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 8, 2020
The information below is an overview of the initiative process in the state of Mississippi.
Constitutional Amendments Only
The state of Mississippi allows for constitutional amendment initiatives.
The state does not allow statutory initiatives.
Initiative Petition Requirements
In Mississippi, you need to file an initiative with the Secretary of State. An initiative’s validity only lasts a year.
If the initiative petition is approved, then you can circulate it throughout the state.
In order to qualify, the petition needs at least 21,238 valid signatures from each congressional district in the state of Mississippi. That means the petition needs an overall total of 106,190 signatures to qualify.
When you have gathered all the necessary signatures you will file with the $500 fee.
Lastly, there are two things you need to be approved. First, it needs a majority approval from the votes cast for the initiative in the election. Second, 40% of the total voters in the election must vote on the initiative.
For more details, please refer to the Mississippi Constitutional Initiatives Guide.