Dozens of Initiative Petition Possible on November Ballot
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: March 19, 2012
JOPLIN, MO-- Missouri voters could be wading through a long list at the ballot this fall. Dozens of initiative petitions are in circulation throughout the state. Tens of thousands of signatures are needed to make it on to the ballot - more than 91 thousand for a statute change and 146 thousand for a constitutional amendment. Once gathered, those signatures must be verified by county officials throughout the state. If approved for the ballot, they then go to the voters.
Jasper County Clerk Bonnie Earl said, "It takes a long time to vote. And those are our busiest elections when it's the presidential election, so it takes people a long time to vote. And then there's long lines and then people become frustrated."
Potential initiative questions this year range from legalizing marijuana and limiting stem cell research to payday loans and campaign finance.
