PR 26-0499 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

This emergency resolution (PR 26-0499) requires petition circulators to affirm in affidavits that they have not altered any signer's information after the signature was affixed, and it prohibits altering signer details except when the signer requests assistance before signing. It also bans using correctional tools like whiteout on petitions, aiming to prevent post-signature changes and ensure petition integrity for the 2026 primary election cycle. The measure directly affects circulators, the Board of Elections, and petition signers by clarifying ballot access rules ahead of the 2026 elections.

Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Council Passage

Jan 2026

Signed into Law

Jan 2026

Introduced Jan 5, 2026 Signed Jan 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → Enrollment · 5 edits

MODERATE

The document transitioned from a proposed resolution to an enrolled original version, indicating it has been formally adopted. The core policy content remains largely the same, but the title changed from 'Resolution' to 'Act' in Section 3, and the bill number was updated from B26-233 to 26-301. The emergency declaration now explicitly covers initiative, referendum, and recall petitions alongside candidate nomination petitions.

Scope change

The bill's scope was slightly expanded to explicitly include initiative, referendum, and recall petitions in the emergency declaration, whereas the original version focused primarily on candidate nomination petitions.

TECHNICAL

The document type changed from a 'proposed resolution' to an 'enrolled original' resolution, indicating formal adoption and finalization of the legislative process.

The bill reference number was updated from B26-233 to 26-301, likely reflecting the new bill number after being enrolled.

Minor formatting and punctuation changes were made throughout, including standardizing the date format and adjusting spacing in the header sections.

REQUIREMENT

Section 3 now refers to the measure as the 'Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026' instead of 'Resolution,' indicating it will be enacted as an Act rather than remaining as a resolution.

SCOPE

The emergency declaration was expanded to explicitly cover initiative, referendum, and recall petition affidavits alongside candidate nomination petitions, ensuring consistent protection across all petition types.

Floor votes · Council Jan 6, 2026

How they voted

12–0

Passed

Total votes 12

Jan 6, 2026

D Democratic11

11 Yea

100% Yea

I Independent1

1 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 6, 2026

Council · Passed

Council Vote: pass (12-0)

council

Jan 5, 2026

Introduced

PR26-0499 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

legislature

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors