2010 Initiative Petition Filing Deadlines
Updated May 12, 2010
The table below details the dates by which initiative petitions must be filed in each of the 24 initiative states. You may also view the 2010 filing deadlines in calendar order.
|
State
|
Filing Deadline
|
Notes
|
|
Alaska
|
January 17, 2010
|
Had to be filed before the legislature convened on January 18, 2010
|
|
Arizona
|
July 1, 2010 at 5pm
|
|
|
Arkansas
|
July 2, 2010
|
|
|
California - primary election
|
September 25, 2009
|
Full-check method (necessary if random sample indicates valid signatures totaling from 95 to 110 percent of the total required)
|
|
California – primary election
|
November 16, 2009
|
Random sample method (if no additional full-check is required)
|
|
California – general election
|
February 26, 2010
|
Full-check method (necessary if random sample indicates valid signatures totaling from 95 to 110 percent of the total required)
|
|
California – general election
|
April 16, 2010
|
Random sample method (if no additional full-check is required)
|
|
Colorado
|
July 12, 2010 at 3pm
or
August 2, 2010
**See note at right**
|
**Under new law enacted by HB 1326 (2009), the new deadline is July 12, 2010 for any measure whose ballot title is fixed on or after May 15, 2009. However, this conflicts with a provision of Colorado's constitution. It is unclear which date will be applied.
|
|
Florida
|
January 1, 2010
(recommended - see note at right)
|
Supervisors have 30 days to verify signatures; February 1 is the last day that valid petition signatures can be entered in the statewide voter registration database.
|
|
Idaho
|
April 30, 2010
|
Or 18 months after title is approved, whichever occurs earlier. This is the date by which petitions must be submitted to local election officials. They are due at the Secretary of State's office by June 30.
|
|
Illinois
|
May 3, 2010
|
|
|
Maine
|
February 1, 2010
|
Must be submitted by 25th day after the legislature convenes
|
|
Massachusetts – 1
|
November 18, 2009
|
Deadline for filing with local registrars for verification (14 days before the filing deadline for legislative consideration -- December 2, 2009)
|
|
Massachusetts – 2
|
June 23, 2010
|
If the legislature fails to act by May 5, 2010, supplemental signatures must be filed with local registrars by this deadline, and local registrars file with the secretary of state by July 7, 2010.
|
|
Michigan – statute
|
May 26, 2010 at 5pm
|
|
|
Michigan – amendment
|
July 5, 2010 at 5pm
|
|
|
Mississippi
|
October 7, 2009
|
Date by which certificate of validity must be filed with legislature (90 days prior to session); signatures must be submitted and verified by circuit clerks prior to this date
|
|
Missouri
|
May 2, 2010
|
Deadline for filing with local election officials; verification must be completed and submitted to SOS by July 27, 2010 at 5pm
|
|
Montana
|
June 18, 2010
|
Deadline for filing with county election officials; deadline for counties to submit to state is July 16, 2010
|
|
Nebraska
|
July 2, 2010
|
|
|
Nevada – statute
|
November 11, 2008
|
Deadline for statutory initiatives to be put before the legislature in 2009 for ballot access in 2010
|
|
Nevada – amendment
|
June 15, 2010
|
Deadline to file with clerk/registrar; local official must submit to state by August 4.
|
|
North Dakota – primary election
|
March 10, 2010, midnight
|
|
|
North Dakota – general election
|
August 4, 2010, midnight
|
|
|
Ohio – amendment
|
June 30, 2010
|
|
|
Ohio – statute 1
|
December 23, 2009
|
To be put before the 2010 legislature
|
|
Ohio – statute 2
|
August 2, 2010
|
Supplemental petitions due if legislature fails to enact initiative within four months
|
|
Oklahoma
|
September 2, 2010
|
Or 90 days after approved for circulation, whichever occurs earlier.
Note that the state recommends submission 8 months prior to the election in order to allow time for required court review.
|
|
Oregon
|
July 2, 2010 at 5pm
|
|
|
South Dakota – amendment
|
November 2, 2009
|
|
|
South Dakota – statute
|
April 6, 2010
|
|
|
Utah – indirect method
|
November 15, 2009
|
|
|
Utah – direct method
|
April 15, 2010
|
|
|
Washington – indirect method
|
January 1, 2010
|
10 days before legislature convened
|
|
Washington – direct method
|
July 2, 2010
|
|
|
Wyoming
|
February 8, 2010
|
|
Statute – an initiative to create a new law or amend an existing law
Amendment – an initiative amending the state constitution
Direct Method – the initiative goes straight to the ballot if sufficient signatures are gathered
Indirect Method – the initiative goes before the legislature if sufficient signatures are gathered; if the legislature fails to enact the initiative, it goes on the ballot
2010 Filing Deadlines in Calendar Order
|
Date
|
Deadline
|
|
November 11, 2008
|
Nevada – statute
|
|
September 25, 2009
|
California – primary – full-check method
|
|
October 7, 2009
|
Mississippi
|
|
November 2, 2009
|
South Dakota - amendment
|
|
November 15, 2009
|
Utah – indirect method
|
|
November 16, 2009
|
California – primary – random sample
|
|
November 18, 2009
|
Massachusetts (1st deadline)
|
|
December 23, 2009
|
Ohio – statute (1st deadline)
|
|
January 1, 2010
|
Florida
Washington – indirect method
|
|
January 17, 2010
|
Alaska
|
|
February 1, 2010
|
Maine
|
|
February 8, 2010
|
Wyoming
|
|
February 26, 2010
|
California – general – full-check method
|
|
March 10, 2010
|
North Dakota – primary
|
|
April 6, 2010
|
South Dakota – statute
|
|
April 15, 2010
|
Utah – direct method
|
|
April 16, 2010
|
California – general – random sample
|
|
April 30, 2010
|
Idaho
|
|
May 2, 2010
|
Missouri
|
|
May 3, 2010
|
Illinois
|
|
May 26, 2010
|
Michigan – statute
|
|
June 15, 2010
|
Nevada – amendment
|
|
June 18, 2010
|
Montana
|
|
June 23, 2010
|
Massachusetts (2nd deadline)
|
|
June 30, 2010
|
Ohio – amendment
|
|
July 1, 2010
|
Arizona
|
|
July 2, 2010
|
Arkansas
Nebraska
Oregon
Washington – direct method
|
|
July 5, 2010
|
Michigan – amendment
|
|
July 12, 2010
|
Colorado (titled on or after May 15, 2009)
|
|
August 2, 2010
|
Colorado (titled before May 15, 2009)
Ohio – statute (2nd deadline)
|
|
August 4, 2010
|
North Dakota - general
|
|
September 2, 2010
|
Oklahoma (however, for practical purposes, must be filed by early February 10 to achieve 2010 ballot access)
|
For More Information
For more information on the initiative process, please contact Jennie Drage Bowser in NCSL's Denver office.
|