California has a rich history of direct democracy through its ballot initiative process, which allows citizens to recall elected officials, repeal laws, and enact state laws. The initiative process was formally adopted in 1911, spearheaded by then-Gov. Hiram Johnson, as a way to counter the influence of powerful interests like the Southern Pacific Railroad in the state’s legislature. Since then, 2,068 initiatives have been cleared for signature collection, with 137 approved by voters.
This year’s election saw a record number of 48 measures on the ballot in 1914, highlighting the importance of citizen engagement in shaping state laws. Both initiatives and referenda play a crucial role in California’s democratic process, with initiatives proposing new statutes and constitutional amendments, while referenda allow voters to approve or reject laws passed by the legislature.
Signature requirements for qualifying an initiative or referendum depend on the type of measure, with constitutional amendment initiatives requiring a higher threshold of at least 8% of the total votes cast at the most recent gubernatorial election. This year, initiatives needed at least 546,651 signatures to qualify, while constitutional amendments required 874,641.
As one of the 26 states with an initiative process, California continues to empower its citizens to have a direct impact on state laws, ensuring a more participatory and inclusive democratic system.
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Photo credit calmatters.org