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Laws governing ballot initiative signature gatherers
This page provides an overview of the laws governing ballot initiative signature gatherers, also known as petition circulators.
In the U.S., 26 states provide for a statewide initiative process, referendum process, or both. Washington, D.C. also has an initiative and referendum process. These types of ballot measures are known as citizen-initiated ballot measures.
For a citizen-initiated measure to appear on the ballot, people must collect a specific number of valid signatures. There are rules around who can collect signatures and how the signatures can be collected. Some of these rules are outlined in the below sections.
Residency requirements
A residency requirement is a law that requires signature gatherers for a ballot initiative petition to be residents of the jurisdiction, such as the state, where the initiative would change the law.
Of the 26 states that provide for statewide citizen-initiated ballot measures, five states have residency requirements for signature gatherers.
Pay-per-signature
Pay-per-signature is a method of compensating signature gatherers, also known as circulators, who collect signatures for ballot initiatives and veto referendums. The method involves paying signature gatherers at a rate based on the number of signatures collected.
There are 26 states that provide for an initiative or referendum process. Sixteen (16) of those states allowed campaigns to make payments to signature gatherers based on the number of signatures collected. Ten (10) of those states prohibited campaigns from paying signature gatherers based on the number of signatures collected.
Badge requirements
A badge requirement is a rule that requires that people who collect signatures for ballot initiatives must communicate whether he or she is a paid or volunteer petition circulator. The badge requirements come in two main forms: in some states, circulators must wear physical badges, whereas in others, circulators must include this identifying information on petitions.
Twenty-six (26) states provide for an initiative or referendum process. Of those, 12 have badge requirements or similar identification requirements for petition circulators.
Witness and affidavit requirements
A witness or affidavit requirement is a rule that requires signature gatherers to witness each petition signature and/or sign an oath or affidavit stating that he or she witnessed the signatures or that the petitions are believed to be otherwise accurate. At least 22 states have witness or affidavit requirements for signature gatherers.[1]
Training requirements
A training requirement is a rule that requires signature gatherers to attend a training session or program. At least two states—Colorado and Oregon—require training sessions.[1]
See also
- Ballot initiative signature gatherer
- Changes in 2025 to laws governing ballot measures
- Changes in 2024 to laws governing ballot measures
Footnotes
