State ballot measure laws get ‘D’ in national report
Related News
- 01/22/10 — Property group calls off initiative
- 01/15/10 — Push for Looser Marijuana Laws Gains Momentum
- 01/15/10 — Supreme Court to Rule on Right to Privacy for Referendum Petition Signers
- 01/10/10 — Vote on puppy mill act is sought
- 01/06/10 — Legislators push for openness in ballot initiatives
- More Other Issues news
Rapid City Journal: South Dakota, the first state to allow statewide votes on initiated measures and referendums, got a 'D' on a national report card that found the state does not exercise enough control over people who gather the signatures needed to put measures on the ballot. Even with its low grade, South Dakota tied for third because 13 of the 24 states that allow ballot measures got failing grades from the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to improve the ballot initiative process.
The study says most of the states are ripe for ballot initiative abuse, fraud and deception unless significant changes are made. The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center's report says South Dakota uses a good system to review petition signature validity and makes sure proposals carry accurate, impartial titles and explanations for voters. However, it criticized South Dakota for not requiring the people and companies who gather signatures to register with the state, allowing petition gatherers to fill in some information for signers, and allowing people convicted of fraud or forgery to gather signatures.
To read more, click here.
Comments
There are no comments for this entry.
