Southeast: Monthly Initiative Amendment II

[John Dibble]

Currently, the Southeaster constitution reads:

"Article II: Initative and Recall
1. The Citizens of the Southeastern Region shall have the right to petition their government to gain access to the ballot for any issue. Such a petition shall have at least three signatures of registered Southeastern voters in order to be added to the ballot at the next Initiative election. Initiative elections should be held on the third weekend of each month beginning within 12 hours after midnight Central time on Friday morning and ending at 11:59pm Central time on the following Sunday night. Initiatives that receive a tie vote shall be voted upon again in the next Initiative election without the need to be reproposed."

I propose it be amended to read:

"Article II: Initative and Recall
1. The Citizens of the Southeastern Region shall have the right to petition their government to gain access to the ballot for any issue. Such a petition shall have at least three signatures of registered Southeastern voters five days prior to the next Initiative election in order to be added to the ballot at the next Initiative election. Initiatives attaining three valid signatures during the five day period before the Initiative election shall be added to the ballot for the next month's Initiative election. Initiative elections should be held on the third weekend of each month beginning within 12 hours after midnight Central time on Friday morning and ending at 11:59pm Central time on the following Sunday night. Initiatives that receive a tie vote shall be voted upon again in the next Initiative election without the need to be reproposed."

The reason I think this is necessary is because the Abortion Pill Initiative was put on the ballot without even being a day old - the voters did not have enough time to debate and inform themselves in regards to this issue.

[John Dibble]

I don't think it should be one there simply because it didn't have the signatures by when the election should have started.

Indeed, that is true, but if it had been proposed and signed yesterday I still don't think it would have been sufficient time for debate and voters informing themselves.