B26-0233 • 2025

Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Bonds
Last action: 2026-04-03
Official status: Official Law
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date depends on the Mayor's approval and a congressional review period, so it is not immediately active upon enactment.

Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2026

This law requires petition circulators to promise they did not change signer information after a signature was added and bans anyone except the signer from changing that information, unless help is requested before signing.

What This Bill Does

Requires affidavit statements on candidate nomination petitions confirming the circulator has not written, altered, corrected, clarified, or obscured signer information after the signature was affixed.
Prohibits anyone other than the petitioner from writing, altering, correcting, or clarifying signer information on a nominating petition unless the signer requests assistance before signing.
Bans the use of correction tape or fluid on candidate nomination petitions.
Requires affidavit statements on initiative and referendum petitions confirming the circulator has not written, altered, corrected, clarified, or obscured signer information after the signature was affixed.
Prohibits anyone other than the petitioner from writing, altering, correcting, or clarifying signer information on an initiative or referendum petition unless the signer requests assistance before signing.
Bans the use of correction fluid or tape on initiative and referendum petitions.
Requires affidavit statements on recall petitions confirming the circulator has not written, altered, corrected, clarified, or obscured signer information after the signature was affixed.
Prohibits anyone other than the petitioner from writing, altering, correcting, or clarifying signer information on a recall petition unless the signer requests assistance before signing.
Bans the use of correction fluid or tape on recall petitions.

Who It Names or Affects

People who circulate candidate nomination petitions
People who circulate initiative, referendum, and recall petitions
Residents of the District of Columbia who sign these petitions

Terms To Know

Circulator: The person carrying a petition sheet to get signatures.
Nomination Petition: A form used to place a candidate's name on the ballot for an election.
Initiative, Referendum, or Recall: Types of petitions that allow voters to propose new laws, vote on existing ones, or remove officials from office.

Limits and Unknowns

The text does not specify the penalties for breaking these rules.
The law takes effect after approval by the Mayor and a 30-day period of congressional review.

Bill History

2026-04-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Law L26-0102, Effective from Mar 24, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005736
2026-02-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Congress
2026-02-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0247 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001062
2026-02-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2026-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0247
2026-01-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 02, 2026
2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-12-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
2025-11-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Committee Mark-up of B26-0233 by the Executive Administration and Labor Committee
2025-06-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Public Hearing on B26-0233
2025-05-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register
2025-05-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Executive Administration and Labor
2025-05-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0233 Published in the District of Columbia Register
2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Referred to Committee on Executive Administration and Labor
2025-04-28 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
B26-0233 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-247
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
JANUARY 27, 2026
To amend theDistrictof Columbia ElectionCode of 1955 torequirecandidatenomination
petitionaffidavitsto statethatthecirculatorhas not alteredsignerinformationon a
petitionafterasignerhassignedthepetition,prohibitanyonefromalteringsigner
informationprovidedbythepetitionsigner,exceptincaseswherethesignerrequests
assistanceinsigningthepetitionbeforesigningthepetition,requireinitiative,
referendumand recallpetitionaffidavitstostatethatthecirculatorhas not alteredsigner
informationona petitionafterasignerhassignedthepetition,andprohibitanyonefrom
alteringsignerinformationprovidedbythepetitionsigneronaninitiative,referendum,
orrecallpetition,exceptincaseswherethesignerrequestsassistanceinsigningthe
petitionbeforesigningthepetition.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That thisactmay be
citedas the“PetitionAdministrationClarificationAmendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2.TheDistrictofColumbiaElectionCodeof1955,approvedAugust12,1955(69
Stat.701;D.C.OfficialCode§1-1001.01etseg.),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section8(D.C.OfficialCode1-1001.08)isamendedasfollows:
(1)Subsection(b)(3)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Subparagraph(B)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”and
insertingasemicoloninitsplace.
(B)Subparagraph(C)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthe
phrase“;and”initsplace.
(C)A newsubparagraph(D)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(D)Not written,altered,corrected,clarified,orobscuredinformationon the
petitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigneraffixedtheirsignaturetothepetition.”.
(2)A newsubsection(n-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(n-1)Nopersonotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,ona
nominatingpetitionanyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerunlessthesignerrequestsassistance
inwriting,altering,correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthesignerbefore
thesigneraffixestheirsignature.Theuseofcorrectiontapeorfluidisprohibited.”

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
(b)Section16 (D.C. OfficialCode § 1-1001.16)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(h)isamendedbyaddinganewparagraph(3A)toreadasfollows:
“(3A)Thatthecirculatorofthepetitionsheethasnotwritten,altered,corrected,
clarified,orobscuredinformationonthepetitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigner
affixedtheirsignaturetothepetition;”.
(2)A new subsection(h-1)isadded toreadas follows:
“(h-1)Nopersonotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,ona
petitionsheetforaninitiativeorreferendumunlessthesignerrequestsassistanceinwriting,
altering,correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerbefore
thesigneraffixestheirsignature.The useofcorrectionfluidor tapeisprohibited.”.
(c)Section17 (D.C. OfficialCode § 1-1001.17)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(f)isamendedbyaddinganewparagraph(3A)toreadasfollows:
“(3A) That thecirculatorof the petitionsheethas not written,altered,corrected,
clarified,orobscuredinformationonthepetitionaboutthesignerofthepetitionafterthesigner
affixedtheirsignatureto thepetition;”.
(2)A newsubsection(f-1)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(£-1)No personotherthanthepetitionsignermaywrite,alter,correct,orclarify,ona
petitionsheetforarecallpetitionunlessthesignerrequestsassistanceinwriting,altering,
correcting,orclarifyingonthepetition,anyinformationaboutthepetitionsignerbeforethesigner
affixestheirsignature.The use of correctionfluidor tapeisprohibited.”.
See,3,Fiscalimpact statement.
‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscalimpact
statementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.4,Effectivedate.
‘ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewas
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
providedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember24,1973(87Stat.788;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
jairman
CounciloftheDistrictofColumbia

DistrictlofColumbia
APPROVED
January 27,2026
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[DC]ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,

[XTACTION FirstReading,CC
[X]VOTEDATE Docember16,2025
[X1VOICEvoTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Result

(CouneiMember|| [Aye|Nay [Member[Ave |Soundlimembee|AVEINALINWTAB[Ree
CChaimanMendelsonx Henderson|x Pinto x
Alen x LonisGeorge| x R.wnite
Bonds x Mebutfe x White x
Felder x Nedeau x
Framin x Parker x
K-jnaiateVote a-Aben| hv-PrasantNotNotng||| ReeRecto
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
lee‘SecretaryotheCounal Date
DocketNo,826-0233
| [X]ITEM ON CONSENT CALENDAR
IX]ACTION FinalReading,CC
[XVOTEDATE “anuary6,2026
[X] VOICE VOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE—Resutt
EaTAelMernbet[Aye[Nay[i
ChairmanMendelson,X R.White x
Allen x T.White x
Bonds x
Felder
Frumin x
“A inaavoe)| CERTIFICATIONRECORD

| SecretarytotheCounc