Effective - 04 Nov 2014, 2 histories
116.334. Petition approval required, procedure to obtain petition title or summary statement — rejection or approval of petition, procedure — circulation of petition prior to approval, effect — signatures, deadline for filing. — 1. If the petition form is approved, the secretary of state shall make a copy of the sample petition available on the secretary of state's website. For a period of fifteen days after the petition is approved as to form, the secretary of state shall accept public comments regarding the proposed measure and provide copies of such comments upon request. Within twenty-three days of receipt of such approval, the secretary of state shall prepare and transmit to the attorney general a summary statement of the measure which shall be a concise statement not exceeding one hundred words. This statement shall be in the form of a question using language neither intentionally argumentative nor likely to create prejudice either for or against the proposed measure. The attorney general shall within ten days approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement.
2. Signatures obtained prior to the date the official ballot title is certified by the secretary of state shall not be counted.
3. Signatures for statutory initiative petitions shall be filed not later than six months prior to the general election during which the petition's ballot measure is submitted for a vote, and shall also be collected not earlier than the day after the day upon which the previous general election was held.
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(L. 1985 H.B. 543 § 2, A.L. 1997 S.B. 132, A.L. 2013 H.B. 117)
Effective 11-04-14
(2022) Section prohibiting the circulation of referendum petitions before official ballot title is certified and affixed to petition violates right of referendum under article III, §§ 49, 52(a). No Bans on Choice v. Ashcroft, 638 S.W.3d 484 (Mo.banc).
Structure Missouri Revised Statutes
Title IX - Suffrage and Elections
Chapter 116 - Initiative and Referendum
Section 116.010 - Definitions.
Section 116.020 - Application of laws.
Section 116.050 - Initiative and referendum petitions, requirements.
Section 116.070 - Petitioner may sign by mark, procedure.
Section 116.080 - Qualifications of circulator — affidavit, notarization, penalty.
Section 116.090 - Petition signature fraud, penalty.
Section 116.100 - Filing of petition, procedure.
Section 116.110 - Signature may be withdrawn, when, how, effect, penalty.
Section 116.115 - Withdrawal of petition, when — vacation of official ballot title, when.
Section 116.140 - Secretary of state's authority not to count forged or fraudulent signatures.
Section 116.185 - Identical ballot titles may be changed, how.
Section 116.195 - Costs of court-ordered ballot title change to be paid by the state.
Section 116.210 - Numbering of proposed constitutional amendments.
Section 116.220 - Labeling of initiative and referendum measures.
Section 116.230 - Sample ballots to be prepared, form.
Section 116.240 - Certification to election authorities of notice to be published — contents.
Section 116.250 - Publication of legal notice.
Section 116.270 - Publications fund created — payments from fund for what, how made.
Section 116.280 - Paper ballots for statewide measures, form.
Section 116.300 - Challengers and watchers at polling places, how designated.
Section 116.320 - Adoption of measure, vote required — effect of approval of conflicting measures.
Section 116.330 - Board of canvassers or governor to issue statement.