SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California election officials announced Friday they are investigating allegations concerning signature collectors in San Francisco who may have unlawfully offered payments to individuals for signing ballot petitions using false names.
A video shared on social media shows a sign promoting payment of $5 for signing petitions, with a line of individuals waiting. A woman at the table appears to instruct them on what names and addresses to use. When queried about the petitions, she evasively replied, 'Just sign it.'
The California Secretary of State's office confirmed it is aware of the circumstances and is actively investigating the allegations.
In California, campaigns have the legality to gather a certain number of signatures to place measures on the ballot, and it is common practice to pay individuals for their signature collection efforts, which incentivizes a higher output.
One of the petitions featured in the video pertains to a measure opposing a proposed tax on billionaires, funded by the organization Building a Better California, initiated by affluent business leaders, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who has contributed $20 million to the cause.
According to representative Molly Weedn, the signature collectors do not represent the campaign directly, and efforts are underway to dismiss any petitions obtained with false information. 'Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity,' said Weedn. 'Our campaign took immediate action and campaign attorneys reported to authorities.'
Weedn emphasized that the campaign notified election officials as soon as the video became public.
Another petition connected to a measure to ban taxes on retirement savings was also mentioned in the video. Spokesperson Nathan Click stated, 'We do not tolerate fraudulent activity in any signature-gathering process.' He noted that once aware of the situation, they instructed their signature collection firm to avoid recognizing any petitions linked to the circulator involved.
California law forbids offering money or gifts in exchange for signatures on ballot measures. The Secretary of State's office reiterated that signatures on petitions undergo scrutiny against voter registration records and erroneous submissions will be discarded.
Moreover, circulating or signing a petition with knowledge of forged names constitutes criminal offense in the state, according to the Secretary of State’s statement. (Associated Press journalist Sophie Austin contributed.)
