Washington and Wisconsin passed bills during their 2023 legislative sessions that limited non-binding questions, also known as advisory questions or advisory votes, on election ballots.
These two bills are among 349 legislative proposals introduced in 2023 that concern topics related to direct democracy, including ballot measures, initiatives, veto referendums, referrals, local ballot measures, and recall elections. As of June 24, 28 of these proposals have been enacted into law, with the bills in Washington and Wisconsin being the only ones specifically addressing advisory questions.
In Washington, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5082 (SB 5082), which repealed a provision of Initiative 960, approved in 2007, that required advisory votes on legislation to increase taxes.
