Sec. 54-151. Unlawful acts.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to:
(1) Willfully and knowingly circulate or cause to be circulated, or sign or procure to be signed, any Charter amendment petition bearing the name, device, or motto of any person, organization, association, league, or political party, or purporting in any way to be endorsed, approved, or submitted by any person, organization, association, league or political party, without the written consent, approval and authorization of such person, organization, association, league or political party;
(2) Sign any name other than his or her own to any Charter amendment petition, or knowingly sign his or her name more than once for the same measure at an election;
(3) Sign any Charter amendment petition knowing that he or she is not a registered elector of the city at the time of signing;
(4) Sign an affidavit as circulator without knowingly or reasonably believing the statements made in such affidavit are true;
(5) Certify that an affidavit attached to a petition was subscribed or sworn to before the affiant unless it was so subscribed and sworn to before the affiant;
(6) Pay to or agree to pay, directly or indirectly, to any other person, any money or other thing of value in consideration of or as an inducement to the signing of any such petition;
(7) Use deceptive practices when obtaining signatures on any Charter amendment petition.
a. Deceptive practices as used in this section are representations, omissions, or practices that mislead or are likely to mislead a person to obtain their signature.
b. If deceptive practices are used by a person training a petition circulator, the organization conducting the training violates this subsection (7).
c. If deceptive practices are used by the person circulating a petition, the person circulating the petition violates this subsection (7).
(8) Knowingly violate any provision of this article.
(b) A registered elector who signs a Charter amendment petition may withdraw their signature from the petition by filing a written and notarized request with the city clerk. The written request must be filed before the final determination of sufficiency is issued.
(1) If the written and notarized request is received after the petition is filed but before the final determination of sufficiency is issued, the city clerk shall strike that signature.
(2) If the written and notarized request is received before the petition is filed, the city clerk shall strike that signature promptly upon the filing of the petition. (Ord. No. 2023-32, § 2, 8-14-2023; Ord. No. 2013-23, § 8, 7-8-2013; Ord. No. 96-76, § 25, 12-30-1996)