If individuals or groups don’t like a law that is passed by a legislature or local government in our state, they can collect signatures to try to get it repealed by a public vote on the measure. This is called a referendum. If it is a statewide referendum, then they need to get 4% of the voters in the last general election to sign petitions requesting it be put on the ballot. If they get that number or more of valid registered voter signatures, then the Secretary of State ‘certifies’ the referendum and it is placed on the ballot.

The law does not go into effect while signatures are being collected and then the law is either retained or repealed, based on the outcome of the vote. Different language is used in referenda than in initiatives. For initiatives, voters are asked whether they support or oppose something, so it is a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. For referenda, voters are asked do they ‘approve’ the law that was passed or do they ‘reject’ it. It’s helpful to get the exact language in front of voters early in the process so they are familiar with what they will be asked on the ballot.

The domestic partnership law protects thousands of gay and lesbian and senior families across the state, many with children, serving our communities in such roles as firefighters, police officers, teachers or nursing home workers. By trying to get Referendum 71 on the ballot, conservative groups opposed to domestic partnerships are hoping to roll back the law, eliminate those protections, and hurt these families. If it is on the ballot, they will be working to get a majority of voters to vote to ‘reject’ the domestic partnership law. Those who support the law will have to vote to ‘approve’ it. We don’t vote for or against the idea of the referendum or for or against the supporters of the referendum. We will be voting for or against keeping the domestic partnership law. To keep the law, we have to vote ‘Approved’. A vote to approve is a vote to preserve, retain, keep the domestic partnership law. A vote to reject is a vote to repeal, end, roll back the law.

Here is what the R 71 ballot will say:

REFERENDUM 71 Ballot TitleStatement of Subject: The legislature passed Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5688 concerning rights and responsibilities of state-registered domestic partners [and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill].
Concise Description: This bill would expand the rights, responsibilities, and obligations accorded state-registered same-sex and senior domestic partners to be equivalent to those of married spouses, except that a domestic partnership is not a marriage.

Should this bill be:
Approved ___ Rejected __