Ballots: Propositions, Measures, Initiatives
A ballot measure (also known as ballot proposition, or ballot initiative) is a proposed law or issue that’s placed on a statewide or municipal (examples: city, county) ballot for voters to decide on through an election.
There is no federal ballot measure process, but you do find measures or propositions at the state level and municipal level. The rules around the process of how issues get on the ballot depends on the state and municipality.
The Process in Texas
The state of Texas only allows one kind of ballot measure, amendments to the Texas constitution. In order for a proposed constitutional amendment to be on the ballot (as a ballot measure or proposition) the Texas State Legislature must propose the amendment
It starts with a joint resolution (JR) in either the Texas House or the Texas Senate.
The resolution must be adopted by a vote of at least two-thirds of the membership of each chamber (House and Senate).
Unlike bills, the governor’s signature is not required.
Adopted JRs are filed directly with the Secretary of State for ballot placement if they propose constitutional changes.
If there’s more than one joint resolution to put on the ballot, the Secretary of State draws lots to decide the order they will be on the ballot. Fun fact: They sometimes use a cowboy hat to draw lots from.
The proposed amendment is then voted on by eligible voters.
The Process at the City Level
The process for getting ballot measures on the ballot at the city and county level will vary from city to city, county to county.
In Austin, citizens may submit initiative petitions, referendum petitions, recall petitions, or charter amendment petitions.
The City of Austin has a comprehensive page with details on the process.