Verificati​on of Colorado's Initiative 30 ("Use and Regulation of Marijuana) to require line-by-li​ne review

A random sample of signatures selected by the state for verification determined that backers that backers submitted valid signatures equivalient to 103% of the total needed to qualify for ballot status, however according to the elections office a validity rate of more than 110% is required for an initiative to automatically be placed on the ballot. Validity rate of between 90-110% for a sample means that a line-by-line review of signatures will be performed.

The Colorado Secretary of State's office issued the following news release today:

http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/newsRoom/pressReleases/2012/PR20120119Initiative30.html

STATE OF COLORADO
Department of State
1700 Broadway
Suite 250
Denver, CO 80290

Scott Gessler
Secretary of State

William A. Hobbs
Deputy Secretary of State

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2012

MEDIA CONTACTS: Rich Coolidge
richard.coolidge@sos.state.co.us
Andrew Cole
andrew.cole@sos.state.co.us
(303) 860-6903

Verification of Initiative 30 to require line-by-line review

Denver, Colorado - Today Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced that the proposed ballot measure concerning “Use and Regulation of Marijuana” will require a line-by-line review of signatures.
Petitions for proposed initiative #30 were submitted to the Secretary of State’s office on January 4. The office immediately began verifying a random sample of the signatures as set forth in state statute. Section 1-40-116(4), C.R.S., requires the verification of each signature filed if the random sample shows the number of valid signatures falls between 90 percent and 110 percent of the signatures needed.

Random Sample Summary:
•Total number of qualified signatures submitted: 163,598
•5% of qualified signatures submitted (random sample): 8,180
•Total number of entries accepted (valid) from random sample: 4,436
•Total number of entries rejected (invalid) from random sample: 3,744
•Number of projected valid signatures from random sample: 88,719
•Total number of accepted entries necessary for placement on ballot: 86,105
•Percentage of presumed valid signatures: 103.04%

Because the 103 percent projection falls between the 90 and 110 percent described in statute, the Secretary of State’s office has notified the proponents the petition will require a line-by-line review. The office has until February 3 to complete the review.

For more information, visit our Initiative Information page.

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