You probably learned in school that once you’re 18, you can register to vote in elections to select representatives to govern on your behalf—from mayors and school boards to senators and the President themselves. However, what you might not be as well versed in is that once you become a California voter, you have the right to vote on the laws themselves through something called “the initiative process.” According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the initiative process is a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot. This process began in 1898 in South Dakota, with 25 other states, notably California, having followed in their footsteps as of 2024. There are two branches of the initiative process. The direct initiative process involves proposals that end up on the ballot for voters to decide upon; however, in the indirect initiative process, the proposal can be altered within limits by the legislature.

Different states have various policies as far as how the direct and indirect process works (no two states have the same exact requirements for an initiative to be on the ballot); for example, in the indirect process, the legislature can draw up a proposal but then also leave for voters the option to choose the original proposal. Although the 26 states are all different in one way or another, they relatively follow the same structure. First, there is an initial submission of a proposed petition to a designated state official. Then, there is an evaluation of the petition to ensure it meets statutory requirements, and in some states, an assessment of the proposal’s language. After, there is the drafting of a ballot title and summary. Lastly, there is the gathering of the necessary signatures from registered voters, typically a percentage of the votes cast for a statewide office in the last general election, and submitting the petitions to the state election official for signature verification. A study done by Ballotpedia showed that from 1904 to 2023, a total of 3,217 citizen-initiated measures appeared on state ballots, with voters approving 1,324 (41%). Additionally, there are many unforeseen benefits of the initiative process, such as how there is high voter turnout in states with an initiative on the ballot. In 1998, voter turnout in states with an initiative was approximately 3% higher than in states without one. In recent PPIC Statewide Surveys, 72 percent of likely voters said it is a good thing that voters can make laws and change public policies by passing initiatives.

Although the initiative process comes at a cost (California alone has spent two billion dollars in the initiative process since 2000), sixty percent of voters believe that public policy decisions made through the initiative process are most likely better than those made by the governor and state legislature. Awareness of the initiative process is critical. A 2019 Public Policy Institute of California survey found that about 70% of likely voters were aware of the initiative process in California and had participated in voting on ballot measures. California, Oregon, and Colorado are the leaders of using the initiative process; however, awareness needs to become greater in states like Mississippi, Illinois, and New Mexico. Ultimately, the initiative process provides citizens the opportunity to make a change in their community and see their ideas come into fruition—even if they do not personally want to pursue politics. If someone has an idea they would like to implement, come forward and become a part of a new solution through the initiative process!