Senate Bill 818 Summary

• Repeals and re-enacts 15 sections of Missouri law (§116.010 through §116.332) relating to initiative and referendum petitions, with updated definitions and procedural requirements.

• Establishes that mistakes or errors by parties other than the petition signer (including circulators and government officials) shall not invalidate signatures as long as the signer's intent is reasonably clear.

• Requires petition circulators to be at least 18 years old and registered with the Secretary of State; signatures from unregistered circulators may not be counted unless signatories provide proof of validity within 30 days of the sufficiency determination.

• Modifies petition form requirements and circulator affidavit procedures, including notarization requirements and penalties for false swearing (class A misdemeanor with up to 1 year imprisonment and/or $10,000 fine).

• Reduces the timeframe for Secretary of State approval of petition forms from 30 days to 15 days and establishes new procedures for court challenges to ballot titles and fiscal notes, including expedited appeal timelines.