D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 3, § 1008
1008.1 The Board shall verify the signatures appearing on an initiative or referendum petition by performing a bona fide random, statistical sampling under the guidance of the Data Management Division of the Office of Planning.1008.2 The Board shall supply the Data Management Division with the actual number of apparent signatures of verified registrants submitted District-wide and for each ward, established in § 1007.2 as the random sample universe.1008.3 After the Board has supplied the Data Management Division with the actual number of apparent signatures of verified registrants received for each ward, the Data Management Division shall draw and identify for the Board a sample of one hundred (100) signatures from each ward to be verified, except where:- (a) The Data Management Division determines that sampling the signatures of a given ward would not be necessary for the Board to make a determination to accept or reject the petition; or
- (b) The Data Management Division determines that a sample larger than one hundred (100) must be drawn in order for the Board to make a determination to accept or reject the petition.1008.4 In making the determination as to the validity of a signature, the Board shall disqualify a signature if:- (a) The signature appearing on the petition does not match the signature on file in the Board's records;
- (b) The signer was not a registered voter at the time the petition was signed, or was designated as 'inactive' on the voter roll at the time the petition was signed; or
- (c) The signer was not registered to vote at the address listed on the petition at the time the petition was signed.1008.5 The Board shall report the number of valid signatures in each ward sample to the Data Management Division. Using these numbers as input, the Data Management Division shall employ formulas from the fields of probability and statistics to determine the following:- (a) Whether a ward should be accepted with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence as having at least the required number of valid signatures;
- (b) Whether a ward should be rejected with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence as having less than the required number of valid signatures; or
- (c) Whether a larger sample should be drawn since no decision could be made with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence from the sample used.1008.6 The Board shall accept a ward if the total number of valid signatures equals or exceeds the required number with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence.1008.7 The Board shall reject a ward if the total number of valid signatures from that ward is less than the required number with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence.1008.8 If it is determined that at least five (5) of the eight (8) election wards have the required number of valid signatures, then the figures from all wards which were sampled shall be combined by use of stratified random sampling formulas to test whether the entire number
of valid signatures appearing on the petition is equal in number to five percent (5%) of the registered electors in the District of Columbia.
1008.9 The Data Management Division shall determine the following:
(a) Whether the entire District should be accepted with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence as having at least the required number of valid signatures;
(b) Whether the entire District should be rejected with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence as having less than the required number of valid signatures; or
(c) Whether a larger sample should be drawn since no decision could be made with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence based upon the sample used.
1008.10 The Board shall accept the entire District if the total number of valid signatures equals or exceeds the required number with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence.
1008.11 The Board shall reject the entire District if the total number of valid signatures is less than the required number with ninety-five percent (95%) confidence.
SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 43 D.C. Reg. 103, 113 (January 12, 1996).