California Investigates Petition Gatherers Offering Money for Signatures

Video shows petition circulators instructing people to use false names to sign ballot measures.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 9:33pm by Ben Kaplan

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California election officials have launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing petition gatherers in San Francisco offering to pay people $5 to sign ballot petitions, including one for a tech-backed measure to fight a proposed tax on billionaires. The state says offering money for signatures is illegal, and signatures on petitions are reviewed and verified against voter registration records.

Why it matters

This incident raises concerns about the integrity of the ballot initiative process in California, where campaigns can pay people to gather signatures to qualify measures for the ballot. Offering money for signatures is a violation of state election law and could undermine public trust in the democratic process.

The details

The video, posted on Monday, shows a sign offering '$5 to sign petition' and a woman at a folding table instructing people on what names and addresses to use to fill out the petitions. At least one of the petitions was for a measure backed by wealthy tech leaders to fight a proposed tax on billionaires.

  • The video was posted on Monday, March 10, 2026.
  • California election officials said they launched an investigation into the matter on Friday, March 13, 2026.

The players

California Secretary of State's Office

The state agency responsible for overseeing elections in California, which is investigating the incident.

Building a Better California

A committee started by wealthy business leaders, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, that is funding ballot measures to fight proposed taxes on billionaires.

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What they’re saying

“Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity.”

— Molly Weedn, Spokesperson for Building a Better California (baltimoresun.com)

“As soon as we became aware of the activities in question, we demanded that our signature-gathering firm identify the petition circulator, reject any and all petitions submitted by this circulator.”

— Nathan Click, Spokesperson for Building a Better California (baltimoresun.com)

What’s next

The California Secretary of State's Office said it is continuing its investigation into the incident and will work to reject any petitions collected through fraudulent means.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for stronger oversight and enforcement of ballot initiative laws in California to ensure the integrity of the democratic process and prevent attempts to manipulate it through illegal tactics.