Defending Citizen Initiatives: New ERN Report Shows Bipartisan Support for Ballot Measures
A Bipartisan Defense of Direct Democracy in the 2024 Election and Beyond
Amid rising polarization in American politics, a surprising trend has emerged: voters across party lines are coming together to protect their right to direct democracy. The newly released Defending Citizen Initiatives Report offers compelling data and analysis from the 2024 election cycle — and reveals how Americans are increasingly united in defending the power of citizen-led ballot initiatives.
What Are Citizen Initiatives?
Citizen initiatives allow voters in 26 states to propose and pass laws or constitutional amendments directly, bypassing the legislature. They are a critical check on political power — and an essential feature of American democracy.
But in recent years, state legislatures have tried to make the initiative process harder by:
- Raising signature thresholds
- Limiting time for petition gathering
- Imposing legal and procedural barriers
- Requiring supermajority votes for passage
These efforts threaten to silence voters, usurp their democratic participation, and concentrate more power in the hands of politicians.
Key Findings
Voters Rejected Attacks on Initiatives in Red and Blue States. In 2024, voters in Arizona, Colorado, and North Dakota overwhelmingly rejected ballot measures aimed at restricting citizen initiatives — with margins of 10–24%.
Bipartisan Support Was Clear. 93% of counties that voted for Trump also voted to protect the initiative process, as did 78% of counties that voted for Harris.
Election Reform Measures Didn’t Fare as Well. While citizen initiative protections saw cross-party support, election reform measures like ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries were defeated — mostly along partisan lines.
A Consistent Trend Across Multiple Years. The report also analyzes 2022 and 2023 election results in Arkansas, Ohio, and South Dakota — where voters again rejected efforts to restrict ballot access, including supermajority requirements.
Why This Matters
As trust in government declines and partisanship increases, citizen initiatives remain one of the few tools uniting Americans. They offer voters a direct path to change — one that bypasses political gridlock.
But this right isn’t guaranteed. Continued legislative efforts and disinformation campaigns could weaken or eliminate the initiative process unless voters, advocates, and policymakers take action.