Signer

Box of signed petitions.
Photo credit: Washington Secretary of State's office

A signer is a person who signs a petition in order to ask that a particular ballot measure or candidate be placed on the ballot.

Different jurisdictions have different laws about when it is legal and appropriate for someone to sign a petition in order to produce a valid signature, and about who is legally allowed to do so.

Some jurisdictions require that in order for the signature to be valid, the signer must be a registered voter of the jurisdiction. Other jurisdictions say that the signer merely needs to be someone who is eligible to vote.

On occasion, a signer may introduce fraud into the signature collection process, either inadvertently or on purpose.