Section 116.334

Title IX SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 116

Effective - 04 Nov 2014, 2 histories, see footnote   

  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).