Section 504 – Manual initiative process — Circulation requirements — Local clerk to provide sponsors with materials.

Effective 1/1/2023
20A-7-504. Manual initiative process — Circulation requirements — Local clerk to provide sponsors with materials.

• (1) This section applies only to the manual initiative process.

• (2) In order to obtain the necessary number of signatures required by this part, the sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall, after the sponsors receive the documents described in Subsections (3) and 20A-7-401.5(4)(b), circulate initiative packets that meet the form requirements of this part.

• (3) Within five days after the day on which a county, city, town, metro township, or court determines, in accordance with Section 20A-7-502.7, that a law proposed in an initiative petition is legally referable to voters, the local clerk shall furnish to the sponsors:
  • (a) a copy of the initiative petition; and
  • (b) a signature sheet.

• (4) The sponsors of the petition shall:
  • (a) arrange and pay for the printing of all additional copies of the petition and signature sheets; and
  • (b) ensure that the copies of the petition and signature sheets meet the form requirements of this section.

• (5)
  • (a) The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors may prepare the initiative for circulation by creating multiple initiative packets.
  • (b) The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall create initiative packets by binding a copy of the initiative petition and no more than 50 signature sheets together at the top in a manner that the packets may be conveniently opened for signing.
  • (c) An initiative packet is not required to have a uniform number of signature sheets.
  • (d) The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall include, with each packet, a copy of the proposition information pamphlet provided to the sponsors under Subsection 20A-7-401.5(4)(b).

• (6)
  • (a) The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall, before gathering signatures:
    • (i) contact the county clerk to receive a range of numbers that the sponsors may use to number signature packets; and
    • (ii) number each signature packet, sequentially, within the range of numbers provided by the county clerk, starting with the lowest number in the range.
  • (b) The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors may not:
    • (i) number a signature packet in a manner not directed by the county clerk; or
    • (ii) circulate or submit a signature packet that is not numbered in the manner directed by the county clerk.
  • (c) The county clerk shall keep a record of the number range provided under Subsection (6)(a).

Amended by Chapter 325, 2022 General Session