Potential 2020 ballot measures

You can view the list of potential state ballot measures for the current year here.

This page contains potential statewide ballot measures that could appear on the ballot in 2020. The list includes proposed initiatives that have been filed, are being reviewed, or have begun circulation to obtain signatures to be placed on a 2020 election ballot. It also includes potential legislatively referred measures that have progressed at least roughly halfway through the legislative process required to reach the ballot. A list of measures that did not qualify for the 2020 ballot can be found here.

Alabama

See also: Alabama 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Alaska

See also: Alaska 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Arizona

See also: Arizona 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Arkansas

See also: Arkansas 2020 ballot measures

All potential measures had either been certified for the ballot or failed to make the ballot.

California

See also: California 2020 ballot propositions

Process for ballot initiatives in California

In California, citizens have the right to initiate legislation through the ballot initiative or repeal legislation through the veto referendum. Getting an initiative or referendum placed on the ballot requires a measure's proponents to complete four steps. Step 1 requires proponents of an initiative to file their proposal with the attorney general's office, which prepares the language used on petitions for the initiative. Step 2 involves the measure receiving the circulating title and summary, allowing proponents to begin collecting signatures. The secretary of state assigns the initiative with a signature filing deadline. Step 3 requires proponents to tell the secretary of state's office that at least 25 percent of the required signatures have been collected for the initiative. Step 4, the final step, is the submission of signatures for a ballot initiative or referendum.

Click on the following bolded text to view which ballot initiatives have completed each step.

• Step 1—Filed for ballot title: Proponents file their proposed ballot initiative with the attorney general to receive circulating language.
• Step 2—Cleared to circulate: Proponents receive the circulating language for their ballot initiative, giving the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures.
• Step 3—25 percent of signatures reached: Campaign reports that 25 percent of the required signatures for its initiative had been collected.
• Step 4—Signatures submitted: Proponents of an initiative file unverified signatures with local election officials.

Signatures submitted

Proponents of a ballot initiative file signatures with local elections officials, who then have eight days to determine a raw count of unverified signatures and communicate the count to the secretary of state. If the raw count is more than the required number of signatures, the secretary of state instructs local officials to conduct a random sampling of the submitted signatures. If the random sample indicates more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures, the initiative qualifies for the ballot. If the sample indicates fewer than 95 percent of the required number of signatures, the initiative fails to make the ballot. If the random sample indicates more than 95 percent but fewer than 110 percent, a full check of each signature must be conducted.

25 percent of signatures reached

Proponents of initiatives are required to report when 25 percent of the number of signatures required had been gathered. The secretary of state notifies each chamber of the California State Legislature to hold joint public hearings on the initiative proposals. Legislators could decide to consider the initiative as legislation, although this has no direct effect on whether an initiative appears on the ballot. Proponents of an initiative could consider withdrawing their proposal if the legislature approved their initiative as legislation.

Cleared to circulate

Once the attorney general's office assigns a ballot title and a summary to an initiative, proponents are allowed to begin collecting signatures. Proponents of an initiative are given 180 days from the date the title and summary were assigned to collect the required signatures. Proponents of a veto referendum are given 90 days from the date the governor signed the targeted legislation.

Submitted to attorney general

The first step to getting an initiative prepared for signature gathering is submitting the proposal to the attorney general's office, which prepares a ballot title and summary of the proposal. When a proposal arrives at the office, the measure receives an expected date for when the attorney general will issue a ballot title and summary.

Process for legislative referrals

The California State Legislature can refer statewide measures to the ballot. There are several forms of legislative referrals in California, including constitutional amendments, state statutes, and bond issues. Legislative referrals can appear on statewide election ballots, including primary elections and general elections.

California is one of 16 states that requires a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 54 (of 80) votes in the California State Assembly and 27 (of 40) votes in the California State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The governor's signature is not required to refer a constitutional amendment.

The legislature can refer statutes with a simple majority vote and and bond issues with a two-thirds vote, and the governor's signature is also required. In California, changes to voter-approved ballot initiatives need to be referred to voters for approval or rejection unless the changes further the initiative's purpose.

Senate Bill 300

Based on California Elections Code 9040 (CEC 9040), the deadline for the California State Legislature to place legislative referrals, including constitutional amendments, on the ballot for the general election on November 3, 2020, was June 25, 2020. Since CEC 9040 is a statute, the state Legislature can waive or adjust the referral deadline with a bill.

With Senate Bill 300 (SB 300), the state Legislature is seeking to allow more time to place three constitutional amendments—ACA 4, ACA 11, and ACA 25—on the ballot for November 3. SB 300 would give the state Legislature until July 1, 2020, to pass the constitutional amendments.

On June 26, the Assembly voted 47 to 16 to pass SB 300. On June 29, the Senate voted 29 to 8 to pass SB 300.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 300 into law on June 30, 2020.

Colorado

See also: Colorado 2020 ballot measures

As of August 28, 2020, there were no potential measures left targeting the 2020 ballot in Colorado. All Colorado initiatives were either certified for the ballot or failed to make the ballot.

Connecticut

See also: Connecticut 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Florida

See also: Florida 2020 ballot measures

The deadline for citizen initiatives targeting the 2020 ballot passed on February 1, 2020. The state legislature could have referred measures to the ballot during the 2020 legislative session, which ended on March 13, 2020.

Georgia

See also: Georgia 2020 ballot measures

The Georgia State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments and one referendum to the 2020 ballot. The legislature adjourned on June 26, 2020.

Hawaii

See also: Hawaii 2020 ballot measures

The Hawaii State Legislature adjourned on July 10, 2020, without referring any constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot.

Idaho

See also: Idaho 2020 ballot measures

The signature deadline passed for the 2020 cycle, and the 2020 legislative session adjourned, meaning that no additional ballot measures could be certified for the ballot.

Iowa

See also: Iowa 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Illinois

See also: Illinois 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Kansas

See also: Kansas 2020 ballot measures

The 2020 legislative session adjourned, meaning that no additional ballot measures could be certified for the ballot.

Kentucky

See also: Kentucky 2020 ballot measures

The Kentucky State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot. The legislature adjourned on April 15, 2020.

Louisiana

See also: Louisiana 2020 ballot measures

The Louisiana State Legislature referred seven constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot. The legislature adjourned on June 30, 2020.

Maine

See also: Maine 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Maryland

See also: Maryland 2020 ballot measures

The Maryland State Legislature referred two ballot measures to the 2020 ballot. The legislature adjourned on March 18, 2020.

Massachusetts

See also: Massachusetts 2020 ballot measures

All proposed measures have either been certified to appear on the November 2020 ballot, approved by the legislature, or declared ineligible to appear on the ballot.

Michigan

See also: Michigan 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list.

Minnesota

See also: Minnesota 2020 ballot measures

No potential measures.

Mississippi

See also: Mississippi 2020 ballot measures

The deadline for citizen initiatives passed on October 9, 2019. The state legislature adjourned on July 12, 2020.

Missouri

See also: Missouri 2020 ballot measures

The signature deadline passed for the 2020 cycle, and the 2020 legislative session adjourned, meaning that no additional ballot measures could be certified for the ballot.

Montana

See also: Montana 2020 ballot measures

The signature deadline passed for the 2020 cycle, and the 2020 legislative session adjourned, meaning that no additional ballot measures could be certified for the ballot.

Nebraska

See also: Nebraska 2020 ballot measures

The signature submission deadline for 2020 ballot initiatives in Nebraska passed on July 2, 2020. The Nebraska Legislature adjourned on August 13, 2020.

Nevada

See also: Nevada 2020 ballot measures

The signature submission deadline for 2020 ballot initiatives in Nevada passed. The deadline for the Nevada State Legislature to refer measures to the 2020 ballot also passed.

New Jersey

See also: New Jersey 2020 ballot measures

Ballotpedia is not tracking any potential ballot measures in New Jersey.

New Mexico

See also: New Mexico 2020 ballot measures

The New Mexico State Legislature referred two constitutional amendments and three bond issues to the 2020 ballot. The legislature adjourned on February 20, 2020.

New York

See also: New York 2020 ballot measures

Ballotpedia is not tracking any potential ballot measures in New York.

North Carolina

See also: North Carolina 2020 ballot measures

The North Carolina Legislature adjourned on September 3, 2020.

North Dakota

See also: North Dakota 2020 ballot measures

All measures targeting the North Dakota 2020 ballot had either been certified for the ballot or failed to make the ballot. Initiative signatures were due by July 6, 2020.

Ohio

See also: Ohio 2020 ballot measures

The signature deadline passed for the 2020 cycle on July 1, 2020, and no petitioners submitted signatures. The deadline for the Ohio Legislature to refer a measure to the 2020 ballot passed.

Oklahoma

See also: Oklahoma 2020 ballot measures

There are no more potential measures targeting the 2020 ballot in Oklahoma.

Oregon

See also: Oregon 2020 ballot measures

The signature submission deadline for 2020 ballot initiatives in Oregon passed on July 2, 2020. The Oregon State Legislature adjourned on March 7, 2020.

Rhode Island

See also: Rhode Island 2020 ballot measures

The Rhode Island State Legislature referred one ballot measure to the November ballot. The deadline to refer measures to the ballot passed.

South Dakota

See also: South Dakota 2020 ballot measures

The signature deadline for ballot measures targeting the 2020 ballot in South Dakota passed on November 3, 2019. The South Dakota State Legislature could have referred constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot during its 2020 legislative session, which ran from January 14 to March 30, 2020.

Utah

See also: Utah 2020 ballot measures

The Utah State Legislature was able to refer measures to the 2020 ballot. The legislative session adjourned on March 12, 2020. The deadline for citizen initiatives passed on February 18, 2020.

Virginia

See also: Virginia 2020 ballot measures

The 2020 session of the Virginia General Assembly adjourned March 8, 2020.

Wisconsin

See also: Wisconsin 2020 ballot measures

No measures to list. The Wisconsin State Legislature adjourned on March 26, 2020.

Washington

See also: Washington 2020 ballot measures

The deadlines for 2020 citizen initiatives passed on January 3, 2020, for Initiatives to the Legislature, and July 2, 2020, for Initiatives to the People. The deadline for veto referendums passed on June 10, 2020.

West Virginia

See also: West Virginia 2020 ballot measures

The West Virginia State Legislature referred zero constitutional amendments to the 2020 ballot. The 2020 regular session ended on March 7, 2020.

Wyoming

See also: Wyoming 2020 ballot measures

The Wyoming State Legislature was able to refer measures to the ballot during its 2020 legislative session, which ended on March 12, 2020. The signature deadline for citizen initiatives passed on February 7, 2020.