Category Archives: direct democracy

“Lawsuit asks Ohio Supreme Court to block abortion rights measure from November ballot”

July 30, 2023, 6:13 amdirect democracyDan Tokaji

Cleveland.com: After an abortion rights amendment qualified to appear on the November ballot in Ohio, a new lawsuit from Republicans asks the Ohio Supreme Court to block the measure. Filed on Friday, the challenge argues that the abortion rights… Continue reading

“The Ohio GOP’s bold abortion gambit has imploded”

July 26, 2023, 4:59 amabsentee ballots, direct democracyDan Tokaji

The Fix on the August ballot measure that would raise the threshold for amending the state constitution from 50% plus one to 60%, in order to make it more difficult to enact an abortion rights initiative later this year: It… Continue reading

Opting Out of California’s New Ballot Transparency Law

July 24, 2023, 4:54 amdirect democracyDan Tokaji

Marin Independent Journal reports: AB 1416, which became effective in January, requires that the supporters and opponents of statewide and local measures be listed on ballots. However, the law allows counties to opt out of participating. On Tuesday, Marin County… Continue reading

Strong Early Voting on Ohio’s Issue 1

July 23, 2023, 5:53 amabsentee ballots, direct democracyDan Tokaji

WKYC: As the August 8 special election for Issue 1 in Ohio approaches, many voters are taking advantage of early voting. According to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, as of Wednesday, 155,000 absentee ballots have been cast so… Continue reading

“Changes to Ohio voter ID law will impact August 8 election. Here’s how”

July 20, 2023, 3:32 pmdirect democracy, voter idDan Tokaji

From States Newsroom: To get to the ballot box, voters need to keep in mind changes made to voter ID laws last year, in a late-night legislative move approved by Gov. Mike DeWine at the beginning of 2023. Those… Continue reading

“Another campaign complaint filed against opponents of Alaska ranked choice voting”

July 18, 2023, 12:43 pmalternative voting systems, direct democracyDan Tokaji

Alaska Public Media: On Monday, Alaskans for Better Elections filed a complaint against former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, a nonprofit that she operates and Alaskans for Honest Elections, which is campaigning to repeal ranked choice voting in… Continue reading

“‘Hypocritical’ — Sec. of State LaRose apparently changes law to help Issue 1 supporters”

July 13, 2023, 11:48 amabsentee ballots, direct democracyDan Tokaji

News on the Republican-backed referendum that would raise the threshold for amending the state constitution in August, before an initiative to protect abortion rights can go before voters in November: “Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has seemingly changed the… Continue reading

“Billionaire-funded group driving effort to erode democracy in key US states”

June 23, 2023, 9:13 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

The Guardian: A Florida group primarily funded by an Illinois billionaire is driving the recent attacks on direct democracy in states such as Ohio, Missouri, South Dakota and Arkansas. The Foundation for Government Accountability, a Florida-based group affiliated with… Continue reading

“Ohio GOP passes amendment to make ballot initiatives harder, but voters get to weigh in first”

May 11, 2023, 5:41 amdirect democracyEntrenchment, independent redistricting commissions, Political ResponsivenessTabatha Abu El-Haj

Daily Kos: Following the playbook of several other Republican legislatures, the Ohio legislature is seeking to make the initiative process harder for voters. This is, in my view, the most pernicious iteration of the on-going anti-democratic entrenchment playbook.… Continue reading

“Billionaire backing effort to raise Ohio amendment threshold funded election deniers, Jan. 6 rally”

May 2, 2023, 4:01 pmdirect democracy, legislation and legislaturesJustin Levitt

The Ohio Capital Journal notes that one of the ostensible reasons for raising Ohio’s threshold to pass citizen-initiated constitutional amendments is to “keep powerful out-of-state interests from meddling with the Ohio Constitution” … and that a significant donor to the… Continue reading

“Ohio Republicans try to change rules to defeat abortion rights amendment”

April 22, 2023, 11:20 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

Dan Balz WaPo column: or 111 years, Ohio voters have lived with a set of rules for amending their state constitution through citizen initiative. The requirements have not changed and the threshold for enactment has always been 50 percent plus… Continue reading

California Appeals Court Upholds Most of Prop 22 (Gig Worker Measure) But Agrees with Our Amicus Brief that a Provision Barring Amendments on Collective Bargaining is Unconstitutional

March 13, 2023, 7:25 pmdirect democracyRick Hasen

You can find the opinion at this link. [corrected link] The issue that we briefed as the California Election Law Professors related to a limitation on amendments to the measure by the legislature. The court was unanimous in accepting this… Continue reading

“The Separation of Legislative Powers in the Initiative Process”

February 16, 2023, 7:43 amdirect democracyRick Hasen

Anthony Johnstone has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Nebraska Law Review). Here is the abstract: This article recenters the initiative process as a power and considers the implications of a divided legislative branch through a frame of state separation… Continue reading

“‘I feel duped’: Inside the fast-food industry’s push to dismantle a new California labor law”

February 2, 2023, 12:59 pmdirect democracy, petition signature gatheringRick Hasen

LAT: Susan Bushnell was in a hurry when a man, clipboard in hand, approached her outside a Walmart Supercenter in Vista, Calif., one afternoon last September. The man asked Bushnell to sign a petition as she wrangled her fussing… Continue reading