B26-0233: Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2025

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1 A BILL 1 2 26-233 3 4 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 5 6 ______________________ 7 8 To amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to require candidate nomination 9 petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a 10 petition after a signer has signed the petition; to prohibit anyone from altering signer 11 information provided by the petition signer, except in cases where the signer requests 12 assistance in signing the petition before signing the petition; to amend the Initiative, 13 Referendum and Recall Procedures Act of 1979 to require initiative, referendum and 14 recall petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a 15 petition after a signer has signed the petition; and, to prohibit anyone from altering signer 16 information provided by the petition signer, except in cases where the signer requests 17 assistance in signing the petition. 18 19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be 20 cited as the “Petition Administration Clarification Amendment Act of 2025”. 21 Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955 (69 22 Stat. 701; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.01 et seq.) is amended as follows: 23 (a) Section 8 (D.C. Official Code 1-1001.08) is amended as follows: 24 (1) Subsection (b)(3) is amended as follows: 25 (A) Subparagraph (B) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and 26 inserting a semicolon in its place. 27 (B) Subparagraph (C) is amended by striking the period and inserting the 28 phrase “; and” in its place. 29 ENGROSSED ORIGINAL

2 (C) A new subparagraph (D) is added to read as follows: 30 “(D) Not written, altered, corrected, clarified, or obscured information on the 31 petition about the signer of the petition after the signer affixed their signature to the petition.”. 32 (2) A new subsection (p-1) is added to read as follows: 33 “(p-1) No person other than the petition signer may write, alter, correct, or clarify on a 34 nominating petition any information about the petition signer unless the signer requests assistance 35 in writing, altering, correcting, or clarifying on the petition any information about the signer before 36 the signer affixes their signature. The use of correction tape or fluid is prohibited.”. 37 (b) Section 16 (D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.16) is amended as follows: 38 (1) Subsection (h) is amended by adding a new paragraph (3A) is added to read as 39 follows: 40 “(3A) That the circulator of the petition sheet has not written, altered, 41 corrected, clarified, or obscured information on the petition about the signer of the petition after the 42 signer affixed their signature to the petition.”. 43 (2) A new subsection (h-1) is added to read as follows: 44 “(h-1) No person other than the petition signer may write, alter, correct, or clarify on a 45 petition sheet for an initiative or referendum unless the signer requests assistance in writing, 46 altering, correcting, or clarifying on the petition any information about the petition signer before 47 the signer affixes their signature. The use of correction fluid or tape is prohibited.”. 48 (c) Section 17 (D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.17) is amended as follows: 49 ENGROSSED ORIGINAL

3 (1) Subsection (f) is amended by adding a new paragraph (3A) to read as follows: 50 “(3A) That the circulator of the petition sheet has not written, altered, 51 corrected, clarified, or obscured information on the petition about the signer of the petition after the 52 signer affixed their signature to the petition.”. 53 (2) A new subsection (f-1) is added to read as follows: 54 “(f-1) No person other than the petition signer may write, alter, correct, or clarify on a 55 petition sheet for a recall petition unless the signer requests assistance in writing, altering, 56 correcting of clarifying on the petition any information about the petition signer before the signer 57 affixes their signature. The use of correction fluid or tape is prohibited.”. 58 Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 59 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 60 statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 61 October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 62 Sec. 5. Effective date. 63 This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 64 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review as 65 provided in section 602(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 66 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(2)). 67