In 2009, a group in Daytona Beach, Florida, set out to qualify three separate city initiatives for the ballot. The group decided that its work would be easier if it could use a packet in which all three petitions were grouped together with carbon paper in-between. That would have made it possible for a voter to sign his or her name and address just once, yet effectively sign all three petitions. The city did not approve the idea, so the group sued. On March 9, the case received oral arguments in Circuit Court in Volusia County. The judge did not decide the issue at the hearing, but will issue an opinion fairly soon.
The group was also prepared to let voters who wished to sign one petition, but not all three, sign a separate petition. The web page of the group that is backing the initiatives is here.
This one should fail.
Using carbon paper to obtain signatures for separate ballot initiatives should not be allowed.
Yeah, sure, you might “be prepared” to allow voters to sign only one. But, we know that paid circulators, and others seeking to finish a petitioning project quickly, will be strongly tempted to place the most popular petition on top and forget to mention the ones below, and just accumulate the carbon signatures.
The use of carbon copies should NOT be allowed for separate petitions.
Here is a case where freedom and free elections will be protected if the judge rules against the petitioners.
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