Article 3. Filing Petitions of California Elections Code >> Division 9. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 3.

(a) Each section of the petition shall be filed with the elections official of the county or city and county in which it was circulated, but all sections circulated in any county or city and county shall be filed at the same time. Once filed, no petition section shall be amended except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
  (b) Within eight days after the filing of the petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the total number of signatures affixed to the petition and shall transmit this information to the Secretary of State. If the total number of signatures filed with all elections officials is less than 100 percent of the number of qualified voters required to find the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall so notify the proponents and the elections officials, and no further action shall be taken with regard to the petition.
  (c) If the number of signatures filed with all elections officials is 100 percent or more of the number of qualified voters needed to declare the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the elections officials.
  (d) Within 30 days after this notification, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the number of qualified voters who have signed the petition. If more than 500 names have been signed on sections of the petition filed with an elections official, the elections official shall use a random sampling technique for verification of signatures, as determined by the Secretary of State. The random sample of signatures to be verified shall be drawn in such a manner that every signature filed with the elections official shall be given an equal opportunity to be included in the sample. The random sampling shall include an examination of at least 500 or 3 percent of the signatures, whichever is greater. In determining from the records of registration what number of qualified voters have signed the petition, the elections official may use the duplicate file of affidavits of registered voters or the facsimiles of voters' signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with law.
  (e) The elections official, upon the completion of the examination, shall immediately attach to the petition, except the signatures thereto appended, a properly dated certificate, showing the result of the examination, and shall immediately transmit the petition and the certificate to the Secretary of State. A copy of this certificate shall be filed in the elections official's office.
  (f) If the certificates received from all elections officials by the Secretary of State establish that the number of valid signatures does not equal 95 percent of the number of qualified voters needed to find the petition sufficient, the petition shall be deemed to have failed to qualify, and the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the proponents and the elections officials.
  (g) If the certificates received from all elections officials by the Secretary of State total more than 110 percent of the number of qualified voters needed to find the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall certify that the measure is qualified for the ballot as provided in Section 9033.

(a) Each section of the petition shall be filed with the elections official of the county or city and county in which it was circulated, but all sections circulated in any county or city and county shall be filed at the same time. Once filed, no petition section shall be amended except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
  (b) Within eight days after the filing of the petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the total number of signatures affixed to the petition and shall transmit this information to the Secretary of State. If the total number of signatures filed with all elections officials is less than 100 percent of the number of qualified voters required to find the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall so notify the proponents and the elections officials, and no further action shall be taken with regard to the petition.
  (c) If the number of signatures filed with all elections officials is 100 percent or more of the number of qualified voters needed to declare the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the elections officials.
  (d) Within 30 days after this notification, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the number of qualified voters who have signed the petition. If more than 500 names have been signed on sections of the petition filed with an elections official, the elections official shall use a random sampling technique for verification of signatures, as determined by the Secretary of State. The random sample of signatures to be verified shall be drawn in such a manner that every signature filed with the elections official shall be given an equal opportunity to be included in the sample. The random sampling shall include an examination of at least 500 or 3 percent of the signatures, whichever is greater. In determining from the records of registration what number of qualified voters have signed the petition, the elections official may use any facsimiles of voters' signatures provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with law.
  (e) The elections official, upon the completion of the examination, shall immediately attach to the petition, except the signatures thereto appended, a properly dated certificate, showing the result of the examination, and shall immediately transmit the petition and the certificate to the Secretary of State. A copy of this certificate shall be filed in the elections official's office.
  (f) If the certificates received from all elections officials by the Secretary of State establish that the number of valid signatures does not equal 95 percent of the number of qualified voters needed to find the petition sufficient, the petition shall be deemed to have failed to qualify, and the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the proponents and the elections officials.
  (g) If the certificates received from all elections officials by the Secretary of State total more than 110 percent of the number of qualified voters needed to find the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall certify that the measure is qualified for the ballot as provided in Section 9033.

(a) If the statistical sampling shows that the number of valid signatures is within 95 to 110 percent of the number of signatures of qualified voters needed to declare the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall order the examination and verification of the signatures filed, and shall so notify the elections officials.
  (b) Within 30 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, after receipt of the order, the elections official or registrar of voters shall determine from the records of registration what number of qualified voters have signed the petition and if necessary the board of supervisors shall allow the elections official or registrar additional assistance for the purpose of examining the petition and provide for their compensation. In determining from the records of registration what number of qualified voters have signed the petition, the elections official or registrar of voters may use any file or list of registered voters maintained by his or her office, or the facsimiles of voters' signatures, provided that the method of preparing and displaying the facsimiles complies with law.
  (c) (1) During the examination and verification of the signatures filed, the elections official or registrar of voters shall submit one or more reports to the Secretary of State showing the number of signatures of qualified voters that have been verified as of that date. The Secretary of State shall determine the number of reports required to be submitted and the manner of their submission.
  (2) The Secretary of State shall maintain a list indicating the number of verified signatures of qualified voters who have signed the petition based on the most recent reports submitted pursuant to paragraph (1). If the Secretary of State determines, prior to each county's completing the examination of each signature filed, that based on the list the petition is signed by the requisite number of voters needed to declare the petition sufficient, the Secretary of State shall immediately notify the elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state of this fact. Immediately after receipt of this notification, the elections official or registrar of voters may suspend signature verification until receipt of a certificate pursuant to Section 9033 or until otherwise instructed by the Secretary of State.
  (d) The elections official or registrar, upon the completion of the examination or notification pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c), shall immediately attach to the petition, except the signatures thereto appended, an amended certificate properly dated, showing the result of the examination and shall immediately transmit the petition, together with the amended certificate, to the Secretary of State. A copy of the amended certificate shall be filed in the elections official's office.
  (e) (1) If the amended certificates establish the petition's sufficiency, the Secretary of State shall certify that the measure is qualified for the ballot as provided in Section 9033.
  (2) If the amended certificates received from all elections officials by the Secretary of State establish that the petition has still been found insufficient, the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the proponents and the elections officials.

The right to file the petition shall be reserved to its proponents, and any section thereof presented for filing by any person or persons other than the proponents of a measure or by persons duly authorized in writing by one or more of the proponents shall be disregarded by the elections official.

(a) When the Secretary of State has received from one or more elections officials or registrars a petition, certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the proponents and immediately transmit to the elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state a notice directing that signature verification be terminated.
  (b) (1) In the case of an initiative measure, the Secretary of State shall identify the date of the next statewide general election as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 9016, or the next special statewide election, that will occur not less than 131 days after the date the Secretary of State receives a petition certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters.
  (2) On the 131st day prior to the date of the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall do all of the following:
  (A) Issue a certificate of qualification certifying that the initiative measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
  (B) Notify the proponents of the initiative measure and the elections official of each county that the measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
  (C) Include the initiative measure in a list of all statewide initiative measures that are eligible to be placed on the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1) and publish the list on the Secretary of State's Internet Web site.
  (3) Upon the issuance of a certificate of qualification pursuant to paragraph (2), an initiative measure shall be deemed qualified for the ballot for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 8 of Article II of the California Constitution.
  (c) (1) In the case of a referendum measure, upon receipt of a petition certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters, the Secretary of State shall do all of the following:
  (A) Issue a certificate of qualification certifying that the referendum measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot.
  (B) Notify the proponents of the referendum measure and the elections official of each county that the measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot.
  (C) Include the referendum measure in a list of all statewide referendum measures that have qualified for the ballot and publish the list on the Secretary of State's Internet Web site.
  (2) Upon the issuance of a certificate of qualification pursuant to paragraph (1), a referendum measure shall be deemed qualified for the ballot for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 9 of Article II of the California Constitution.

(a) The proponents of a proposed initiative measure shall submit a certification, signed under penalty of perjury, to the Secretary of State immediately upon the collection of 25 percent of the number of signatures needed to qualify the initiative measure for the ballot.
  (b) Upon the receipt of the certification required by subdivision (a), the Secretary of State shall transmit copies of the initiative measure, together with the circulating title and summary as prepared by the Attorney General pursuant to Section 9004, to the Senate and the Assembly. Each house shall assign the initiative measure to its appropriate committees. The appropriate committees shall hold joint public hearings on the subject of the measure not later than 131 days before the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon.
  (c) This section shall not be construed as authority for the Legislature to alter the initiative measure or prevent it from appearing on the ballot.

An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting to the Secretary of State a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed statute or amendment to the Constitution and is certified to have been signed by registered voters equal in number to 5 percent in the case of a statute, and 8 percent in the case of an amendment to the Constitution, of the voters for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election preceding the issuance of the circulating title and summary for the initiative measure by the Attorney General.