A North Dakota blalot initiative to cut the state income tax in half has become a comedy of errors. Literally. The measure qualified for the ballot despite drafting errors that were discovered in May. Now, in a bit of chutzpah, initiative sponsors are angry that Secretary of State Al Jaeger has altered the official summary of the measure on the ballot to reflect the impact of those mistakes. They complain that Jaeger and the attorney general had previously approved a summary -- before the errors were smoked out.

Sorry, it's not the role of election officials to protect initiative sponsors from their own mistakes. But the episode points out the need for a change in the rules for ballot initiatives in North Dakota and other states: it must be easier to fix technical errors in a petition. Even after the problems with the initiative were discovered in May, sponsors could not go back and make minor edits. The law does not permit it. Sponsors could re-file, but they would start over. States should make it possible for initiative sponsors -- subject to the approval of elections officials -- to make minor fixes in a document. The secretary of state or attorney general should have to approve any changes.

PUTTING RITZ ON HOLD? Citizens in Paradise Valley, Arizona, have forced a referendum on the city's approval of a new Ritz-Carlton resort there.

NORTH DAKOTA TAX CUT HAS SIGS: According to its sponsor, turn-in begins in two weeks on an initiative that would cut income tax rates in North Dakota.

UTAH HIGH COURT BARS REFERENDUM: Citizens in Draper, Utah, had wanted to force a referendum on a proposed light-rail route through their community. But the Utah Supreme Court has ruled that the approval did not change the law and thus is not subject to referendum.

ARIZONA HEAT: The attacks have begun against an Arizona initiative that would prohibit the state from adopting single payer health care.

NOT ENOUGH SIGS FOR ANTI-TRIAL LAWYER MEASURES: Two initiatives targeting trial lawyers failed to get the signatures to make the ballot in Oregon.

UPDATED APRIL 4 After two nights of contacting gatherers and reading initiatives from all over the country (AND SOME EXCELLENT CORRECTIONS ON ARKANSAS AND MICHIGAN FROM Ballotpedia), here's my report on what's "on the street" and circulating in this great democratic land of ours. Please let me know if you think I'm missing important measures. For a more progressive take and focus, you can look at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center's issues map.

A daily diary of developments in the world of blockbuster democracy:

SILENCE IN MISSISSIPPI: Today is the presidential primary in the Magnolia State, the newest addition to the map of initiative states. But only 23 initiatives have been filed since Mississippi added the initiative in 1992. And there isn't a measure on today's ballot.

NEIGHBORS BACKED CALIFORNIA TRIBES: The support of neighbors of California tribes with fast-expanding casinos was important to the victory of four compacts -- Propositions 94-97 -- on the Feb. 5 ballot, according to this analysis from the Press Enterprise.

CHALLENGE TO STEM CELL: In California, something calling itself the San Jose Group has filed an initiative that seeks to roll back the funding mechanism of Prop 71, the stem cell measure passed by voters in 2004. The measure is here.