For Petition Entity Representatives & Petition Circulators

Petition Circulation Procedures & Avoiding Potential Fraudulent Activity

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Table of Contents

• I. General information regarding initiatives & petition circulation
  • 1. Definition of an initiative
  • 2. Definition of a circulator
  • 3. Definition of a petition entity
  • 4. Who may circulate a petition
  • 5. Who is required to participate in this training program
  • 6. Why circulators should participate in this training program
  • 7. Circulator badge requirements
  • 8. Petition proponent & petition entity responsibilities
    • a. List of circulators & notaries
    • b. Compensating petition circulators
    • c. Petition entity license
    • d. Petition entity registration
  • 9. Secretary of State approval
• II. Gathering signatures
  • 1. Signatures must be collected in the circulator's presence
  • 2. Eligibility to sign a petition
  • 3. Instructions for petition signers
    • a. Petition signer dos and don'ts
    • b. Sample signature line
    • c. Correcting mistakes
    • d. Withdrawal of signature
  • 4. Assisting disabled or illiterate electors
• III. Completing the circulator affidavit before a notary public
  • 1. Affirmation & notarization requirements
  • 2. Correcting mistakes to the circulator affidavit and notary jurat
  • 3. Sample circulator affidavit
• IV. Returning the petition section
• V. Prohibited activities
  • 1. Fraudulent representation
  • 2. Elector signing a petition for another person / signing same petition more than once
  • 3. Elector signing a petition if ineligible
  • 4. Improper execution of circulator affidavit
  • 5. Improper notarization
  • 6. Interference with elections
  • 7. Causing confusion or failure to submit a petition in proper form
  • 8. Willful violation of statutory provisions governing petitions
  • 9. Bribery
  • 10. Improper circulation of the petition
  • 11. Tampering with a petition
  • 12. Forgery
  • 13. Improperly assisting disabled electors
  • 14. Use of false circulator name or address
  • 15. Compensating circulators without a petition entity license
  • 16. Permitting unlawful or fraudulent activities
  • 17. Delivery of petition to candidate or candidate committee by petition entity
• VI. Penalties for violations of petition law
• VII. Rejection of signatures or petition sections
  • 1. Why individual signatures may be rejected
  • 2. Why a petition section may be rejected
• VIII. Online resources
• IX. Colorado Secretary of State contact information