California Investigates Illegal Signature Collection in Ballot Petitions

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California election officials announced on Friday that they are investigating reports of signature collectors in San Francisco allegedly paying individuals to sign ballot petitions using false names.

A video shared on social media shows a sign stating, “Sign petition for $5” with a line of people on the sidewalk waiting to participate. The video captures a woman at a folding table instructing individuals on the names and addresses to use for the petition. When questioned about the petitions' purpose, she simply responded, “Just sign it.”

The California Secretary of State’s office has confirmed that it is aware of the situation and is conducting an investigation into the matter.

In California, gathering signatures allows individuals or campaigns to place measures on the ballot for public vote. While paying people per signature is permitted, it has created incentives for campaigns to maximize the number of signatures collected.

One of the petitions filmed in the video was associated with a ballot measure proposed to combat a tax on billionaires. This initiative is funded by 'Building a Better California,' a committee which includes high-profile business leaders, such as Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who has contributed $20 million to support the measure.

According to Molly Weedn, a spokesperson for the campaign, the signature collectors were not directly employed by them. The campaign is cooperating with authorities to invalidate any petitions that involved forged signatures. “Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity,” Weedn stated. The campaign acted quickly to notify election officials about the allegations.

Another petition related to a measure blocking new taxes on retirement savings was also evident in the video. Nathan Click, a spokesperson for this campaign, asserted that they do not condone any fraudulent activities during the signature-gathering process.

Offering money or gifts for signatures contravenes California’s election laws, with the Secretary of State emphasizing that signatures are verified against voter registration records. Any discrepancies render the signatures invalid. Moreover, it is illegal to circulate, sign, or submit initiative petitions with known forged names.

As of now, the full extent of the situation among the various petitions remains unclear, prompting ongoing scrutiny by state election officials.