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Friday, Jul. 31, 2020

Has the coronavirus disrupted citizen-led ballot initiatives?

Allegra Taylor, Gigafact
yes

In 24 U.S. states, citizens can introduce new statutes to their state ballot through initiatives. The process requires a petition to be signed by a minimum number of registered voters before the proposed legislation can be placed on the ballot or referred to the state legislature for consideration. State laws place restrictions on how signatures may be collected, and each state has a different deadline.

Many groups have been forced to stop collecting signatures due to coronavirus concerns. This has left some initiatives without the minimum number of signatures required by their state, as most deadlines for the 2020 election have passed. In some states, activists have unsuccessfully petitioned to collect signatures online. Other states have granted deadline extensions or approval for online signature collection.

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