BISC’s Ballot Integrity Program tracks efforts to undermine the ballot initiative process, provides strategic assistance and resources to help protect access to the initiative process, and convenes a Lawyers Guild to address the growing number of legal challenges that threaten direct democracy.
In 2019, more bills designed to make access to the ballot initiative process more difficult, confusing, and expensive were introduced in state legislatures than the previous two years combined. Things were on track for another record breaking year in 2020 prior to COVID-19.
BISC’s Ballot Integrity Program provides a national landscape of legislative changes to the ballot measure process by tracking and analyzing proposed state legislation. The Ballot Integrity Program also provides strategic assistance to partners working to defeat harmful legislation or support legislation that would improve the ballot measure process.
Legal challenges against ballot measures are increasing. Litigation is also being used as a tool to protect the initiative process and ensure ballot measures are implemented as intended.
BISC’s Lawyers Guild was created to address the growing number of legal challenges that threaten direct democracy.
The network of lawyers with ballot measure campaign expertise provides a legal perspective on challenges to the ballot initiative process, creates legal resources for advocates, and connects lawyers who are passionate about protecting democracy.
For more information about BISC’s Ballot Integrity Program or the Lawyers guild, email [email protected].