Alaska
You have a statutory Initiative & Referendum process. Citizens can pass laws they write or suspend a statute passed by the Legislature by collecting enough petition signatures to place the statute on the statewide ballot for a decision by the voters. Unfortunately, voters do not yet enjoy any process for passing a constitutional amendment by Initiative.
Poll:
See the results of a poll on support for statewide initiative & referendum here.
Grade: D
Click here to view Alaska’s individual report in Of the People, By the People, For the People: A 2010 Report Card on Statewide Voter Initiative Rights.
Citizen State Coordinator
For more information about how to get involved in protecting and expanding Alaska’s initiative process, contact the Citizens in Charge Foundation Alaska Citizen State Coordinator:
Kenneth Jacobus
State Balloting Process
How you can change Alaska’s government through ballot initiatives
History
Alaska became the 20th state to adopt a statewide initiative process
when it became a state in 1959. However, the procedure does not
include the right to make appropriations or amend the state constitution…Read More
Ballot Qualifications & Schedule
Date Initiative language can be submitted to the state: Any time.
Signatures are tied to vote of which office: Number of votes cast in the
general election prior to when the application was filed.
Next General election: 2010
Number of votes cast in last general election: 327,341 (2008)
Net number of signatures required: 10% of the number of votes cast in the
last general election. (32,734)
Distribution Requirement: One signature in 2/3 of state house districts.
Circulation period: Proponents have one year from the day they were
notified that petition booklets were available for distribution to gather
signatures and submit the petition to the Division of Elections.
Do circulators have to be residents: Yes
Date when signatures are due for certification: Signatures must be
submitted prior to the convening of the legislative session in the year in
which the initiative is to appear on the ballot.
Signature verification process: Signatures are turned into the Division of Elections who verify each signature until the minimum number needed is
met.
Single-subject restriction: Yes
Legislative tampering: The legislature can repeal an initiative only after
two years of it passing; but the legislature may amend the initiative
anytime.
Excerpted from the Initiative & Referendum Almanac by M. Dane Waters.