The following are examples of common types of citizens’ initiative:
Constitutional
Constitutional initiatives can be used to propose amendments to a country or state’s constitution. The number of signatures required to place a constitutional measure on the ballot is usually higher than the number required to place other types of measure on the ballot.
Statutory
Using a statutory initiative, citizens can propose statutory measures to be placed on the ballot. A lower signature threshold is usually required for this type of initiative.
Direct
If an initiative is a direct initiative, then the measure that is circulated in petition or placed on the ballot automatically becomes law if it is approved by voters, without any involvement by the legislature.
Indirect
In contrast, indirect initiatives allow for the involvement of the legislature in framing the laws that arise from the initiative process. This involvement might take a number of different forms. In some countries or states, when a petition has met the required threshold, the legislature is able to formulate its own proposal to go on the ballot as well, to offer voters an alternative between the citizens’ initiative and the legislature's response. Alternatively, the legislature may have a role after a measure has passed, e.g. if a ballot measure is approved by voters, the legislature may have some scope to amend the measure or to draft the actual law mandated by the successful initiative.
Agenda Initiatives and Abrogative Referendums
There are two other types of direct democracy mechanisms which are commonly labelled as initiatives, because they are invoked when citizens collect enough signatures in support of a measure. These are the agenda initiative and the abrogative referendum. An agenda initiative is a “special” direct democracy instrument because it enables a number of citizens to submit a proposal which must be considered by the legislature but which is not put to a vote of the electorate. Details about the abrogative referendum can be found in the section on referendums.
