Ballot measure petitions

AN ACT Relating to requirements pertaining to signatures and 1
addresses of ballot measure petitioners and petition signature 2
gatherers; amending RCW 29A.72.110, 29A.72.120, and 29A.72.130; 3
adding new sections to chapter 29A.72 RCW; and prescribing penalties.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 29A.72 6
RCW to read as follows: 7
The legislature recognizes that the people have reserved for 8
themselves the power to enact or reject legislation through the 9
initiative and referendum process, as provided in Article II, section 10
1 of the state Constitution. The legislature determines that this 11
right must be further guarded against fraud and mistake. Currently, 12
the law requires initiative and referendum petitions to include a 13
statement that the petition signature gatherer swears or affirms 14
under penalty of law that, to the best of the circulator's knowledge, 15
every petitioner signed their true name, correctly provided the 16
accompanying information on the signature sheet, and was not 17
compensated or promised compensation for signing the petition. To 18
adequately guard the people's initiative and referendum right against 19
fraud and mistake, the legislature determines that the law must be 20
clarified to require each petition signature gatherer circulating an 21
S-0595.2
SENATE BILL 5382
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Valdez, Liias, Nobles, Saldaña, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/21/25. Referred to Committee on State Government,
Tribal Affairs & Elections.
p. 1 SB 5382
initiative or referendum petition to sign the declaration under 1
penalty of false swearing. The requirement for the petition 2
circulator to sign such a declaration aligns with similar 3
requirements in many other states in fact, a majority of states that 4
have a ballot measure process require similar signed declarations. 5
The legislature further finds that an election official verifying 6
that the petitioner's residence address on the petition or paper is 7
the same as the residence address on the affidavit of registration 8
will also guard the people's initiative and referendum right against 9
fraud and mistake. 10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 29A.72 11
RCW to read as follows: 12
Each petition signature gatherer circulating an initiative or 13
referendum petition must sign a declaration contained on each sheet 14
of the petition affirming, under penalty of false swearing, that 15
every petitioner signing that sheet correctly provided the 16
accompanying information on the signature sheet, that the petitioner 17
was eligible to sign the petition and reviewed the sheet, and that 18
the petitioner was not compensated or given gratuity or promised 19
compensation or gratuity for signing the petition.20
Sec. 3. RCW 29A.72.110 and 2005 c 239 s 1 are each amended to 21
read as follows: 22
Petitions for proposing measures for submission to the 23
legislature at its next regular session must be substantially in the 24
following form: 25
The warning prescribed by RCW 29A.72.140; followed by:26
INITIATIVE PETITION FOR SUBMISSION TO THE LEGISLATURE27
To the Honorable . . . . . ., Secretary of State of the State of 28
Washington: 29
We, the undersigned citizens and legal voters of the State of 30
Washington, respectfully direct that this petition and the proposed 31
measure known as Initiative Measure No. . . . . and entitled (here 32
set forth the established ballot title of the measure), a full, true, 33
and correct copy of which is printed on the reverse side of this 34
petition, be transmitted to the legislature of the State of 35
Washington at its next ensuing regular session, and we respectfully 36
petition the legislature to enact said proposed measure into law; and 37
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each of us for himself or herself says: I have personally signed this 1
petition; I am a legal voter of the State of Washington in the city 2
(or town) and county written after my name, my residence address is 3
correctly stated, and I have knowingly signed this petition only 4
once. 5
The following declaration must be printed on the reverse side of 6
the petition: 7
I, . . . . . . . . . . . ., swear or affirm under penalty of 8
((law)) false swearing that I circulated this sheet of the foregoing 9
petition, and that, to the best of my knowledge, every person who 10
signed this sheet of the foregoing petition reviewed the sheet and 11
knowingly and without any compensation or gratuity or promise of 12
compensation or gratuity willingly signed his or her true name and 13
that the information provided therewith is true and correct. I 14
further acknowledge that under chapter 29A.84 RCW, forgery of 15
signatures on this petition constitutes a class C felony, and that 16
offering any consideration or gratuity to any person to induce them 17
to sign a petition is a gross misdemeanor, such violations being 18
punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. 19
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
State of Washington23
County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
RCW 9A.46.020 applies to any conduct constituting harassment 25
against a petition signature gatherer. This penalty does not preclude 26
the victim from seeking any other remedy otherwise available under 27
law. 28
The petition must include a place for each petitioner to sign and 29
print his or her name, and the address, city, and county at which he 30
or she is registered to vote. 31
Sec. 4. RCW 29A.72.120 and 2005 c 239 s 2 are each amended to 32
read as follows: 33
Petitions for proposing measures for submission to the people for 34
their approval or rejection at the next ensuing general election must 35
be substantially in the following form: 36
The warning prescribed by RCW 29A.72.140; followed by:37
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INITIATIVE PETITION FOR SUBMISSION TO THE PEOPLE1
To the Honorable . . . . . ., Secretary of State of the State of 2
Washington: 3
We, the undersigned citizens and legal voters of the State of 4
Washington, respectfully direct that the proposed measure known as 5
Initiative Measure No. . . . ., entitled (here insert the established 6
ballot title of the measure), a full, true and correct copy of which 7
is printed on the reverse side of this petition, be submitted to the 8
legal voters of the State of Washington for their approval or 9
rejection at the general election to be held on the . . . . . day of 10
November, (year); and each of us for himself or herself says: I have 11
personally signed this petition; I am a legal voter of the State of 12
Washington, in the city (or town) and county written after my name, 13
my residence address is correctly stated, and I have knowingly signed 14
this petition only once. 15
The following declaration must be printed on the reverse side of 16
the petition: 17
I, . . . . . . . . . . . ., swear or affirm under penalty of 18
((law)) false swearing that I circulated this sheet of the foregoing 19
petition, and that, to the best of my knowledge, every person who 20
signed this sheet of the foregoing petition reviewed the sheet and 21
knowingly and without any compensation or gratuity or promise of 22
compensation or gratuity willingly signed his or her true name and 23
that the information provided therewith is true and correct. I 24
further acknowledge that under chapter 29A.84 RCW, forgery of 25
signatures on this petition constitutes a class C felony, and that 26
offering any consideration or gratuity to any person to induce them 27
to sign a petition is a gross misdemeanor, such violations being 28
punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. 29
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
State of Washington33
County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
RCW 9A.46.020 applies to any conduct constituting harassment 35
against a petition signature gatherer. This penalty does not preclude 36
the victim from seeking any other remedy otherwise available under 37
law. 38
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The petition must include a place for each petitioner to sign and 1
print his or her name, and the address, city, and county at which he 2
or she is registered to vote. 3
Sec. 5. RCW 29A.72.130 and 2013 c 11 s 74 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
Petitions ordering that acts or parts of acts passed by the 6
legislature be referred to the people at the next ensuing general 7
election, or special election ordered by the legislature, must be 8
substantially in the following form: 9
The warning prescribed by RCW 29A.72.140; followed by:10
PETITION FOR REFERENDUM 11
To the Honorable . . . . . ., Secretary of State of the State of 12
Washington: 13
We, the undersigned citizens and legal voters of the State of 14
Washington, respectfully order and direct that Referendum Measure 15
No. . . . . ., filed to revoke a (or part or parts of a) bill that 16
(concise statement required by RCW 29A.72.050) and that was passed by 17
the . . . . . . legislature of the State of Washington at the last 18
regular (special) session of said legislature, shall be referred to 19
the people of the state for their approval or rejection at the 20
regular (special) election to be held on the . . . . day of November, 21
(year); and each of us for himself or herself says: I have personally 22
signed this petition; I am a legal voter of the State of Washington, 23
in the city (or town) and county written after my name, my residence 24
address is correctly stated, and I have knowingly signed this 25
petition only once. 26
The following declaration must be printed on the reverse side of 27
the petition: 28
I, . . . . . . . . . . . ., swear or affirm under penalty of 29
((law)) false swearing that I circulated this sheet of the foregoing 30
petition, and that, to the best of my knowledge, every person who 31
signed this sheet of the foregoing petition reviewed the sheet and 32
knowingly and without any compensation or gratuity or promise of 33
compensation or gratuity willingly signed his or her true name and 34
that the information provided therewith is true and correct. I 35
further acknowledge that under chapter 29A.84 RCW, forgery of 36
signatures on this petition constitutes a class C felony, and that 37
p. 5 SB 5382
offering any consideration or gratuity to any person to induce them 1
to sign a petition is a gross misdemeanor, such violations being 2
punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. 3
Signature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
State of Washington7
County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
RCW 9A.46.020 applies to any conduct constituting harassment 9
against a petition signature gatherer. This penalty does not preclude 10
the victim from seeking any other remedy otherwise available under 11
law. 12
The petition must include a place for each petitioner to sign and 13
print his or her name, and the address, city, and county at which he 14
or she is registered to vote. 15
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 29A.72 16
RCW to read as follows: 17
(1)(a) For purposes of verifying a signature on an initiative or 18
referendum petition, the secretary of state shall verify that the 19
residence address on the petition or paper is the same as the 20
residence address on the affidavit of voter registration. If the 21
addresses are different, or if the petition or paper does not specify 22
the residence address, or if the information required to be provided 23
under this chapter is not contained in the petition, the affected 24
signature shall not be counted as valid. 25
(b) Notwithstanding (a) of this subsection, the secretary of 26
state shall not invalidate a signature for minor discrepancies, such 27
as an incomplete or inaccurate apartment or unit number in the 28
signer's residence address. 29
(2) A signature invalidated pursuant to this section does not 30
affect the validity of another valid signature on the particular 31
petition or paper. 32
(3) The requirements of this section do not affect the use of 33
statistical sampling techniques for verifying signatures under RCW 34
29A.72.230. Address verification as part of statistical sampling is 35
sufficient to meet the requirements of this section.36
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