Page 17 - Special District Handbook with Cover-Final

NOW YOU’RE READY TO CIRCULATE THE PETITION

WHO CAN CIRCULATE THE PETITION?

A person who is 18 years of age or older may circulate an initiative or referendum petition. Elec. Code § 102

• The proponents of an initiative measure shall ensure that any person, company, or other organization that is paid, or who volunteers, to solicit signatures to qualify the proposed measure for the ballot shall receive instruction on the requirements and prohibitions imposed by state law with respect to circulation of the petition and signature gathering thereon, with an emphasis on the prohibition on the use of signatures on an initiative petition for a purpose other than qualification of the proposed measure for the ballot. Elec. Code § 9607

• A proponent of an initiative measure shall execute and submit a signed

statement acknowledging that it is a misdemeanor to knowingly or willfully allow signatures on an initiative petition to be used for any purpose other than qualification of the proposed measure for the ballot. This statement should be kept on file by the district elections official. (See Exhibit D, page 31).

Elec. Code § 9608

• Prior to allowing a person to circulate an initiative petition for signatures, the person, company official, or other organizational officer who is in charge of signature gathering shall execute and submit to the proponents a signed statement acknowledging that it is a misdemeanor to knowingly or willfully allow signatures on an initiative petition to be used for any purpose other than qualification of the proposed measure for the ballot. This statement shall be kept on file by the

proponents of the measure. (See Exhibit G, page 34). Elec. Code § 9609

• Prior to soliciting signatures on an initiative petition, a circulator shall execute and submit to the person, company official, or other organizational officer who is in charge of signature gathering a signed statement acknowledging that it is a misdemeanor to knowingly or willfully allow signatures on an initiative petition to be used for any purpose other than qualification of the proposed measure for the ballot. This statement shall be kept on file by the person, company official, or other organizational officer who is in charge of signature gathering. (See Exhibit F, page 33). This section does not apply to unpaid circulators of state or

local initiative petitions. Elec. Code § 9610

• The above-mentioned statements must be kept on file for not less than eight months after the certification of the results of the election for which the measure qualified, or if the measure, for any reason, is not submitted to the voters, eight months after the deadline for submission of the petition to the district elections official. Elec. Code §§ 9608, 9609, 9610 • Failure to comply with Elections Code sections 9608, 9609, and 9610 shall not

invalidate any signatures on a state or local initiative petition. Elec. Code §§ 9608, 9609, 9610 12