Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 295 - Certain State and Local Ballot Questions
NRS 295.205 - Commencement of proceedings: Petitioners’ committee; form and requirements of petition; determination of anticipated financial effect; circulator’s affidavit; receipt for petition issued by clerk.


1. Any five registered voters of the city may commence initiative or referendum proceedings by filing with the city clerk an affidavit:
(a) Stating they will constitute the petitioners’ committee and be responsible for circulating the petition and filing it in proper form;
(b) Stating their names and addresses;
(c) Specifying the address to which all notices to the committee are to be sent; and
(d) Setting out in full the proposed initiative ordinance or citing the ordinance sought to be reconsidered.
2. Initiative petitions must be signed by a number of registered voters of the city equal to 15 percent or more of the number of voters who voted at the last preceding city election.
3. Referendum petitions must be signed by a number of registered voters of the city equal to 10 percent or more of the number of voters who voted at the last preceding city election.
4. Upon receipt of a petition for initiative or referendum placed on file pursuant to subsection 1, the city clerk shall consult with the council to determine if the initiative or referendum may have any anticipated financial effect on the local government if the initiative or referendum is approved by the voters. If the council determines that the initiative or referendum may have an anticipated financial effect on the local government if the initiative or referendum is approved by the voters, the council must prepare a description of the anticipated financial effect and the city clerk shall post a copy of this information on the city clerk’s Internet website, if the city clerk maintains one.
5. A petition must be submitted to the city clerk for verification, pursuant to NRS 295.250 to 295.290, inclusive, not later than:
(a) One hundred and eighty days after the date that the affidavit required by subsection 1 is filed with the city clerk; or
(b) One hundred and thirty days before the election,
whichever is earlier.
6. A petition may consist of more than one document, but all documents of a petition must be uniform in size and style, numbered and assembled as one instrument for submission. Each signature must be executed in ink or indelible pencil, be preceded by the printed given name followed by the surname of the person signing and be followed by the address of the person signing and the date on which the person signed the petition. All signatures on a petition must be obtained within the period specified in subsection 5. Each document must contain, or have attached thereto throughout its circulation, the full text of the ordinance proposed or sought to be reconsidered.
7. Each document of a petition must have attached to it when submitted an affidavit executed by the circulator thereof stating:
(a) That the circulator personally circulated the document;
(b) The number of signatures thereon;
(c) That all the signatures were affixed in the circulator’s presence;
(d) That each signer had an opportunity before signing to read the full text of the ordinance proposed or sought to be reconsidered.
8. The city clerk shall issue a receipt to any person who submits a petition pursuant to this section. The receipt must set forth the number of:
(a) Documents included in the petition;
(b) Pages in each document; and
(c) Signatures that the person declares are included in the petition.
(Added to NRS by 1967, 378; A 1987, 364; 1989, 1184; 1997, 2788; 2001, 646, 2967; 2007, 329, 2544)

Structure Nevada Revised Statutes

Nevada Revised Statutes

Chapter 295 - Certain State and Local Ballot Questions

NRS 295.009 - General requirements for state or local petition for initiative or referendum: Must embrace one subject; must include description of effect.

NRS 295.012 - Requirements for petition: Number of voters proposing must be apportioned equally among petition districts and number of signatures required from each petition district must be equal.

NRS 295.015 - Copy of petition and certain information to be filed with Secretary of State before presentation to voters for signatures and after any amendment; effect of amendment on petition; assignment of unique identifier; determination of fiscal...

NRS 295.026 - Withdrawal of petition.

NRS 295.035 - Petition for initiative proposing amendment to Constitution: Secretary of State to use same number for identification of petition when submitted at successive elections.

NRS 295.045 - Petition for referendum: Filing; submission to voters at general election.

NRS 295.055 - Regulations specifying format of petition; each document of petition limited to voters of single petition district; removal of name from petition.

NRS 295.056 - Requirements for submission of signatures to county clerk.

NRS 295.0575 - Petition may consist of more than one document; circulator’s affidavit.

NRS 295.0585 - County clerk required to make copies of petition and signatures; copies to be made available to public.

NRS 295.061 - Challenge to description of petition; challenge to legal sufficiency of petition.

NRS 295.075 - "Board" defined.

NRS 295.085 - Registered voters’ power of initiative and referendum concerning county ordinances.

NRS 295.095 - Commencement of proceedings: Petitioners’ committee; form and requirements of petition; determination of anticipated financial effect; circulator’s affidavit; receipt for petition issued by clerk.

NRS 295.105 - Certification of sufficiency of petition; review of certification.

NRS 295.115 - Consideration by board; submission to registered voters; withdrawal of petition.

NRS 295.121 - Appointment of committees to prepare arguments advocating and opposing approval of ballot questions; duties of committees; regulations; preparation of arguments by county clerk if board fails to appoint committee; review of arguments; p...

NRS 295.125 - Results of election.

NRS 295.140 - Petition for referendum: Form and requirements; circulator’s affidavit; receipt issued by clerk; certification of sufficiency; review of certification.

NRS 295.150 - Names of registered voters may be contained in more than one petition; verification of petition.

NRS 295.160 - Submission of question to people; publication.

NRS 295.170 - Form of question on ballot; count and canvass of votes.

NRS 295.180 - Effect of approval or disapproval of majority of registered voters.

NRS 295.195 - Definitions.

NRS 295.200 - Registered voters’ power of initiative and referendum concerning city ordinances.

NRS 295.205 - Commencement of proceedings: Petitioners’ committee; form and requirements of petition; determination of anticipated financial effect; circulator’s affidavit; receipt for petition issued by clerk.

NRS 295.210 - Certification of sufficiency of petition; review of certification.

NRS 295.215 - Consideration by council; submission to registered voters; withdrawal of petition.

NRS 295.217 - Appointment of committees to prepare arguments advocating and opposing approval of ballot questions; duties of committees; regulations; preparation of arguments by city clerk if governing body fails to appoint committee; review of argum...

NRS 295.220 - Results of election.

NRS 295.230 - Submission of advisory questions by certain governmental entities; prerequisites to placement on ballot; description of anticipated financial effect; appearance on sample ballot; preparation of sample questions.

NRS 295.250 - Determination of total number of signatures.

NRS 295.260 - Verification of signatures.

NRS 295.270 - Certification of sufficiency or insufficiency of petition; date petition deemed filed.

NRS 295.280 - Handling of petition.

NRS 295.290 - County or city clerk must allow witness of determination and verification of signatures.

NRS 295.300 - Giving compensation in exchange for signing petition for initiative or referendum prohibited.