Ballot Initiatives & Charter Amendments
Ballot initiatives occur when a question is added to a ballot by petition, which was signed by a requisite number of registered voters. Not all jurisdictions allow for ballot initiatives; however, in 2016, ballot initiatives regarding ranked choice voting passed in the State of Maine and Benton County, Oregon. Below are links about these two ballot initiatives.
IN PRACTICE: State of Maine Question 5
- Petition
- Maine Citizen's Guide to the Referendum Election 2016 - Question 5 Description Begins on Page 48
- Statute
IN PRACTICE: Benton County, Oregon Measure 2-100
- Ballot Measure
- Voter Pamphlet November 2016 – ballot measure description begins on page 16
Charter Amendments
While some charter amendments may occur by initiative, governments may also change a charter by legislative action, referendum, or charter commission depending upon the jurisdiction. While some municipal or county governments must have state-level approval for changes to their governing documents, others do not have this requirement. The links below are examples of charter amendments to implement ranked choice voting:
IN PRACTICE: Hendersonville, NC 2009 Pilot Resolution
IN PRACTICE: Memphis Charter Amendment
IN PRACTICE: Portland, ME Charter
IN PRACTICE: San Francisco, CA Ballot Proposition A
- Ballot Proposition
- Voter Information Pamphlet and Sample Ballot 2002– ballot proposition description begins on page 37
IN PRACTICE: Santa Fe, NM Charter Amendment Resolution
IN PRACTICE: Sarasota Charter Amendment
IN PRACTICE: Springfield, IL Charter Referendum
IN PRACTICE: Takoma Park, MD Ballot Question and Charter Resolution