This history of statewide initiatives includes a listing of initiatives and initiative totals by year, a listing of initiatives voted into law, and a statistical overview.
- Initiatives by Title and Summary Year (PDF) provides a chronological listing of all statewide initiative measures that received a circulating title and summary, whether the initiative qualified or failed to qualify for the ballot, and if qualified, whether it was approved or rejected by voters. This listing also notes the election year in which a qualified measure appeared on the ballot.
- Initiative Totals by Title and Summary Year (PDF) charts the number of initiatives that received circulating titles and summaries each year, how many became eligible or qualified for the ballot, and how many were withdrawn from the process.
- Initiatives Voted into Law (PDF) lists the initiatives voted into law in an election year along with the percentage by which they were approved by voters.
- Summary of Data (PDF) provides a one-page summarization of the total number of initiatives that were cleared for circulation, how many qualified for the ballot, how many were approved by the voters, and how many of those approved by voters provided for changes to statutes, the California constitution, or both statutes and the California Constitution.
Ballot measures were not numbered until the general election of 1914. Additionally, prior to 1960, initiative measures appeared on general election ballots only. From 1960 to mid-2011, initiative measures appeared on primary, general, and special election ballots. As a result of Senate Bill 202 (Chapter 558, Statutes of 2011), from July 2011 forward, initiative measures once again only appear on general election ballots.
Please note that information from the California State Archives regarding some election years is limited; therefore, for some measures, the election date and the initiative category (i.e., constitutional amendment, statute, etc.) may not be listed. Also note that this history may list the title of an initiative as it appeared in circulation, which may differ slightly from the title used on the ballot.
NOTE: For the guidelines on the initiative process, please refer to the Secretary of State's Statewide Initiative Guide.
