Initiative Usage 1998 ‐ 2008

Year Number of  Number of  Number of  Percent  Number of  Number of  Number of  Percent  Total  Number of  Number of  Percent 
Statewide  Initiatives  Initiatives  Passed  Legislative  Legislative  Legislative  Passed  Nu mber of  Measures  Measures  Passed
Initiatives Adopted Defeated Referenda Referenda  Referenda  (R)  Measures Adopted Defeated
Adopted Defeated
1998 61a 38 23 62% 174 139 35 80% 235 177 58 75%
1999 5 2 3 40% 56 40 16 71% 61 42 19 69%
2000 84b 36 48 43% 154 109 45 71% 238 145 93 61%
2001 4 3 1 75% 35 33 2 94% 39 36 3 92%
2002 55c 23 32 42% 169 113 56 67% 224 136 88 61%
2003 6 3 3 50% 61 49 12 80% 67 52 15 78%
2004 65d 35 30 54% 107 81 26 76% 172 116 56 67%
2005 20e 3 17 15% 27 21 6 96% 47 24 23 51%
2006 83f 34 49 41% 143 123 20 86% 226 157 69 69%
2007 4g 2 2 50% 41 36 5 88% 45 38 7 84%
2008 74h 32 42 43% 100
100 71 29 71% 174 103 72 59%
Totals 461 211 250 46% 1067 815 252 76% 1528 1026 503 67%

a. 6 measures were popular referenda

b. 6 measures were popular referenda
c. 4 measures were popular referenda
d. 3 measures were popular referenda
e. 1 measure was a popular referenda
f. 4 measures were popular referenda
g. 2 measures were popular referenda
h. 6 measures were popular referenda

Popular referenda allows the people to have the power to refer, by

collecting signatures on a petition, specific legislation that was enacted by
their legislature for the people to either accept or reject.
This chart reflect the initiative landscape as of September 18th. Please check back as we
continue to update the total number of measures for 2008.