Municipal (City) Initiatives

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City/town clerks are the elections officials for their respective city/town's initiatives -- not the Registrar of Voters. Please direct any questions about city/town initiatives to the appropriate city/town clerk. California law prescribes certain deadlines for the initiative process. Please refer to the appropriate code sections or consult a lawyer for advice about the deadlines.

Deadline	Step	Elections Code
	Proponents file notice of intention to circulate petition with city/town clerk and pay filing fee.	9202
Within 15 days of filing notice of intention	City/town attorney files ballot title/summary with city/town clerk.	9203
*	Proponents publish notice of intention and ballot title/summary in a newspaper of general circulation, and provide proof of publication to city/town clerk.	9205
Within 10 days of publication of notice of intention and ballot title/summary in a newspaper of general circulation	Proponents file proof of publication with city/town clerk.	9206
After publication of notice of intention and ballot title/summary in a newspaper of general circulation	Proponents can begin circulating initiative petition. For number of signatures required, see EC 9215 and California Constitution, Article 13C, Section 3.	9207
Within 180 days of proponents receiving ballot title/summary	Proponents file initiative petition signatures with city/town clerk.	9208
Either: Within 30 days of filing (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) if full check is not required OR Within 90 days of filing (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) if full check is required	If 500 or fewer signatures are submitted, Registrar of Voters Office has 30 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to verify all signatures. If number of valid signatures is found to be less than number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be insufficient and no further action is taken. If number of valid signatures is found to be greater than or equal to number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be sufficient and takes next step. If greater than 500 signatures are submitted, Registrar of Voters Office has 30 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) to verify a random sampling of 500 signatures or 3 percent of the signatures submitted (whichever number is greater). If number of valid signatures in sample is found to be less than 95% of number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be insufficient and no further action is taken. If number of valid signatures in sample is found to be between 95% and 110% of number needed, Registrar of Voters Office shall, within 90 days form the date the petition was filed (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), verify all signatures submitted. If number of valid signatures is found to be less than number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be insufficient and no further action is taken. If number of valid signatures is found to be greater than or equal to number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be sufficient and takes next step. If number of valid signatures in sample is found to be greater than 110% of number needed, Registrar of Voters certifies petition to be sufficient and takes next step.	9211, 9114, 9115
Next regular city/town council meeting after petition certified to be sufficient.	City/town clerk certifies sufficiency of petition at next regular city/town meeting. Council can take one of three actions: Adopt ordinance without alteration within 10 days. Submit ordinance to go before voters at either: The next statewide election occurring not less than 88 days after date of order of election. A special election taking place between 88 and 103 days after date of order of election. Order report, due within 30 days, after which city/town council can adopt ordinance or submit it to voters.	1405, 9118,

* There is no specific deadline for publication of the notice of intention and ballot title/summary in a newspaper of general circulation. However, EC 9206 says proponents must file proof of publication with their city/town clerk within 10 days of the publish date.