Page 18 - Special District Handbook with Cover-Final

WHO CAN SIGN THE PETITION?

Only persons who are eligible registered voters of the district at the time of signing the petition are entitled to sign it. Elec. Code § 100

A person who submits his or her affidavit of registration pursuant to subdivision (d) of section 2102 is not eligible to sign a petition or paper unless at the time of signing he or she is 18 years of age. Elec. Code § 100 Any person engaged in obtaining signatures on the initiative petition may sign the petition, if otherwise qualified to do so. Elec. Code § 106

IMPORTANT TIPS ON SIGNATURE GATHERING

□ The signers of a special district initiative petition must sign the

petition in their own handwriting. They must personally fill-in their name, address, and signature unless the signer is unable to do so. If a signer is unable (see page 7 for definition of “unable”) to personally affix on a petition his or her own information, the signer may request another person to print the signer’s name and place of residence on the appropriate spaces of the petition, but the signer shall personally affix his or her mark or signature on the appropriate space of the petition, which shall be witnessed by one person by subscribing his or her name thereon.

Elec. Code § 100.5 □ It is recommended to obtain an additional 50% of signatures

above the amount that is required to compensate for signers who are disqualified for not being registered, being registered but not living in the district, or for other reasons.

□ You can register a voter at the same time they sign the special

district initiative petition. The registration must be received by the elections official by the time the petition is filed with the elections official.

□ Make sure the voter is registered and lives in the special district.

Resources can be purchased from the Registrar of Voters’ office to assist in this process, including precinct maps (contact Map Unit at 714-567-7586); indexes – printed lists of registered voters by precinct,

listed by address with the street names arranged alphabetically and street numbers in numerical order for a given street name – (contact 714-567-7615); and, registration forms (contact 714-567-7569).

□ The signature on the initiative petition does not have to be a “rubber stamp”, exactly matching the voter’s registration .

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