Ballot initiatives and referendums by state
With an initiative, citizens gather signatures to put a new law or constitutional amendment to a vote. With a veto referendum, they can put a law the legislature already passed to a vote. 26 states have at least one of these; in the rest, voters only decide what the legislature sends them.
- Laws and constitutional amendments (15)
- Constitutional amendments only (3)
- Laws only (6)
- Veto referendum only (2)
- No citizen initiative (24)
Laws and constitutional amendments (15)
Arizona (Allows recalling the governor) · Arkansas · California (Allows recalling the governor) · Colorado (Allows recalling the governor) · Massachusetts (Indirect: the legislature sees proposals first) · Michigan (Allows recalling the governor) · Missouri · Montana (Allows recalling the governor) · Nebraska · Nevada (Allows recalling the governor) · North Dakota (Allows recalling the governor) · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon (Allows recalling the governor) · South Dakota
Constitutional amendments only (3)
Florida · Illinois (Allows recalling the governor) · Mississippi (On the books, but a 2021 state supreme court ruling found its signature rule impossible to meet, so it can't be used)
Laws only (6)
Alaska (Indirect statutes; no initiated amendments. Allows recalling the governor) · Idaho (Allows recalling the governor) · Maine (Indirect statutes; no initiated amendments) · Utah · Washington (Allows recalling the governor) · Wyoming (Indirect statutes; no initiated amendments)
Veto referendum only (2)
Maryland (Veto referendum only) · New Mexico (Veto referendum only)
No citizen initiative (24)
Alabama · Connecticut · Delaware · Georgia (Allows recalling the governor) · Hawaii · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas (Allows recalling the governor) · Kentucky · Louisiana (Allows recalling the governor) · Minnesota (Allows recalling the governor) · New Hampshire · New Jersey (Allows recalling the governor) · New York · North Carolina · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island (Allows recalling the governor) · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Vermont · Virginia (Governor can be removed by a recall trial, not a vote) · West Virginia · Wisconsin (Allows recalling the governor)
Questions and answers
How many states have citizen initiatives?
26 states have initiative or referendum. 24 allow initiatives: 15 for both laws and amendments, 3 for amendments only and 6 for laws only. Maryland and New Mexico have the veto referendum only.
What's an indirect initiative?
The proposal goes to the legislature first. If lawmakers don't pass it, it goes on the ballot (sometimes after more signatures). A direct initiative goes straight to the ballot once it has enough signatures.
Where can voters recall the governor?
In 19 states through a recall election. In Virginia, through a trial in court.
2026 ballot measures · U.S. constitutional amendments
Sources: Ballotpedia, "States with initiative or referendum" and "States with gubernatorial recall provisions". 2026 results: civicAPI.