What does a YES vote on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 mean?

Pierce County initiative sponsors would have 180 days to collect signatures.

What does a NO vote on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 mean?

Pierce County's charter would not be changed to give initiative sponsors 180 days to collect signatures.

Does it cost the County anything?

The County's fiscal impact statement says no: more initiatives might qualify, but the Auditor determined any added election work can be handled with existing resources.

Has a county initiative ever qualified?

The statement for says Pierce County has never completed an initiative; the opponents' rebuttal says several referendums have qualified within a 120-day window.

Does the signature threshold change?

No. It stays at 10 percent of votes cast in the most recent County Executive election.

How many votes does Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 — Initiative Procedures

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 3:09 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026

What it does: The Pierce County Charter Review Commission proposed an amendment to Section 5.40 of the Pierce County Charter concerning initiative procedures. If approved, this amendment will provide initiative sponsors 180 days to collect signatures in support of a proposed initiative. Should this proposed Charter amendment be:
A YES vote means: Pierce County initiative sponsors would have 180 days to collect signatures.
A NO vote means: Pierce County's charter would not be changed to give initiative sponsors 180 days to collect signatures.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

Section 5.40(3) of the Charter gives initiative petitioners "120 calendar days to collect the signatures of the registered voters of the County equal in number to not less than 10 percent of the number of votes cast" in the last election for County Executive.
The statement for puts that requirement at about 41,000 signatures.

If it passes

YES: Initiative sponsors would have 180 days instead of 120 to collect signatures.
YES: The number of signatures required (10 percent of votes cast in the last County Executive election) would not change.
NO: The 120-day signature period stays.

Example

Sponsors who began collecting on March 1 would have until June 29 under the 120-day rule, or until August 28 with 180 days. (source)

Who would notice

People who sponsor or sign county initiative petitions, and county voters. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

The 2026 Pierce County Charter Review Commission proposed it and sent it directly to the ballot as one of seven amendments. The supporters' rebuttal says a large majority of commissioners passed it.

What each side says

Supporters

"Pierce County has never completed an initiative because it allows only 120 days to get signatures equal to 10% of the votes in the last County Executive election, which is currently around 41,000." · Yes on Charter Amendment 55: Extend time to gather initiative signatures (Sharon Hanek, Mike Lonnergan, Grant Pelesky), official statement for, Pierce County voters' pamphlet
"The cost of gathering signatures is paid by the Initiative campaign, not the taxpayer... This allows more time for mailing and outreach to the people and reduces the need for paid signature gatherers." · Yes on Charter Amendment 55: Extend time to gather initiative signatures (Sharon Hanek, Mike Lonnergan, Grant Pelesky), official statement for, Pierce County voters' pamphlet

Opponents

"More time doesn't empower everyday citizens. It gives well-funded special interests more time to finance paid signature gathering campaigns. Grassroots efforts succeed by earning community support, not by extending the calendar." · Committee to Protect Our Initiative Process (Martha Lantz, Justin Leighton, Troy Serad), official statement against, Pierce County voters' pamphlet
"The Pierce County Charter should only be changed when there is clear need. Pierce County voters have repeatedly rejected changes to the initiative process because the current system works." · Committee to Protect Our Initiative Process (Martha Lantz, Justin Leighton, Troy Serad), official statement against, Pierce County voters' pamphlet

In the news

Charter Review Commission sends seven proposals to voters · Gig Harbor Now, 2026-07-09

Written by SpectrumVote from 5 linked sources (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Who's for and against

Supporting (YES)

Opposing (NO)

A sourced selection, not a complete list. Who supports a measure is listed so you can see who is behind each side; SpectrumVote takes no position.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 mean?: Pierce County initiative sponsors would have 180 days to collect signatures.
What does a NO vote on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 mean?: Pierce County's charter would not be changed to give initiative sponsors 180 days to collect signatures.
Does it cost the County anything?: The County's fiscal impact statement says no: more initiatives might qualify, but the Auditor determined any added election work can be handled with existing resources.
Has a county initiative ever qualified?: The statement for says Pierce County has never completed an initiative; the opponents' rebuttal says several referendums have qualified within a 120-day window.
Does the signature threshold change?: No. It stays at 10 percent of votes cast in the most recent County Executive election.
How many votes does Pierce County Charter Amendment 55 need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Pierce County Charter Amendment 55?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Pierce County ballot.

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