Citizen Ballot Initiative.
A citizen ballot initiative would give New Yorkers a formal path to propose legislation and vote on it directly without having to wait for Albany to move.
What Is a Citizen Ballot Initiative
A citizen ballot initiative would give New Yorkers a direct say in their own governance. Voters could propose legislation and put it on the ballot for approval. The mechanism already works at the local level in New York, and in dozens of other states it has produced a range of policy reforms—often after state legislatures had failed to act for years.
A Citizen Ballot Initiative is one of the most broadly supported reforms in the state. Unite NY's 2026 Voter Empowerment Index found that 74% of New Yorkers support a citizen ballot initiative, with near-identical support across Democrats, independents, and Republicans, and consistent support in every region of the state.
How We Got Here
Most laws in New York are passed through representative democracy: voters elect legislators, and those legislators decide what becomes law. In 47 other states, voters also have access to some form of direct democracy—the ability to propose policy, repeal laws, or place questions on the ballot themselves. New York is one of the few states without that option at the state level.
The mechanism isn't foreign to New York. Many actions taken by local and town governments are already subject to referendum, giving residents a direct vote on issues that affect their communities. What's missing is that same accountability at the state level.
Why It’s A Problem
- Thousands of bills go nowhere
Most never become law, including legislation addressing the issues voters have consistently identified as their highest priorities. In the 2026 VEI, 30% of voters reported sitting out a recent election because they believe nothing ever changes. That's not apathy. It's a rational response to a system that gives voters no direct path to act when the legislature won't. - Voters and lawmakers are out of sync
47% of New York voters think the state is on the wrong track versus 37% who think it's on the right track. The state legislature is regularly ranked among the least popular, least effective, and least trusted in the country. The issues that matter most to New Yorkers simply aren't being addressed. - The same concerns, decade after decade
Unite NY's Voter Empowerment Index shows that the two issues of greatest concern to New Yorkers are still taxes (at 38%) and crime (at 47%).
What Has to Happen
Establishing a citizen ballot initiative at the state level requires a constitutional amendment. That means the reform must be passed by two separately elected legislatures and then ratified by voters as a ballot question. It's a long path, one that requires sustained public pressure on the same legislators who would be most affected by it.
But the public support is already there. Three in four New Yorkers, across every party and every region, want this reform. The question now is whether Albany is willing to give voters the direct voice they've asked for.