Legislatively referred state statute

A legislatively referred state statute is a statute 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.

A legislatively referred statute is a limited form of direct democracy with comparison to the initiated state statute. With the initiated statute, voters are in charge of the process from beginning to end, whereas with the legislatively referred statute, they can only approve or reject laws which their legislature votes to place before them.

Legislatively referred statutes in United States

Of the 24 American states that have some degree of direct democracy, 22 of them have a provision for referring statutory measure to the public as a ballot measure.

States allowing legislatively referred statutes

Arizona Arkansas California Delaware Illinois

Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan

Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Mexico

North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon South Dakota

Utah Washington

Types of ballot measures

Automatic ballot referral Bond issue Commission-referred constitutional amendment Constitutional convention

Initiated state statute Indirect initiated state statute Initiated constitutional amendment Indirect initiative amendment

Legislative referral Legislatively referred state statute Legislatively referred constitutional amendment Veto referendum

See also

• Direct democracy
• Initiative
• Referendum

External links

• The Legislatively Referred State Statute, as defined on Ballotpedia
• State chart of direct democracy options