California ballot initiative petition signature costs
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This page provides information on the signature costs for citizen-initiated ballot measures in California from 2005 through 2024.
- Since 2005, the highest cost-per-signature requirement (CPRS) in California was $21.98 for Proposition 31, Flavored Tobacco Products Ban Referendum.
- Since 2005, the lowest cost-per-signature requirement (CPRS) in California was $0.96 for Proposition 2, Farm Animal Confinement Initiative.
- In 2024, the highest CPRS was $18.19 for Proposition 33, Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative.
- In 2024, the lowest CPRS was $13.59 for Proposition 35, Managed Care Organization Tax Authorization Initiative.
When initiative sponsors collect and submit signatures, they aim to collect many more than the required minimum number of signatures. This is done in order to provide a sufficient cushion for those signatures that are disqualified.
Some initiative sponsors collect a much larger cushion of extra signatures. If it were possible to know exactly how many signatures each initiative sponsor submitted, it would be possible to calculate a "cost-per-actual-signature" figure. In California, initiative sponsors must submit signatures on a per-county basis to each of the state's 58 counties, rather than to one central election office. County election officials do not routinely release a count of the number of filed signatures for each proposition.
The charts below, therefore, compare signature-collection costs based on a figure that is readily available, which is the legal minimum requirement of signatures, rather than the number of signatures actually gathered and submitted for each proposition.
2024
- See also: California 2024 ballot propositions
| Averages: | Amount: |
|---|---|
| Signature costs | $8,463,663.80 |
| CPRS | $15.08 |
2022
- See also: California 2022 ballot propositions
| Averages: | Amount: |
|---|---|
| Signature costs | $11,936,073.68 |
| CPRS | $16.18 |
2020
- See also: California 2020 ballot propositions
| Ballot Measure: | Topic: | Petition company | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Proposition 20 | Law enforcement | Arno Petition Consultants | $2,046,104.99 | 365,880 | $5.59 |
| California Proposition 22 | Business regulation | National Petition Management, Inc. | $6,461,617.23 | 623,212 | $10.37 |
| California Proposition 14 | Bond issues | Robert N. Klein II | $4,145,719.73 | 623,212 | $6.65 |
| California Proposition 15 | Taxes | 2020 Ballcamp | $5,986,312.94 | 997,139 | $6.00 |
| California Proposition 21 | Housing | BH-AP Petitioning Partners LLC | $3,565,077.00 | 623,212 | $5.72 |
| Averages: | N/A | N/A | $4,359,093 | N/A | $7.22 |
2018
- See also: California 2018 ballot propositions
| Ballot Measure: | Topic: | Petition company | Cost | Signatures | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Proposition 3 | Bond issues | Masterton & Wright | $1,883,203.00 | 365,880 | $5.15 |
| California Proposition 4 | Bond issues | National Petition Management, INC. | $2,645,311.84 | 365,880 | $7.23 |
| California Proposition 5 | Taxes | AAP Holding Company, Inc. and The Monaco Group | $5,140,990.49 | 585,407 | $8.78 |
| California Proposition 6 | Direct democracy measures | GOCO Consulting and The Monaco Group | $2,094,520.02 | 585,407 | $3.58 |
| California Proposition 8 | Healthcare | Kimball Petition Management | $1,648,357.38 | 365,880 | $4.51 |
| California Proposition 10 | Housing | AAP Holding Company, Inc. and The Monaco Group | $1,982,004.92 | 365,880 | $5.42 |
| California Proposition 11 | Labor and unions | National Petition Management, Inc. | $2,892,967.03 | 365,880 | $7.91 |
| California Proposition 12 | Treatment of animals | AAP Holding Company, Inc. and The Monaco Group | $2,199,613.72 | 365,880 | $6.01 |
| Averages: | N/A | N/A | $2,560,871.05 | N/A | $6.07 |
2016
- See also: California 2016 ballot propositions
| Ballot measure | Subject | Signature collection company | Cost | Signatures required | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 51 | Education | National Petition Management, Inc. | $1,252,534.01 | 365,880 | $3.42 |
| Proposition 52 | Healthcare | Arno Political Consultants and The Monaco Group | $2,192,811.85 | 807,615 | $2.72 |
| Proposition 53 | Gov't Finance | National Petition Management, Inc. | $2,669,093.95 | 585,407 | $4.56 |
| Proposition 54 | Gov't Acc | National Petition Management, Inc. | $6,622,935.93 | 585,407 | $11.31 |
| Proposition 55 | Taxes | Kimball Petition Management, Inc. and Million Voter Project Action Fund | $4,236,577.66 | 585,407 | $7.24 |
| Proposition 56 | Tobacco | Boven Consulting, Kimball Petition Management, Inc., Bridge Street, Inc. and Million Voter Project Action Fund | $4,524,176.13 | 585,407 | $7.73 |
| Proposition 57 | Trials | Kimball Petition Management, Inc. and Groundwork Campaigns, Inc. | $4,818,267.20 | 585,407 | $8.23 |
| Proposition 60 | Movies | PCI Consultants, Inc. and The Monaco Group | $1,409,273.68 | 365,880 | $3.85 |
| Proposition 61 | Healthcare | PCI Consultants, Inc. | $1,355,765.65 | 365,880 | $3.36 |
| Proposition 62 | Death Penalty | PCI Consultants, Inc. | $3,192,775.30 | 365,880 | $8.73 |
| Proposition 63 | Firearms | PCI Consultants, Inc. | $2,228,384.05 | 365,880 | $6.09 |
| Proposition 64 | Marijuana | Kimball Petition Management, Inc. | $2,093,616.10 | 365,880 | $5.72 |
| Proposition 65 | Environment | National Petition Management, Inc. | $2,137,992.45 | 365,880 | $5.84 |
| Proposition 66 | Death Penalty | National Petition Management, Inc. and The Monaco Group | $3,065,943.08 | 365,880 | $8.38 |
| Proposition 67 | Business | National Petition Management, Inc. | $2,911,945.89 | 504,760 | $5.77 |
| TOTAL: | $44,712,092.93 |
2014
- See also: California 2014 ballot propositions
| Ballot measure | Subject | Signature collection company | Cost | Signatures required | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 45 | Insurance | Kimball Petition Management | $1,728,998 | 504,760 | $3.43 |
| Proposition 46 | Healthcare | Kimball Petition Management | $1,692,673 | 504,760 | $3.35 |
| Proposition 47 | Trials | PCI Consultants, Inc | $1,847,882 | 504,760 | $3.66 |
| Proposition 48 | Gambling | Arno Political Consultants and The Monaco Group | $2,636,173 | 504,760 | $5.22 |
| TOTAL: | $6,136,162 |
2012
- See also: California 2012 ballot propositions
2010
| Ballot measure | Subject | Signature collection company | Cost | Signatures required | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 16 | Elections | Arno Political Consultants | $2,199,794 | 694,354 | $3.17 |
| Proposition 17 | Regulation | National Petition Management | $2,273,745 | 433,971 | $5.23 |
| Proposition 19 | Marijuana | Master'son & Wright | $987,833 | 433,971 | $2.27 |
| Proposition 20 | Elections | National Petition Management | $1,937,380 | 694,354 | $2.79 |
| Proposition 21 | Taxes | Master'son & Wright | $1,144,515 | 433,971 | $2.64 |
| Proposition 22 | State spending | Progressive Campaigns | $1,646,596 | 694,354 | $2.37 |
| Proposition 23 | Environment | National Petition Management | $2,222,312 | 433,971 | $5.12 |
| Proposition 24 | Taxes | Kimball Petition Management | $1,587,363 | 433,971 | $3.65 |
| Proposition 25 | State spending | Kimball Petition Management | $2,626,808 | 694,354 | $3.78 |
| Proposition 26 | Taxes | National Petition Management | $2,341,023 | 694,354 | $3.37 |
| Proposition 27 | Elections | Kimball Petition Management | $3,031,085 | 694,354 | $4.37 |
| TOTAL: | $21,998,454 |
2008
- See also: California 2008 ballot propositions
2006
- See also: California 2006 ballot propositions
| Ballot measure | Subject | Signature collection company | Cost | Signatures required | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 82 | Education | Kimball Petition Management | $1,616,569 | 598,105 | $2.70 |
| Proposition 83 | Law enforcement | Bader & Associates | $700,000 | 373,816 | $1.87 |
| Proposition 84 | Bond issues | Kimball Petition Management | $1,043,484 | 373,816 | $2.79 |
| Proposition 85 | Abortion | Bader & Associates | $2,527,615 | 598,105 | $4.22 |
| Proposition 86 | Taxes | Master'son & Wright | $2,558,147 | 598,105 | $4.28 |
| Proposition 87 | Taxes | Kimball Petition Management | $2,382,280 | 598,105 | $3.98 |
| Proposition 88 | Taxes | National Petition Management | $4,226,621 | 598,105 | $7.06 |
| Proposition 89 | Elections and campaigns | [2] | 373,816 | ||
| Proposition 90 | Eminent domain | Arno Political Consultants | $1,788,706 | 598,105 | $2.99 |
| TOTAL: | $16,843,422 |
2005
- See also: California 2005 ballot propositions
| Ballot measure | Subject | Signature collection company | Cost | Signatures required | CPRS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposition 73 | Abortion | Bader & Associates, Inc. | $2,527,611 | 598,105 | $4.23 |
| Proposition 74 | Labor | NPM, Arno and Forde | $1,514,707 | 373,816 | $4.05 |
| Proposition 75 | Labor | NPM, Arno and Forde | $1,514,707 | 373,816 | $4.05 |
| Proposition 76 | Spending | NPM, Arno and Forde | $2,423,529 | 598,105 | $4.05 |
| Proposition 77 | Redistricting | NPM, Arno and Forde | $2,423,529 | 598,105 | $4.05 |
| Proposition 78 | Healthcare | Progressive and Bader | $2,415,397 | 373,816 | $6.46 |
| Proposition 79 | Healthcare | Kimball Petition Management | $4,635,466 | 373,816 | $12.40 |
| Proposition 80 | Energy | Kimball Petition Management | $4,839,466 | 373,816 | $12.95 |
| TOTAL: | $22,294,412 |
Note: The petition drives for Proposition 74, Proposition 75, Proposition 76 and Proposition 77 were conducted jointly. Three different petition drive management companies were involved. The expense reports were pooled. It is not therefore possible to determine the exact costs of each individual petition drive. The costs in this chart were derived by assuming that each signature in each of the four petition drives had the same cost. The overall cost of the four petition drives was $7,876,472.40.
Footnotes
- ↑ The Cal-Access database lists two campaign committees as having registered in support of Proposition 92. One of these organizations ("Yes on 92! Students and Educators in Support") shows no expenditures of any kind. The other organization, "Yes on Proposition 92, Californians for Improving Community Colleges, a Coalition of Educators and Community College Organizations", shows one $38,000 expenditure to Arno Political Consultants. In our judgment, it is very unlikely that only $38,000 was spent collecting signatures for Proposition 92. It is more likely that there is a flaw in the database.
- ↑ A search of expenditures in the Cal-Access database for Proposition 89 campaign committees shows no disbursements to petition drive management companies.
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