Ballots vs. Backlash: Trends, Threats, and the Future of Direct Democracy

As state legislatures across the country become more polarized, citizens are increasingly turning to direct democracy to protect fundamental rights and advance popular policies that elected officials refuse to address. But the success of recent initiatives, especially around issues like reproductive rights, has prompted a strong backlash from some state legislatures opposed to those efforts. Several states have recently passed new restrictions that make it harder for citizens to utilize direct democracy, in addition to trying to undo measures that voters have already approved.

This report examines how direct democracy works across the states and the ways in which state legislatures are trying to restrict these processes. Efforts to limit access to direct democracy raise serious concerns; by making it more difficult for citizens to exercise rights guaranteed in state constitutions, public trust is undermined and our democratic institutions are weakened.

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