ARTICLE 1. Initiative and Referendum Petitions [9000. - 9018.]

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC 1.
in effect

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9001. Section 9001.

(a) Before the circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, the text of the proposed measure shall be submitted to the Attorney General with a written request that a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure be prepared. The electors presenting the request shall be known as the “proponents.” The Attorney General shall preserve the written request until after the next general election. (b) Each and every proponent of a proposed initiative measure shall, at the time of submitting the text of the proposed measure, provide both of the following: (1) An original signed certification stating that “I, (insert name), declare under penalty of perjury that I am a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, and a resident of (insert county), California.” (2) Public contact information. (c) The proponents of a proposed initiative measure, at the time of submitting the text of the proposed measure to the Attorney General, shall pay a fee to the Attorney General of two thousand dollars ($2,000) that shall be placed in a trust fund in the office of the Treasurer and refunded to the proponents if the measure qualifies for the ballot within two years from the date the summary is furnished to the proponents. If the measure does not qualify within that period, the fee shall be immediately paid into the General Fund of the state. (d) All referenda and proposed initiative measures must be submitted to the Attorney General’s Initiative Coordinator located in the Sacramento Attorney General’s Office via U.S. Postal Service, alternative mail service, or personal delivery. Only printed documents will be accepted; facsimile or email delivery will not be accepted. (e) The Attorney General’s office shall not deem a request for a circulating title and summary submitted until all of the requirements of this section are met.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9002. Section 9002.

(a) Upon receipt of a request from the proponents of a proposed initiative measure for a circulating title and summary, the Attorney General shall initiate a public review process for a period of 30 days by doing all of the following: (1) Posting the text of the proposed initiative measure on the Attorney General’s internet website. (2) Inviting, and providing for the submission of, written public comments on the proposed initiative measure on the Attorney General’s internet website. The site shall accept written public comments for the duration of the public review period. The written public comments shall be public records, available for inspection upon request pursuant to Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code, but shall not be displayed to the public on the Attorney General’s internet website during the public review period. The Attorney General shall transmit any written public comments received during the public review period to the proponents of the proposed initiative measure. (b) During the public review period, the proponents of the proposed initiative measure may submit amendments to the measure that are reasonably germane to the theme, purpose, or subject of the initiative measure as originally proposed. However, amendments shall not be submitted if the initiative measure as originally proposed would not effect a substantive change in law. (1) An amendment shall be submitted with a signed request by all the proponents to prepare a circulating title and summary using the amended language. (2) An amendment shall be submitted to the Attorney General’s Initiative Coordinator located in the Attorney General’s Sacramento Office via United States Postal Service, alternative mail service, or personal delivery. Only printed documents shall be accepted; facsimile or email delivery shall not be accepted. (3) The submission of an amendment shall not extend the period to prepare the estimate required by Section 9005. (4) An amendment shall not be accepted more than five days after the public review period is concluded. However, a proponent shall not be prohibited from proposing a new initiative measure and requesting that a circulating title and summary be prepared for that measure pursuant to Section 9001.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9003. Section 9003.

In the event that the Attorney General is a proponent of a proposed measure, the circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure, including an estimate or opinion on the financial impact of the measure, shall be prepared by the Legislative Counsel, and the other duties of the Attorney General specified in this chapter with respect to the circulating title and ballot title and summary and an estimate of the financial effect of the measure shall be performed by the Legislative Counsel.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9004. Section 9004.

(a) Upon receipt of the text of a proposed initiative measure, and after the public review period provided for in Section 9002, the Attorney General shall prepare a circulating title and summary of the chief purposes and points of the proposed measure. The circulating title and summary shall not exceed 100 words. The Attorney General shall also provide a unique numeric identifier for each proposed initiative measure. The circulating title and summary shall be prepared in the manner provided for the preparation of ballot titles and summaries in Article 5 (commencing with Section 9050), the provisions of which, in regard to the preparation, filing, and settlement of ballot titles and summaries, are applicable to the circulating title and summary. (b) The Attorney General shall provide a copy of the circulating title and summary and its unique numeric identifier to the proponents and to the Secretary of State within 15 days after receipt of the fiscal estimate or opinion prepared by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst pursuant to Section 9005. The date the copy is delivered or mailed to the proponents is the “official summary date.” (c) Upon receipt of the circulating title and summary from the Attorney General, the Secretary of State shall, within one business day, notify the proponents and county elections official of each county of the official summary date and provide a copy of the circulating title and summary to each county elections official. This notification shall also include a complete schedule showing the maximum filing deadline, and the certification deadline by the counties to the Secretary of State.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9005. Section 9005.

(a) The Attorney General, in preparing a circulating title and summary for a proposed initiative measure, shall, in boldface print, include in the circulating title and summary either the estimate of the amount of any increase or decrease in revenues or costs to the state or local government, or an opinion as to whether or not a substantial net change in state or local finances would result if the proposed initiative is adopted. (b) The estimate as required by this section shall be made jointly by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst, who shall deliver the estimate to the Attorney General so that he or she may include the estimate in the circulating title and summary prepared by him or her. (c) The estimate shall be delivered to the Attorney General within 50 days of the date of receipt of the proposed initiative measure by the Attorney General, unless, in the opinion of both the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst, a reasonable estimate of the net impact of the proposed initiative measure cannot be prepared within the 50-day period. In the latter case, the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst shall, within the 50-day period, give the Attorney General their opinion as to whether or not a substantial net change in state or local finances would result if the proposed initiative measure is adopted. (d) A statement of fiscal impact prepared by the Legislative Analyst pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 12172 of the Government Code may be used by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst in the preparation of the fiscal estimate or the opinion.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9006. Section 9006.

(a) Upon receipt of the text of a proposed referendum, the Attorney General shall prepare a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed statute at issue. The circulating title and summary shall not exceed a total of 100 words. No fiscal analysis shall be included. (b) The Attorney General shall provide a copy of the circulating title and summary of the proposed referendum to the proponents and to the Secretary of State within 10 days after receipt of the proposed referendum. (c) Upon receipt of the circulating title and summary from the Attorney General, the Secretary of State shall, within one business day, notify the proponents and county elections official of each county of the official summary date and provide a copy of the circulating title and summary to each county elections official. This notification shall also include a complete schedule showing the maximum filing deadline, and the certification deadline by the counties to the Secretary of State.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9007. Section 9007.

Immediately upon the preparation of the circulating title and summary of a proposed initiative or referendum measure, the Attorney General shall forthwith transmit copies of the text of the measure and the circulating title and summary to the Senate and the Assembly. The appropriate committees of each house may hold public hearings on the subject of the measure. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as authority for the Legislature to alter the measure or prevent it from appearing on the ballot.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9008. Section 9008.

Every proposed initiative measure, prior to circulation, shall have placed across the top of the petition in 11-point or larger roman type, all of the following: (a) The Attorney General’s unique numeric identifier placed before the circulating title and summary upon each page where the circulating title and summary is to appear. (b) The circulating title and summary prepared by the Attorney General upon each page of the petition on which signatures are to appear. The circulating title shall appear in all capital letters. (c) The circulating title and summary prepared by the Attorney General upon each section of the petition preceding the text of the measure. (d) The circulating title and summary prepared by the Attorney General as required by subdivision (b) shall be preceded by the following statement: “INITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS.”, followed by, on a separate line, “The Attorney General of California has prepared the following circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure:”. This text shall be in boldface.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9009. Section 9009.

The heading of an initiative petition shall be in substantially the following form: Initiative Measure to Be Submitted Directly to the Voters The Attorney General of California has prepared the following circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure: (Here set forth the unique numeric identifier provided by the Attorney General and circulating title and summary prepared by the Attorney General. Both the Attorney General’s unique numeric identifier and the circulating title and summary must also be printed across the top of each page of the petition whereon signatures are to appear.) To the Honorable Secretary of State of California We, the undersigned, registered, qualified voters of California, residents of ____ County (or City and County), hereby propose amendments to the Constitution of California (the ____ Code, relating to ____) and petition the Secretary of State to submit the same to the voters of California for their adoption or rejection at the next succeeding general election or at any special statewide election held prior to that general election or as otherwise provided by law. The proposed constitutional (or statutory) amendments (full title and text of the measure) read as follows:

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9010. Section 9010.

Across the top of each page of a referendum petition, there shall be printed in 12-point boldface type the following: “Referendum Against an Act Passed by the Legislature.”

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9011. Section 9011.

Across the top of each page after the first page of every referendum petition or section of a referendum petition, which is prepared and circulated, there shall be printed in 18-point gothic type a short title, in 20 words or less, showing the nature of the petition and the subject to which it relates. A space at least one inch wide shall be left blank at the top of each page and after each name, for the use of the county elections official, in verifying the petition.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9012. Section 9012.

Any petition for a proposed initiative measure or referendum may be presented in sections, but each section shall contain a full and correct copy of the circulating title and summary and text of the proposed measure. The text of the proposed measure shall be printed in type not smaller than 8 point.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9013. Section 9013.

A space at least one inch wide shall be left blank across the top of each page of every initiative and referendum petition and after the name of each voter who has signed the petition for the use of the county elections official in verifying the petition.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9014. Section 9014.

(a) A petition for a proposed initiative or referendum measure shall not be circulated for signatures prior to the official summary date. (b) Subject to subdivision (d), a petition with signatures for a proposed initiative measure shall be filed with the county elections official not later than 180 days from the official summary date, and a county elections official shall not accept a petition for the proposed initiative measure after that period. (c) Subject to subdivision (d), a petition for a proposed referendum measure shall be filed with the county elections official not later than 90 days from the date the legislative bill was chaptered by the Secretary of State, and a county elections official shall not accept a petition for the proposed referendum measure after that period. (d) If the last day to file a petition pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) is a holiday, as defined in Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, the petition may be filed with the county elections official on the next business day.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9015. Section 9015.

Officers required by law to receive or file in their offices any initiative or referendum petition shall not receive or file any initiative or referendum petition not in conformity with this article.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9016. Section 9016.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 324, for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 8 of, and subdivision (c) of Section 9 of, Article II of the California Constitution, “general election” means only the election held throughout the state on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year with respect to an initiative or referendum measure that is certified for the ballot on or after July 1, 2011. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an initiative measure shall not be submitted to the voters at a statewide special election held less than 131 days after the date the measure is certified for the ballot.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9017. Section 9017.

If, for any reason, any initiative or referendum measure proposed by petition as provided by this article is not submitted to the voters at the next succeeding statewide election, that failure shall not prevent its submission at a succeeding statewide election.

Cal. Elections Code - ELEC § 9018. Section 9018.

The Secretary of State shall prepare and provide to any person, upon request, a pamphlet describing the procedures and requirements for preparing and circulating a statewide initiative measure and for filing sections of the petition, and describing the procedure used in determining and verifying the number of qualified voters who have signed the petition.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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