initiative
In the United States citizens can petition Congress for legislation through representatives. Furthermore, in theory they (or anyone) can directly introduce propose a draft legislation also.
Petition their state legislator to introduce a law which covers their particulat area of interest.
A ballot initiative takes a propose law directly to the voters for approval, rather than let it be argued in a legislative body. Before the propose law can be placed on the ballot, a petition to do so must be signed by a minimum number of registered voters.
Propose
Initiative and referendum were ideas introduced to give voters more power. Initiative allowed voters to propose a new law by collecting signatures on a petition. Referendum permitted voters to approve or reject law that had already been proposed or passed by a government body.
Propose
initiative
With the initiative, voters could petition state legislatures to consider a bill.
With the initiative, voters could petition state legislatures to consider a bill.
It is called an proposition. It has to have registered voters signatures on a petition and there is a set number it has to reach. It goes to the state and they validate the signatures and then the law has to be vetted. It is edited for wording and suggestions made before it is placed on a ballot.
The answer is Initiative
Initiative procedure.