The California petition process lets voters propose new laws, block recently enacted legislation, or remove elected officials by drafting a measure, obtaining an official title and summary from the Attorney General, collecting enough valid signatures from registered voters within a strict deadline, and filing the completed petitions with county elections officials for verification. The specific steps, thresholds, and timelines change depending on whether you are running an initiative, a referendum, or a recall.
The Three Kinds of Petitions
California’s constitution grants voters three separate petition powers, and choosing the right one is the first decision.
An initiative proposes an entirely new statute or a constitutional amendment and puts it directly to voters, bypassing the Legislature. An initiated statute creates a new law; an initiated constitutional amendment changes the constitution itself. The signature requirement is different for each.
A referendum asks voters to approve or reject a law the Legislature has already passed and the Governor has signed. Filing a referendum petition suspends the targeted law until voters decide. Proponents have just 90 days from the date the bill is enacted to get a title and summary, print petitions, gather every signature, and file with counties.1California Secretary of State. Referendum
A recall removes an elected official before the end of their term. No allegation of misconduct is required.
How an Initiative Gets Drafted and Reviewed
An initiative starts with the complete text of the proposed law or amendment. Proponents submit that text to the Attorney General with a $2,000 filing fee, which is refunded only if the measure qualifies for the ballot.2California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. Ballot Initiatives The Attorney General’s office then forwards the proposal to the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office for a fiscal impact estimate covering state and local budgets.
Once that estimate comes back, the Attorney General has 15 days to prepare an official circulating title and summary of no more than 100 words.3California Legislative Information. California Elections Code ELEC 9004 The date proponents receive that title and summary is the “official summary date,” and it starts the clock on signature collection. The title and summary must appear on every petition section so voters see a neutral description before they sign.
How Many Signatures You Need
Every signature threshold in California is calculated from the total number of votes cast for Governor in the most recent gubernatorial election.
- Initiative statute or referendum: signatures from registered voters equal to 5% of the last gubernatorial vote, currently around 546,000 valid signatures based on the 2022 election.4Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 8
- Constitutional amendment: signatures equal to 8% of that same total, currently about 874,000 valid signatures.4Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 8
- Statewide recall: signatures equal to 12% of the last vote for the office being targeted, gathered from at least five counties, with signatures in each of those counties equal to at least 1% of the last vote for the office there.5California Secretary of State. Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials
These figures are the minimum count of valid signatures after verification. Experienced campaigns typically collect 30% to 50% more raw signatures than the legal minimum to cover duplicates, unregistered signers, and illegible entries.
How Long You Have to Collect Them
Initiative proponents get 180 days from the official summary date to gather every required signature and file the completed petition sections with county officials. The window applies equally to initiative statutes and constitutional amendments. After it closes, unfiled signatures are worthless.
Referendums run on a much tighter clock. The 90-day window covers everything from the bill’s enactment through filing, not just circulation.1California Secretary of State. Referendum By the time the title and summary arrive, a large chunk of the 90 days is often already gone.
Rules Circulators Have to Follow
Anyone circulating a petition in California, paid or volunteer, must be at least 18 years old. Each circulator has to sign a declaration under penalty of perjury certifying that they personally witnessed every signature on their petition section.6California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 104 Leaving petition sections unattended, or letting people sign without the circulator present, can invalidate signatures and expose the circulator to perjury charges.
California law makes it a misdemeanor to offer money or anything of value in exchange for a signature on an initiative, referendum, or recall petition.7California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 18603 Paying circulators for their time is fine; paying voters for signing is not. If a signer asks, the circulator must disclose whether they are being paid. Signatures collected can be used only to qualify that measure, nothing else.
How Signatures Get Verified
Once petition sections are filed, county officials work through the signatures in stages designed to avoid checking every one unless necessary.
Counties first do a raw count of everything submitted and report the total to the Secretary of State. If the raw count comes in below the requirement, the petition fails immediately. If it meets or exceeds 100% of the requirement, the Secretary of State orders a random sampling check. Counties then verify a random sample of at least 500 signatures or 3% of the total, whichever is greater, and project the likely number of valid signatures.8California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 9030
Where that projection lands determines what comes next:
- If the projection is above 110% of the minimum, the petition qualifies without further checking.8California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 9030
- If it falls below 95%, the petition is deemed to have failed.8California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 9030
- If it lands between 95% and 110%, the Secretary of State orders a full signature-by-signature verification, and counties have 60 working days to check every submitted signature against registration records.9California Legislative Information. California Elections Code 9031
Once the Secretary of State confirms enough valid signatures, certification follows. To appear on the next general election ballot, a measure must qualify at least 131 days before that election, and the Secretary of State issues the official certificate of qualification on that 131st day.4Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 8 The Governor may also call a special statewide election for the measure.
The Single-Subject Rule
California’s constitution bars initiative measures that address more than one subject. An initiative “embracing more than one subject may not be submitted to the electors or have any effect.”4Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 8 The rule is meant to stop campaigns from bundling a popular proposal with an unpopular one.
Opponents can challenge a qualified measure in court on single-subject grounds before or after the election. A court can strike the entire measure or sever the offending provisions and leave the rest. Courts generally look at whether all provisions share a common theme or purpose, and the standard is somewhat forgiving for measures that touch several areas of law but pursue a unified goal. A measure that clears the signature stage can still be knocked off the ballot by a successful court challenge.
What Happens After a Measure Passes
An initiative approved by a simple majority takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State certifies the election results, unless the measure sets a different effective date.10California Secretary of State. Statewide Initiative Guide 2026 Many measures include a delayed effective date so agencies can draft implementing regulations.
The Legislature generally cannot amend or repeal a voter-approved initiative statute unless the amendment itself is sent back to voters, with one exception: the initiative’s own text can explicitly authorize the Legislature to make changes without another election.11Justia Law. California Constitution Article II Section 10 Referendum statutes, by contrast, can be amended or repealed by the Legislature like any other law.
Pulling a Measure Before It Reaches the Ballot
Proponents sometimes use a qualified or nearly qualified initiative as leverage in negotiations with the Legislature. Before filing petition sections with county officials, all proponents can withdraw the measure by sending written notice to the Secretary of State.12California Legislative Information. California Elections Code ELEC 9604
Even after filing, a majority of proponents can withdraw the measure at any point before the Secretary of State certifies it as qualified. California law also allows contingent withdrawal: proponents can agree to pull the initiative only if the Legislature enacts a specific bill. If that bill is signed and given a chapter number before the initiative is certified, the withdrawal takes effect automatically.12California Legislative Information. California Elections Code ELEC 9604