§ 18610 Petition Signature Forgery Ban

Elections Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

This law makes it a crime to ask someone to put fake signatures on any petition for a new law, a vote on a law, or a recall of an official.

Key Takeaways

•You can’t ask anyone to add fake or forged signatures to a petition.
•The rule covers all kinds of petitions – new laws, votes on laws, or recalls.
•Doing this is a misdemeanor, which is a criminal offense.

Example

A campaign manager tells a volunteer to add made‑up signatures to a recall petition so it looks like more people want the official removed.

Because the manager is asking the volunteer to put false signatures on the petition, the manager breaks this law and could be charged with a misdemeanor.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 18610 Petition Signature Forgery Ban

Every person who solicits any circulator to affix to any initiative, referendum, or recall petition any false or forged signature, or to cause or permit a false or forged signature to be affixed, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

solicits circulator false or forged signature initiative referendum recall petition misdemeanor

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 18610.

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Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References