Veto referendum

From Ballotpedia

Veto referendum is a synonym for citizen referendum or statute referendum. It is also sometimes called a popular referendum.

The phrase refers to times when:

• A state government enacts a new law;
• A group that opposes the new law collects enough signatures within the statutory timeframe in that state to place that new law on a statewide ballot for the voters to either endorse it as a law, or to withhold their approval.

When veto referenda appear on a ballot, the state's voters who vote "yes" are voting in favor of the same law that their state legislature already passed. This can sometimes be confusing. Typically, when a news report says that a referendum has failed, what they mean is that voters rejected the ballot measure. However, from the point of view of the group that forced the referendum onto the ballot through collecting signatures, they succeeded, since what they wanted to do was defeat a state law that otherwise would have gone into effect.

After a state legislature has passed a bill that may become the target of a veto referendum effort, typically those opposed to the bill have two windows of opportunity. In most states that allow the veto referendum, if citizens collect enough signatures to force the matter onto their state's ballot within a (typically) short amount of time, the targeted law does not then go into effect when it otherwise would have done so. Rather, the law is held in abeyance pending the outcome of the statewide vote. However, there is often a provision that if those who oppose the targeted law collect signatures but on a more extended timeline, that they can still force the issue to a vote but in the meantime, it will have gone into effect.

States that only allow the veto referendum

For three states, Kentucky, Maryland and New Mexico, the veto referendum is the only access their citizens have to any form of initiated statewide direct democracy. See states with referendum only.

States with veto referendum and more

These states allow the veto referendum as well as other forms of citizen-initiated direct democracy.

Alaska Arizona Arkansas California

Colorado Idaho Maine Massachusetts

Michigan Missouri Montana Nebraska

Nevada North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon

South Dakota Utah Washington Wyoming

Examples of veto referenda

• Utah School Voucher Referendum (2007)
• California Proposition 94 (2008)

Other types of ballot measures

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

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

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

See also

• Forms of direct democracy in the American states
• Referendum
• States with referendum only
• Forms of direct democracy in the American states