(a) When the Secretary of State has received from one or more elections officials or registrars a petition, certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the proponents and immediately transmit to the elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state a notice directing that signature verification be terminated.
(b) (1) In the case of an initiative measure, the Secretary of State shall identify the date of the next statewide general election as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 9016, or the next special statewide election, that will occur not less than 131 days after the date the Secretary of State receives a petition certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters.
(2) On the 131st day prior to the date of the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall do all of the following:
(A) Issue a certificate of qualification certifying that the initiative measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
(B) Notify the proponents of the initiative measure and the elections official of each county that the measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1).
(C) Include the initiative measure in a list of all statewide initiative measures that are eligible to be placed on the ballot at the election identified pursuant to paragraph (1) and publish the list on the Secretary of State’s Internet Web site.
(3) Upon the issuance of a certificate of qualification pursuant to paragraph (2), an initiative measure shall be deemed qualified for the ballot for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 8 of Article II of the California Constitution.
(c) (1) In the case of a referendum measure, upon receipt of a petition certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters, the Secretary of State shall do all of the following:
(A) Issue a certificate of qualification certifying that the referendum measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot.
(B) Notify the proponents of the referendum measure and the elections official of each county that the measure, as of that date, is qualified for the ballot.
(C) Include the referendum measure in a list of all statewide referendum measures that have qualified for the ballot and publish the list on the Secretary of State’s Internet Web site.
(2) Upon the issuance of a certificate of qualification pursuant to paragraph (1), a referendum measure shall be deemed qualified for the ballot for purposes of subdivision (c) of Section 9 of Article II of the California Constitution.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 697, Sec. 11. (SB 1253) Effective January 1, 2015.)