To qualify for the statewide ballot, a Referendum measure must be submitted by specified deadlines after the enactment date of the statute. For the specific deadlines that apply, contact the Initiative Coordinator or Secretary of State's Election Division. Proponents may seek the help of private lawyers at their own expense or the assistance of the Office of the Legislative Counsel . A request to the Legislative Counsel must be submitted in writing with the specific idea for the new law or amendment, along with 25 or more signatures from electors. Proposed Initiative measures will not be accepted via e-mail or facsimile transmission.
Cash is accepted for hand-delivered submissions.
Make check or money order payable to State of California or to the Attorney General's Office. Do not send cash. It must be confirmed that the proponent is a registered voter in California before a Title and Summary can be issued and submitted to the Secretary of State. A letter requesting a non-substantive change, along with a corrected version of the measure, must be submitted to the Initiative Coordinator. After the 15 calendar days, the proponent must submit a new proposal with the appropriate changes and withdraw the original submission.