If there is an issue that you think should become a law, you don’t have to wait until your state legislature agrees with you. You can let the voters decide by filing a ballot initiative. Your direct action can qualify your measure to be on the ballot in the next statewide election.
Last updated on: December 9, 2020
The following is a brief overview of the initiative process in the state of Kansas. For more information, please refer to the Secretary of State website.
Statutory and Constitutional Amendment Initiatives
Kansas does not allow the initiative process at the state level. The Secretary of State website is very clear when it comes to the initiative process. It is explicitly stated that any initiative in Kansas does not create new law or amend the state constitution.
Local Allowances
There is provision for the initiative process at the county or district level on the Kansas Secretary of State’s website. Voters can introduce a new city ordinance through a “petition for proposed ordinance,” which ultimately requires a vote.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, this is not the typical use for the initiative process in Kansas, though. The initiative process is to “merely force an existing governing body in a specific jurisdiction to take a desired action.”
For more details on how to file an initiative in your county or district, please refer to your local government.