Ballot Reform

There is a growing consensus that California's ballot initiative process is broken. Originally established in 1911 as a way for citizens to hold the state legislature accountable to the people, California's "citizen democracy" has instead become a vehicle for wealthy special interests to shape government. The Greenlining Institute, with its unique ties to diverse communities and experience working on statewide ballot initiatives, has launched a project to investigate just how flawed the system really is and what the impact is on California's diverse communities. By working with organizational partners and the community, we seek to engage Californians in a statewide dialogue about the strengths and weaknesses of the system and identify a set of winning reform ideas to reclaim direct democracy for the people.

Contacts for this Program

Michelle Romero, Program Manager, Email: micheller@greenlining.org, Ph: (510) 926-4014

Ballot Iniative Reform Study

This longitudinal survey was conducted to get a better sense of how Californians view the ballot initiative process. In wave one of our survey (conducted in June 2011), respondents were asked about their attitudes towards the ballot initiative process in California. In wave two (conducted in December 2011), respondents were asked more specifically about what types of reforms they would support. Read the entire report here.

Ballot Initiative Research & Reform Ideas

Public Opinion Polling:

History of the Initiative System
By Center for Governmental Studies

Public Opinion Poll: Attitudes Towards California's Ballot Initiative System, Wave One (2011)
By The Greenlining Institute.

The Public's View of the Initiative Process in California: 1997-2011 (2011)
By Robert Stern & Ava Alexander, Center for Governmental Studies.

Key Complaints with the Ballot Initiative System (2011)
By The Greenlining Institute.

Qualification of Initiative Measures:

Ballot Qualification: A state by state analysis (2011)
By Robert Stern & Ava Alexander, Center for Governmental Studies.

Key Complaint 1: Lack of Judicial Review Before Initiatives Appear on the Ballot

The lack of judicial review of propositions before they are put on the ballot has translated into numerous propositions being poorly worded, making their implementation either difficult or unconstitutional. California also has a long history of ballot propositions being used to attack unpopular or stigmatized groups. Many feel that basic civil rights should not be up for popular vote. For these reasons, we are exploring reform ideas that would create a mechanism for reviewing initiatives before they appear on the ballot.

Research & Reform Ideas:

Overview: Oregon's Citizens Initiative Review (2011)
By Robert Stern & Ava Alexander, Center for Governmental Studies.

Key Complaint 2: The Negative Influence of Money Creates Unequal Access

The half million or more signatures required to qualify a measure (based on a percentage of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election) makes it almost impossible for volunteer signature gathering efforts to succeed.  Reliance on paid signature gathering, which costs an average of $2,848,259 (as of 2006), are beyond the reach of ordinary citizens and grassroots activists, creating an unequal playing field where wealthy special interests can control the ballot. We are exploring reform ideas that would ensure all interested Californians have an equal chance to participate.

Research & Reform Ideas:

Court Decisions Affecting Ballot Measure Campaigns (2011)
By Robert Stern & Ava Alexander, Center for Governmental Studies.

Key Complaint 3: Ballot Box Budgeting Impact on State Budget

Nineteen percent of all initiatives proposed from 1912 to 2006 in California dealt with tax issues. Tax issues are complicated and voters are often ill informed when voting on these issues. Additionally, because the overwhelming majority of the state budget is already tied up as mandatory spending for a variety of items, measures that come with a price tag to implement can have a detrimental impact on the few things the state pays for out of its discretionary fund (i.e. higher education).

Research & Reform Ideas:

Ballot Box Budgeting: A Presentation (2011)
 By Wais Hassan, Summer Associate at The Greenlining Institute.

Key Complaint 4: Need for Voter Education & Information

According to the Center for Governmental Studies, between 2000 and 2006, 33% of all ballot initiatives were over 5,000 words. Voters often do not read propositions that are so long (not to mention written in technical, legalistic language), and are left to base their decisions on 30-second TV spots and other biased messages. Campaign advertisements can be misleading and are not usually transparent about who are the funders, supporters, and opponents of the initiative. Some initiatives even purposefully confuse voters, where a "no" vote actually enacts the new law. We are exploring ways to improve communicating key information to voters and empowering voters to make informed decisions.

Research & Reform Ideas:

Initiative Disclosure Report & Recommendations (2011)
By Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation.