Initiatives and Ballot Questions

Initiatives allow Nevada citizens to enact or amend state and local laws, including the
Nevada Constitution. Citizens use a petition circulation process to initiate change.
Criteria for petitions submittal to the Secretary of State’s office:

● Name and signature of the person filing the petition,

● Names of up to three individuals authorized to withdraw or amend petition,

● Name of the Political Action Committee (PAC) formed to advocate for the passage.

● Completed petition form

Initiatives with qualifying signatures, will become BALLOT QUESTIONS. For 2026, constitutional initiatives require 148,788 valid signatures from registered Nevada voters, including at least 37,197 signatures from each of the four Petition Districts in Nevada (Petition Districts have the same geographic boundaries as Congressional Districts.  If voters approve the Ballot Question during the 2026 election, the approved amendment will then be added to the 2028 election. The approved amendment must be passed by voters in two successive general elections before it can be added to the Nevada Constitution. Once an initiative has been passed in two election cycles, the law requires that it can only be removed if two-thirds of the registered Nevada voters agree.

2026 INITIATIVES

INITIATIVES 

Nevada process
Initiatives allow Nevada citizens to utilize a petition circulation process to propose new legislation, amend the Nevada Constitution or existing state statutes, or approve or disapprove of existing laws.  Initiatives are a device by which voters can enact or amend state and local laws, including the Nevada Constitution. 

Who can initiate?

The 2017 Legislature approved Assembly Bill 45, which requires a person who intends to circulate a statewide initiative or referendum petition to provide certain information to the Secretary of State's office prior to collecting signatures.  The information required to be provided includes the name and signature of the person filing the petition, the names of up to three individuals who are authorized to withdraw or amend the petition, and the name of the Political Action Committee (PAC) formed to advocate for the passage of the petition.  This information must be submitted on a form at the same time a copy of the petition is filed with the Secretary of State's office.  

For a constitutional initiative to qualify for a Ballot Question:

Statewide petitions filed for the 2026 election cycle require 148,788 valid signatures from registered Nevada voters, including at least 37,197 signatures from each of the four Petition Districts in Nevada (see NRS 293.127563).  Petition Districts have the same geographic boundaries as Congressional Districts. 

How many election cycles

If voters approve the Ballot Question during the 2026 election, the approved amendment will then be added to the 2028 election. The approved amendment must be passed by voters in two successive general elections before it can be added to the Nevada Constitution.

Once an initiative has been passed in two election cycles, the law requires that it can only be removed if two-thirds of the registered Nevada voters agree.