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Valid signature
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| State |
| • Laws governing state initiative processes |
| • Laws governing state recall processes |
| • Changes to ballot measure law in 2026 |
| • Analysis of 2025 changes to laws governing ballot measures |
| Local |
| • Laws governing local ballot measures |
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A valid signature on a ballot initiative petition is a signature that an election official determined meets the state or local legal standards and counts toward the minimum number of valid signatures required to place an initiative on the ballot.
The laws governing signature standards differ between the states. However, each requires signatures, at minimum, to be from registered or eligible voters in that state.
Other factors that could affect whether a signature is valid or invalid on an initiative petition include where the signature gatherer adhered to the laws governing petition circulators; whether the petition was notarized; or whether someone witnessed the signature.
Types of ballot measures
- See also: Ballot measure
Most ballot measures are placed on the ballot through citizen initiatives or legislative processes. Others are placed on the ballot automatically, by a special commission, or by a state constitutional convention. The following is a list of different types of state ballot measures:
See also
- Forms of direct democracy in the American states
- States with initiative or referendum
- Types of ballot measures
- Types of citizen-initiated ballot measures
- Valid signature
Footnotes
