Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines

The state constitution specifies certain filing deadlines in connection with the people's power of initiative and referendum and with judges who want to retain their offices for another term. To facilitate an additional week between the secretary of state's deadline to certify ballot order and content pursuant to law and election officials' deadline to transmit ballots pursuant to the federal "Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act", the concurrent resolution submits a constitutional amendment to the voters of the state at the 2024 general election that will, if approved:

• Change the date by which initiative petitions must be filed with the secretary of state from at least 3 months before the general election at which they are to be voted on to at least 3 months and one week before that election;
• Change the date by which referendum petitions must be filed with the secretary of state from not more than 90 days after the final adjournment of the session of the general assembly that enacted the bill on which the referendum is demanded to not more than 83 days after the final adjournment of that session;
• Change the date by which the nonpartisan research staff of the general assembly shall publish the text and title of every measure from at least 15 days prior to the final date of voter registration for the election to 45 days before the election; and
• Change the period during which a justice of the supreme court or a judge of any other court must file with the secretary of state a declaration of intent to run for another term from not more than 6 months or less than 3 months prior to the general election before the expiration of the judge's term to not more than 6 months and one week or less than 3 months and one week before that general election.
  (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this concurrent resolution as introduced in the second house.)