Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties
One of the biggest hurdles to qualifying an initiative for the ballot is gathering the required number of signatures. Yet little is known about these signatures' representativeness or demographic origin. Using data from eight recent California initiatives, we study the distribution of signature...
| Autori principali: | , |
|---|---|
| Natura: | Working Paper |
| Lingua: | en_US |
| Pubblicazione: |
Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project
2015
|
| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96550 |
| _version_ | 1826208080620158976 |
|---|---|
| author | Boehmke, Frederick J. Alvarez, R. Michael |
| author_facet | Boehmke, Frederick J. Alvarez, R. Michael |
| author_sort | Boehmke, Frederick J. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | One of the biggest hurdles to qualifying an initiative for the ballot is gathering the required number of signatures. Yet little is known about these signatures' representativeness or demographic origin. Using data from eight recent California initiatives, we study the distribution of signatures across counties. We ten conduct regression analysis to study how characteristics of counties relate to the number of signatures gathered there. Besides the sources of petition signatures, we also study the results of checks performed by county officials on these signatures to determine whether there are sufficient valid signatures (i.e., from registered voters) in order to qualify the petition for the ballot. We then conduct regression analysis of validity rates by county. Our findings indicate that a variety of social and political factors influence both the number and validity rate of signatures across counties, though the results are more consistent for the former. Finally, we demonstrate that signature gathering campaigns have consequences for outcomes by relating the intensity of the signature campaign within a county to ballot roll-off. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:00:14Z |
| format | Working Paper |
| id | mit-1721.1/96550 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:00:14Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/965502019-04-11T13:41:12Z Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties Boehmke, Frederick J. Alvarez, R. Michael Initiative Petition signatures Signature gathering Signature validity Initiative qualification One of the biggest hurdles to qualifying an initiative for the ballot is gathering the required number of signatures. Yet little is known about these signatures' representativeness or demographic origin. Using data from eight recent California initiatives, we study the distribution of signatures across counties. We ten conduct regression analysis to study how characteristics of counties relate to the number of signatures gathered there. Besides the sources of petition signatures, we also study the results of checks performed by county officials on these signatures to determine whether there are sufficient valid signatures (i.e., from registered voters) in order to qualify the petition for the ballot. We then conduct regression analysis of validity rates by county. Our findings indicate that a variety of social and political factors influence both the number and validity rate of signatures across counties, though the results are more consistent for the former. Finally, we demonstrate that signature gathering campaigns have consequences for outcomes by relating the intensity of the signature campaign within a county to ballot roll-off. 2015-04-14T17:15:12Z 2015-04-14T17:15:12Z 2004-01-23 Working Paper http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96550 en_US VTP Working Paper Series;13 application/pdf Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project |
| spellingShingle | Initiative Petition signatures Signature gathering Signature validity Initiative qualification Boehmke, Frederick J. Alvarez, R. Michael Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title | Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title_full | Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title_fullStr | Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title_full_unstemmed | Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title_short | Where the Good Signatures Are: The Number and Validity Rates of Initiative Petition Signatures Gathered in California Counties |
| title_sort | where the good signatures are the number and validity rates of initiative petition signatures gathered in california counties |
| topic | Initiative Petition signatures Signature gathering Signature validity Initiative qualification |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/96550 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT boehmkefrederickj wherethegoodsignaturesarethenumberandvalidityratesofinitiativepetitionsignaturesgatheredincaliforniacounties AT alvarezrmichael wherethegoodsignaturesarethenumberandvalidityratesofinitiativepetitionsignaturesgatheredincaliforniacounties |