1504

NUMBER AND VALIDITY OF SIGNATURES ON PETITIONS

1504.1 A petition shall contain the signatures of duly registered voters, equal in number to at least one percent (1%) of the total number of registered voters in the District of Columbia, as shown by the records of the Board as of the one hundred forty-fourth (144th) day before the date of the presidential election.

1504.2 Signatures appearing on nominating petition sheets shall not be counted as valid unless all required information is provided by the circulator in his or her affidavit.

1504.3 The signature on a petition shall be made by the person whose signature it purports to be and not by any other person.

1504.4 Registered voters who are unable to sign their names may make their marks in the space for signature. These marks may not be counted as valid signatures unless the persons witnessing the marks shall attach to the petitions affidavits that they explained the contents of the petitions to the petitioners and witnessed their marks.

1504.5 The petition shall also contain the signer's printed or typed name, residence address at which the signer is registered to vote as shown on the Board's records, and date signed.

1504.6 A signature shall not be counted as valid in any of the following circumstances:

(a) The signer's voter registration was designated as inactive on the voter roll pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.07(j)(2) (2011 Repl.) at the time the petition was signed;

(b) The signer, according to the Board's records, is not registered to vote at the address listed on the petition at the time the petition was signed;

(c) The signer is not a duly registered voter;

(d) The signature is not dated;

(e) The petition does not include the printed or typed address of the signer;

(f) The petition does not include the printed or typed name of the signer where the signature is not sufficiently legible for identification; or

(g) The circulator of the petition sheet did not meet the petition circulator requirements set forth in § 1503.1 at the time the petition was signed.

1504.7 For the purposes of this section, a "duly registered voter" shall be a registered qualified elector who is registered to vote at the address listed on the petition as shown on the Board's registration records and whose registration is not designated as inactive on the voter roll at the time the petition is signed.

1504.8 A registered voter may submit a written notarized request to the Board to disallow the voter's signature from being counted on the petition; Provided, that the request shall be received by the Board prior to the time the petition is filed.

1504.9 The failure of the circulator of a nominating petition or individual petition sheets to meet the petition circulator requirements set forth in § 1503.1 shall invalidate the signature of an otherwise registered qualified elector.

1504.10 An address on a petition which is different than the address which appears on the Board's records shall be deemed valid if the signer's current address is within the District of Columbia and the signer files a change of address form with the Board during the first 10 days of the period designated for resolving challenges to petitions.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published 39 DCR 2467, 2510 (April 10, 1992); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 43 DCR 1078, 1108 (March 1, 1996); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 48 DCR 11725 (December 28, 2001); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 49 DCR 2740 (March 22, 2002); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 58 DCR 941, 977 (February 10, 2012); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 5582 (April 12, 2013).