The LWVNC Citizen Initiative (CI) Study Team has recommended that we concur with LWV-Alabama’s position on Citizen Initiative (CI). The LWVNC Program Committee and Board have approved adding it to the agenda for the LWVNC Convention, May 2-4 in Durham.

Our statewide study in 2024 showed overwhelming LWVNC member support for CI. Join this virtual briefings to learn more before the convention. Can't make the briefing? Review study resources and the LWVNC Citizen Initiative information.

About CI

CI is a powerful tool that allows citizens to collect voter signatures to place a law or amendment directly on the ballot—bypassing legislative gridlock. Nearly half the states already have CI, but North Carolina doesn’t… yet.

Why does this matter? When legislatures fail to act, voters step up. No state has ever repealed CI, and it's been used to:

• Reform redistricting
• Introduce ranked-choice voting
• Protect abortion rights
• Raise the minimum wage

The proposed CI position includes strong safeguards to ensure fairness and transparency, such as:

• One subject per proposal
• Limits on how many Initiatives can appear on a ballot
• A clear, public process for proposal submission
• Statewide petition collection—by voters, for voters