SB 1451 Summary

• Requires candidates for partisan and nonpartisan office to file a statement of interest with the appropriate filing officer before or on the date of the first petition signature, with signatures collected before filing subject to challenge.

• Establishes registration requirements for paid circulators and non-resident circulators of statewide initiative and referendum petitions, including submission of completed applications with notarized affidavits to the secretary of state.

• Disqualifies individuals from registering as circulators if they have had civil or criminal penalties for election law violations within five years, have been convicted of treason or felonies without civil rights restoration, or have been convicted of crimes involving fraud, forgery, or identity theft.

• Requires petition sheets to display the circulator's registration number in the lower right-hand corner and authorizes the secretary of state to remove signatures collected by unregistered circulators or those who fail to comply with subpoena requirements.

• Applies new candidate statement of interest requirements to elections on and after the effective date, with a transition provision allowing candidates who collected signatures before the effective date to file statements by January 2, 2020.