Committee advances signature-gathering bill after elections office warns of chain-of-custody risks

The committee recommended favorably a draft bill that would permit petition circulators to 'debind' signature packets so long as the circulator can witness signers and attest they had the opportunity to read the text. The bill also alters affidavit language to state signers had the "opportunity to read."

Chris Williams outlined the changes and said they respond to earlier complaints that large packets are cumbersome for circulators. Roseanne Mitchell, training coordinator in the lieutenant governor’s elections office, cautioned that removing binding increases the risk of loose pages returning to clerks without the proper circulator verification and could result in disqualification.

"It compromises witnessing the signatures," Mitchell said, urging continued chain-of-custody protections, appropriate training and consideration of safeguards such as ensuring circulators sign or otherwise certify the specific pages they witnessed.

Committee sponsors acknowledged the concern and asked elections staff to work with bill sponsors to refine language so the measure both improves accessibility and preserves integrity. Senator Kwan flagged an amendment they intend to offer to ensure the packet is reassembled and properly certified before submission. The committee adopted the measure as a committee bill with plans to reconcile operational details before floor action.