Category Archives: direct democracy

“Morning Digest: The Utah GOP wants the power to overturn citizens’ ballot initiatives”

August 22, 2024, 7:09 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

The Downballot: Utah’s Republican-dominated legislature voted on Wednesday to place a constitutional amendment on the general election ballot that would explicitly allow lawmakers to amend or repeal voter-approved initiatives―including a 2018 measure that could put an end to partisan gerrymandering.… Continue reading

“Direct Democracy Scores a Win in Michigan’s High Court. Can It Survive November?”

August 10, 2024, 9:51 amdirect democracystate supreme courts, threats to democracyTabatha Abu El-Haj

Bolts Magazine: Michigan’s Republican legislature’s seemingly duplicitous strategy to get around progressive ballot measures struck down by the state’s high court. “Michigan progressives gathered enough signatures in 2018 to put two labor measures on the ballot: one to raise… Continue reading

“Legal fight continues with appeals over proposed immigration initiative for Arizona Nov. 5 ballot”

July 21, 2024, 5:39 amdirect democracyDan Tokaji

AP: The fight to keep a proposed border initiative off Arizona’s Nov. 5 ballot is not over yet. Immigrant advocates kept the issue alive this week by filing notice to the state Supreme Court that they will appeal the… Continue reading

“Alaska election officials to recalculate signatures for ranked vote repeal measure after court order”

July 21, 2024, 5:36 amalternative voting systems, direct democracyDan Tokaji

AP: A state court judge on Friday disqualified numerous booklets used to gather signatures for an initiative that aims to repeal Alaska’s ranked choice voting system and gave elections officials a deadline to determine if the measure still had… Continue reading

Utah Supreme Court Rules for League of Women Voters in Case to Reinstate Nonpartisan Redistricting Initiative

July 11, 2024, 3:48 pmdirect democracy, redistrictingDan Tokaji

Here’s the opinion in League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature (h/t Ballot Access News). A key excerpt: The novel question before us asks: what happens when Utahns use their initiative power to exercise their “right to alter… Continue reading

“Federal appeals court to reconsider case affecting Attorney General Dave Yost’s authority to block proposed ballot issues”

June 17, 2024, 9:12 amballot access, direct democracyRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: A federal appeals court will reconsider a recent decision that could affect Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s ability to block future proposed ballot-issue campaigns via a state law that gives his office authority to sign off on proposed… Continue reading

“Arizona lawmakers agree to let voters decide on retention rules for state Supreme Court justices”

June 14, 2024, 7:44 amdirect democracy, judicial elections, voter initiativesJustin Levitt

The ballot initiative – in the wake of controversy over the state Supreme Court ruling on abortion, affecting two Justices currently on the ballot in November — would apparently end terms for state justices and judges entirely.

“North Dakotans Approve Age Limit for Members of Congress”

June 12, 2024, 7:25 amdirect democracy, election law and constitutional law, voter initiativesJustin Levitt

I get that this was a political messaging thing … but it’s very hard to see how this is constitutional under U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton.

“Sixth Circuit Rules 2-1 that Ohio Attorneys General Cannot Indefinitely Block Circulation of Initiative Petitions”

May 30, 2024, 6:52 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

BAN: On May 29, the Sixth Circuit issued an opinion in Brown v Yost, 24-3354, that is protective of the ability of people to use the initiative process in Ohio. The Ohio law does not permit a statewide initiative… Continue reading

“‘Deceptive’ MO ballot question bans non-U.S. citizens from voting. It’s already illegal”

May 22, 2024, 10:55 amalternative voting systems, chicanery, direct democracyRick Hasen

KC Star: When Missouri voters head to the ballot box this year, they’ll be asked to sign off on a measure that would ban ranked-choice voting or ranking candidates by preference. But the first bullet point that will appear on… Continue reading

“Arizona Republicans Set Up a Ballot Measure to Squash Future Ballot Measures”

May 18, 2024, 7:45 amdirect democracydemocratic backslidingTabatha Abu El-Haj

Bolts Magazine: One more Republican legislative attack on ballot measures. The Arizona legislature seeks to make the process more difficult through a constitutional amendment imposing strict geographic requirements. These measures are highly problematic because ballot initiatives are one of… Continue reading

Ohio: “Organizers sue Yost over rejection of ballot proposal that would abolish qualified immunity”

March 22, 2024, 7:05 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

Cleveland.com: Citizens behind an effort to abolish “qualified immunity” – a legal doctrine that can shield police from liability amid accusations of excessive use of force – are suing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, alleging he’s illegally blocking them from… Continue reading

“Red State AGs Keep Trying to Kill Ballot Measures by a Thousand Cuts”

February 29, 2024, 2:44 pmdirect democracy, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Bolts: When a coalition of voting rights activists in Ohio set out last December to introduce a new ballot initiative to expand voting access, they hardly anticipated that the thing to stop them would be a matter of word choice. But… Continue reading

“Republican legislatures in some states are trying to keep abortion off the ballot”

January 29, 2024, 7:20 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

AP: Legislative efforts in Missouri and Mississippi are attempting to prevent voters from having a say over abortion rights, building on anti-abortion strategies seen in other states, including last year in Ohio. Democrats and abortion rights advocates say the… Continue reading

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