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B26-0233 • 2025

Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 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 official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties, leaving this information uncertain.

Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

This act amends the District of Columbia Election Code to require petition circulators to state in their affidavits that they have not altered any signer information on petitions after signatures are added and prohibits anyone from altering such information unless requested by the signer before signing.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires petition circulators to state in their affidavits that they have not altered any signer information on petitions after signatures are added.
  • Prohibits anyone other than the signer from changing information about the signer on a nominating petition, initiative, referendum, or recall petition unless requested by the signer before signing.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Petition circulators in the District of Columbia
  • People who sign petitions in the District of Columbia

Terms To Know

Circulator
A person responsible for collecting signatures on a petition.
Affidavit
A written statement sworn to be true, often used in legal contexts.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify penalties for violating the new requirements.
  • It is unclear how enforcement of these rules will be carried out.

Bill History

  1. 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

  2. 2026-02-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2026-02-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0247 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001062

  4. 2026-02-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2026-01-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0247

  6. 2026-01-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Feb 02, 2026

  7. 2026-01-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-12-16 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  9. 2025-12-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Report Filed by the Executive Administration and Labor Committee, Includes Hearing Record

  10. 2025-11-25 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0233 by the Executive Administration and Labor Committee

  11. 2025-11-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Mark-up filed in the Office of Secretary

  12. 2025-06-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0233

  13. 2025-05-30 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 2025-05-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Executive Administration and Labor

  17. 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