In brief
An investigation has been launched by California election officials into reports of signature collectors in San Francisco allegedly paying individuals to sign ballot petitions with false identities. Videos surfaced showing people lining up for payment in exchange for signatures, raising concerns about the legality of such practices. The California Secretary of State is looking into the matter amid claims that the involved campaigns are cooperating fully with authorities to reject any falsified petitions. California law prohibits any form of compensation for signing, and violators could face criminal charges.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California election officials said they are investigating a report of signature collectors in San Francisco who allegedly offered money to individuals for signing ballot petitions with false names.
A video showed a sign reading Sign petition for $5 while people waited along the sidewalk. A woman on camera instructed them on what names and addresses to use when signing. When asked about the purpose of the petitions, she simply responded, Just sign it.
The California Secretary of State's office confirmed it is actively investigating these claims. In the state, initiatives must gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to land on the ballot, and while campaigns are allowed to pay for signature gathering, they must do so legitimately.
One of the petitions mentioned in the video was related to a proposed billionaire tax and backed by a committee including affluent business figures like Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Campaigns involved promptly denounced the actions, emphasizing that they do not condone fraudulent behavior and have initiated procedures to address the issue. Molly Weedn, representing one of the initiatives, stated, Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity. She reiterated that the campaign acted swiftly after learning about the situation.
California election law forbids offering compensation for signatures, and any discrepancies between signed names and voter registration records will result in invalidated signatures. The aftermath of this incident raises serious concerns regarding election integrity in the state.
