BALLOT MEASURE SUMMARY
If approved by voters, various election deadlines will be changed in the Constitution to allow election officials more time before finalizing ballots to meet federal requirements due to the “Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act”.
Specifically:
· Initiative petitions must be filed with the secretary of state at least 3 months and one week before the general election (instead of 3 months).
· Referendum petitions from the legislature must be filed with the secretary of state not more than 83 days after the final adjournment of the legislature (instead of 90 days).
· The nonpartisan research staff of the general assembly will publish the text and title of every measure at least 45 days before the election (instead of 15 days).
· Moves earlier by one week the period of time that a justice or judge must file a declaration of intent to run for another term.
The legislature referred this to the ballot with SCR24-002.
BACKGROUND
Through this concurrent resolution, the legislature referred the proposed constitutional changes to voters, with bipartisan sponsorship and an almost-unanimous vote in both chambers. The deadlines are listed in the constitution, so a constitutional amendment is necessary instead of a bill in the legislature.