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Initiatives, recalls, and referendums

Disclaimer

The following information is provided as general information for an initiative, referendum, or recall in the City of Santa Ana ("City"). The City is not advocating for or against any particular petition and the City Clerk does not provide legal advice to the public. It is strongly recommended that proponents consult with a private attorney on the process requirements and/or questions related to the subject matter of this material. It is the responsibility of the proponents to obtain the most up-to-date information available, reflecting changes in laws or procedure.

Voters can adopt a change in law (an initiative), disapprove a law passed by the Council (a referendum), or remove an elected official from office (a recall).
Pursuant to the City of Santa Ana Charter, Article XII. – Section 1205 the below provisions of the Elections Code (EC) of the State of California shall apply to:

  • Initiative, Elections Code 9200-9226
  • Referendum, Elections Code 9235-9247
  • Recall, Elections Code 11000-11386

The number of qualified signatures required in order to qualify a recall for the ballot is based on a percentage depending upon the number of registered voters in the jurisdiction pursuant to Elections Code 11221. Number of valid signatures required for filing a recall petition to the City Clerk can be found on the Orange County Registrar of Voters Election Data website, https://ocvote.com/datacentral/.

The City Clerk serves as the elections official for the City of Santa Ana. All petition filings must be done during the City’s normal business hours (Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and every other Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Our holiday and Friday closure schedules can be found at https://www.santa-ana.org/holiday-and-closed-friday-schedule.

The receipt of a petition is not an indication that the petition meets all legal requirements.

Request to Remove Signature from Petition (Form: English, Spanish, Vietnamese)

Any voter may withdraw his or her signature as registered from the petition upon filing a written request with the elections official prior to the day the petition section on which the signature appears is filed. (Elections Code 103, 11303)

Please submit the completed and original with "wet" signature by mail or in-person only to:

City Clerk
20 Civic Center Plaza M-30
Santa Ana, CA 92702

To Contact City Clerk, please call (714) 647-6520 or by email cityclerk@santa-ana.org.

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