You are viewing an archived code
Sec. 338.
Wherever, in this Charter, any initiative, referendum, recall or nominating petition or paper is required to be signed by qualified electors, only an elector who is a registered qualified elector shall be entitled to sign the same; and wherever in this Charter the City Clerk is required to examine any such petition or paper for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the same is signed by the requisite number of qualified electors of the City he shall determine that fact from the records of registration. (Added, 1929.)
The Charter provision restricting signers of referendum petitions to registered qualified electors, when interpreted in connection with Section 1096 of the Political Code, which allows those not qualified to register, provided they will be qualified at the time of the next elections, means any registered elector who will be qualified to vote at the next succeeding election may sign such a petition.
The City Clerk shall compare signatures on petitions with signatures on the registration records. This can be done by examination of handwriting and surnames. The question is simply one of identity. If reasonably satisfied by such examination that the two signatures are those of the same person they should be approved, regardless of the given names or initials that are used.
Ley v. Dominguez, 212 Cal. 587.