Opinion ID: 2682794
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Request for Time to Collect Signatures

Text: Proponents request additional time to collect signatures, or in the alternative a new ninety-day period to collect signatures. ¶61 In their Supplemental Brief, Proponents cite 34 O.S. § 8(E) and request an additional ninety (90) days to collect signatures, and they make a more developed argument in their Reply Brief where they rely upon In re Initiative Petition No. 315, State Question No. 553 , 1982 OK 15, 649 P.2d 545, 553 and 34 O.S. § 9 (D) and a former version of 34 O.S. § 8. ¶62 In re Initiative Petition No. 315 , supra , states that The 90-day period for circulation does not begin until the proposed title has been reviewed by the Attorney General, the 10-day appeal period has expired, and any appeals timely filed, exhausted. 649 P.2d at 553. The Attorney General argues that: (1) When In re Initiative Petition No. 315, State Question No. 553 , supra , was decided the ballot title was part of the petition that was submitted to the Attorney General, (2) The ballot title is no longer part of the petition submitted to the Attorney General, and (3) The language in In re Initiative Petition No. 315, is no longer good law on this point. ¶63 The Attorney General's argument may be summarized as stating that the correctness of a ballot title need not be settled prior to collection of signatures because (1) the ballot title is not part of the petition when it is submitted to the Attorney General, (2) §§ 9 & 10 do not expressly delay collecting signatures until after a ballot title appeal has been settled, and (3) the petition and the gist of the measure on the signature page sufficiently inform the voters of the proposed measure. ¶64 Three bodies of text must be identified: (1) the petition, (2) the gist of the petition which appears on a signature page, and (3) the ballot title, which may, or may not be part of the petition for certain purposes (as we hold today). We have explained that both the gist and the ballot title work together to prevent fraud in the initiative process. 64 A petition has an exact copy of the title and text of the measure inserted. 65 The petition and signature sheets together make a pamphlet, and each signature sheet is attached to a copy of the petition and has a gist of the measure on each signature page. 66 If the title referred to in § 2 that is to be included as part of the circulated petition is not the correct ballot title, and the correct ballot title need not be included on the circulated petition pamphlet, as indicated by the Attorney General, then one purpose of a ballot title in limiting fraud, deceit, and corruption in the initiative process would be severely limited. ¶65 The Attorney General correctly observes that the ballot title is treated as separate from the initiative petition in 34 O.S. § 9. The ballot title is also treated as part of the petition in 34 O.S. § 2. Giving effect to both of these provisions means that the ballot title is not part of the petition for the purpose of a ballot title appeal, but a ballot title is part of the initiative petition in 34 O.S. § 2, and thus part of the petition that is duplicated for securing signatures in 34 O.S. § 3. ¶66 Section 9(D)(1) clearly provides for filing the ballot title with the Secretary of State prior to collecting signatures. If an appeal is taken from the ballot title, then the Secretary of State certifies to the Secretary of the State Election Board the ballot title that is finally approved by the Supreme Court. 34 O.S. § 9(D)(2). ¶67 Section 8(E) provides in part that: E. Within ninety (90) days after such filing of an initiative petition or determination of the sufficiency of the petition by the Supreme Court as provided in this section, whichever is later , the signed copies thereof shall be filed with the Secretary of State, . . . . 34 O.S.2011 § 8(E), in part, emphasis added. Proponents argue that sufficiency of the petition should include determination of a proper ballot title. While we agree that § 8(E) applies to a ballot title appeal and that the 90-day period to collect signatures commences after the ballot title appeal, our reasons are not those of Proponents. ¶68 The Attorney General is correct that the statutory scheme distinguishes a protest challenging the sufficiency of a petition from a protest (or appeal) of the ballot title, and this distinction is expressly made in § 8(B) where the separate authority for an appeal of the ballot title in § 10 is noted. 67 . . . notice [shall include] that any citizen or citizens of the state may file a protest as to the constitutionality of the petition , by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the proponent or proponents filing the petition, or as to the ballot title as provided by Section 10 of this title. . . . 34 O.S.2011 § 8(B), in part, and emphasis added. The Attorney General also argues that a petition does not include the ballot title, because a ballot title is submitted on a separate piece of paper and shall not be deemed part of the petition. 34 O.S.2011 § 9(B). 68 Two responses to this argument by the Attorney General are necessary. First, even with a statutory distinction between appeals on a ballot title and appeals on the legal sufficiency of a petition, one statute for a ballot title appeal states that the procedures which are part of a 34 O.S. § 8 appeal on a petition are also applicable to a ballot title appeal. Notice of the appeal provided for in the preceding section shall be served upon the Attorney General and upon the party who filed such ballot title, or on any of such parties, at least five (5) days before such appeal is heard by the court. The Attorney General shall, and any citizen interested may, defend the ballot title from which the appeal is taken. Other procedure upon such appeals shall be the same as is prescribed for appeals from petitions filed as set forth in Section 8 of this title. 34 O.S.2011 § 11, emphasis added. The procedure in § 8(E) 69 states that signatures will not be collected until after a protest to a petition is finally determined. There is no express provision in the ballot title statutes for the ninety-day signature collection period as occurring either during or after a ballot title appeal. We thus hold that § 8(E) procedure for collecting signatures in a ninety-day period at the conclusion of a protest to a petition is also applicable to a ballot title appeal. ¶69 We also note that the Attorney General correctly identifies three types of legal proceedings involving initiative petitions: (1) protest to the constitutionality of the petition [§ 8 (B) proceeding], (2) protest to the ballot title [§§ 8(B) & 10 proceeding], and (3) an objection to the signature count [§ 8(H) proceeding]. The approach to these proceedings taken by the Attorney General would result in different times to commence collecting signatures based upon whether a protest to a petition was combined with a ballot title protest. According to the Attorney General, if only a ballot title protest is filed, then the 90-day period is not stayed pending resolution of the ballot title appeal. On the other hand, if a protest to the petition is combined with a ballot title protest, then the 90-day period does not commence until the protest to the petition is determined, which may or may not be the same date the Court decides the ballot title appeal; but in any event the date of any judicial decision(s) for commencing the ninety-day period would be different than for a ballot title. The last sentence of 34 O.S. § 11 requires more uniformity in procedure than that suggested by the Attorney General. The second response we have to the argument by the Attorney General is that the ballot title, that is the correct ballot title, must be part of the petition which in turn is part of the circulated pamphlet. 70 A correct ballot title on the face of the initiative petition which is used during collection of signatures helps to prevent fraud and deceit in the initiative process. ¶70 A proponent has ninety days to collect signatures and file them with the Secretary of State. 34 O.S. § 8(E), and 34 O.S.2011 § 4. 71 The Attorney General is correct that a proponent gets only one 90-day period to collect signatures. Because of 34 O.S. §§ 2, 3, 8(E) and 11, the ninety-day period commences or begins for Proponents herein in accordance with our holding in In re Initiative Petition No. 315 , supra , where we stated that when a ballot title appeal has occurred the time to collect signatures does not begin until completion of that appeal . Id . 649 P.2d at 553.