California · Elections Code

ELEC §18670: Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, either as principal or agent, files in the office of the Secretary of State, county elections official, or in the office of any other officer designated by

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A person commits a misdemeanor by filing a petition for a statewide initiative or referendum with the intent to defeat it, unless the petition is filed in good faith and conflicts with a similar measure already on file.

Read the full statutory text

Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, either as principal or agent, files in the office of the Secretary of State, county elections official, or in the office of any other officer designated by law to receive the filing, a petition or any section of a petition relating to the Constitution or the laws of this state, authorized by the Constitution or laws of this state regulating the statewide initiative or referendum, with the intention of thereby defeating that initiative or referendum measure that is embraced in the petition. Nothing in this section applies to any person who, in good faith, files a petition embracing an initiative or referendum measure that conflicts with a similar measure already on file.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.