HOW DID ALL THOSE PROPOSITIONS GET ON THE BALLOT?
Frequently you
are asked to sign a proposed ballot initiative.
The chances are good that even the most politically astute are a little
unclear about what it takes for an individual or a special interest group to
turn an idea into a ballot proposition.
The following
is a simplified version of what the proponents of a measure must successfully
complete in order to qualify it for the ballot.
·
An idea proposing a statute or Constitutional Amendment must be
clearly and specifically written.
Legislative Counsel can be enlisted to draft a proposed law, but the
request must have the signatures of at least 25 electors.
·
The measure is then submitted to the Attorney General for a Title
and Summary, along with a fee that is refundable if the measure qualifies for
the ballot within 24 months.
·
The Attorney General may decide that a fiscal evaluation is
required; this can be prepared by the Department of Finance and the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee.
·
An “Official Summary Date” is set and the measure can be circulated
for signatures. One hundred and fifty
(150) days is allowed.
·
The number of qualifying signatures is based upon the number of
votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the election preceding the
issuance of the Title and Summary. This
means, that the petitions circulated for the November 1998 ballot required
433,269 signatures if the measure supports a statute and 693,230 if it is a
constitutional amendment.
·
When the Secretary of State determines that 100% of the signatures
exist, each county is notified and has 30 days to verify them through random
sampling.
·
An initiative is placed on the ballot in the next election
occurring least 131 days after it has qualified—that is, the county clerks or
the registrars of voters have declared that it has been signed by a sufficient
number of voters.
·
Unless it states otherwise, an initiative approved by a majority is
effective the day after the election.
·
If two measures are approved by conflict, the one with the most
votes prevails.
Provided by the
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