. Proponents of a veto referendum collect petition signatures from a certain minimum number of registered voters in a state.
The 23 states that provide for veto referendums are:
A list of veto referendums that have been on the ballot is available here.
Veto referendums on the ballot
See also: 2023 ballot measures and 2024 ballot measures
The following is a list of initiated constitutional amendments certified for the current year and next year:
- California Oil and Gas Well Regulations Referendum (2024)
- Nebraska Education Scholarships Tax Credit Referendum (2024)
States that provide for veto referendums
The following map illustrates which states provide for veto referendums:
List of states
The following table provides a list of what states provide for veto referendums, as well as information on signature requirements and filing timelines.
| States that provide for veto referendums | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Adopted | Constitutional provision | Signature number requirement | Signature timeline |
| Alaska | 1956 | Article XI, Section 1 of Alaska Constitution | 10% of votes cast in the last general election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Arizona | 1912 | Article 4, Part 1 of Arizona Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Arkansas | 1920 | Article 5, Section 1 of Arkansas Constitution | 6% of the votes cast for governor in the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| California | 1911 | Article II, Section 9 of California Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor in the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Colorado | 1910 | Article V, Section 1 of Colorado Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for the secretary of state in the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Idaho | 1912 | Article III, Section 1 of Idaho Constitution | 6% of registered voters at the last general election | 60 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Maine | 1908 | Article IV, Section 17 of Maine Constitution | 10% of votes for governor at the last general election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Maryland | 1915 | Article XVI, Section 1 of Maryland Constitution | 3% of the votes cast for governor at the last general election | For non-emergency bills: one-third of the required signatures due by June 1; remaining two-thirds of the required signatures due June 30
For emergency bills: one-third of the required signatures are due 30 days after the bill is passed; remaining two-thirds of the required signatures are due 30 days later |
| Massachusetts | 1918 | Article LXXIV of Massachusetts Constitution | 1.5% of votes cast for governor at the last general election to trigger election; 2% of votes cast for governor at the last general election to suspend law and trigger election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Michigan | 1908 | Article II, Section 9 of Michigan Constitution | 5% of votes for governor at the last general election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Missouri | 1908 | Article III, Section 49 of Missouri Constitution | 5% of votes for governor at the last general election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Montana | 1906 | Article III, Section 5 of Montana Constitution | 5% of votes for governor at the last general election | Six months after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Nebraska | 1912 | Article III, Section 3 of Nebraska Constitution | 5% of registered voters at the time of filing; 10% to suspend the law before the election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Nevada | 1905 | Article 19, Section 1 of Nevada Constitution | 10% of the votes cast at the last general election | 120 days before the next general election |
| New Mexico | 1911 | Article IV, Section 1 of New Mexico Constitution | 10% of the votes cast at the last general election to trigger election; 25% of the votes cast in the last general election to suspend law | Four months prior to the state's next general election or 90 days after the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill passed to suspend the law |
| North Dakota | 1914 | Article III, Section 1 of North Dakota Constitution | 2% of the population | 90 days after the bill was signed by the governor and filed with the secretary of state |
| Ohio | 1912 | Article II, Section 1c of Ohio Constitution | 6% of the votes cast for governor at the last election | 90 days after the bill is filed with the secretary of state by the governor |
| Oklahoma | 1907 | Article V, Section 1 of Oklahoma Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor at the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Oregon | 1902 | Article IV, Section 1 of Oregon Constitution | 4% of the votes cast for governor at the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| South Dakota | 1898 | Article III, Section 1 of South Dakota Constitution | 5% of the votes cast for governor at the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Utah | 1900 | Article VI, Section 1 of Utah Constitution | 8% of the total number of active voters | Submitted on a 14-day rolling basis and must all be submitted within 40 days of the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Washington | 1912 | Article II, Section 1 of Washington Constitution | 4% of the votes cast for governor at the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
| Wyoming | 1968 | Article 3, Section 52 of Washington Constitution | 15% of the total ballots cast at the last election | 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session at which the targeted bill was passed |
Meaning of 'yes' and 'no' votes
Among the states that provide for veto referendums, there are two different prevailing standards about what a 'yes' or 'for' vote means.
In the following three states, a 'yes' or 'for' vote means that the challenged legislation should be repealed. Conversely, a 'no' or 'against' vote means the law should be upheld.
In the following 18 states, a 'yes' or 'for' vote means that the challenged legislation should be upheld. Conversely, a 'no' or 'against' vote means the law should be repealed.
In California and Nebraska, voters are given different language. In California, voters are asked to 'Keep the law' or 'Overturn the law', and in Nebraska, voters are asked to 'Retain' or 'Repeal' the law.
Types of citizen-initiated measures in each state
- 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 2023-2024 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 | 26,705 | Yes | 26,705 | |
| 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 | 891,589 | No | N/A | No | N/A | |
| Idaho | No | N/A | Yes | 62,895 | Yes | 62,895 | |
| 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 | 171,592[3] | Yes | 107,246[3] | Yes | 107,246[3] | |
| Montana | Yes | 60,359 | Yes | 30,179 | Yes | 30,179 | |
| Nebraska | Yes | 126,838 | Yes | 88,787 | Yes | 63,419[4] | |
| New Mexico | No | N/A | No | N/A | Yes | 71,475[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 | 134,298 | Yes | 134,298 | |
| Washington | No | N/A | Yes | 324,516 | Yes | 162,258 | |
| Wyoming | No | N/A | Yes | 29,730 | Yes | 29,730 | |
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:
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
Footnotes
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ 3.0 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.
- ↑ To suspend the enactment of the targeted law until the election, the requirement is 126,838 valid signatures.
- ↑ 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 178,689 valid signatures.
- ↑ 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.
| ||||||||||||||
