Opinion ID: 2621965
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: relevant facts and history

Text: In September 2007, petitioner We the People Nevada, a political action committee, through its chair Sharron Angle, filed with respondent Secretary of State its initiative petition entitled The Nevada Property Tax Reform Initiative for Nevada. The initiative was challenged twice in district court, and each time the challenger stipulated to dismiss its challenge in exchange for We the People's withdrawal of the initiative. Subsequently, in February 2008, We the People filed a third initiative petition that was not challenged, and it began circulating that initiative for signatures. NRS 295.056 required We the People to submit in proper form the requisite number of valid signatures to the county clerk's office in each county where signatures were collected by May 20, 2008. According to We the People, the individual delivering the required documentation to the Clark County Clerk's Office missed the deadline. Moreover, We the People acknowledges that it did not have enough signatures by May 20 to have the initiative certified for the November 2008 ballot. [2] Although We the People missed the deadline for submitting the signatures that it collected, the Clark County Clerk accepted the documentation. Nevertheless, after the Clark County Clerk apparently transmitted the documentation to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State rejected the signatures as untimely. This writ petition followed. The Secretary of State has filed an answer, as directed. [3] We the People was permitted to file a reply that includes documentation indicating that after it filed its writ petition with this court, it recirculated its initiative and gathered additional signatures. The additional signatures were submitted to the Washoe and Clark County clerks for verification in the event that this court declares NRS 295.056(3) unconstitutional, which, according to We the People, would revive the statutory provision's former version under which the deadline was June 17, 2008. Ultimately, We the People requests that this court declare NRS 295.056(3) unconstitutional and issue a writ of mandamus or prohibition compelling the Secretary of State to accept all initiative petitions filed up to and including June 17, 2008.