Opinion No. (2003)

Dear Representative Ray Vaughn

¶ 0 This office has received your request for an official Attorney General Opinion in which you ask, in effect, the following question:

On an initiative or referendum petition, does a municipal clerk have the authority to exclude from the signature count certain signatures, which may render the petition legally insufficient for failure to possess the required number of signatures?

¶ 1 Municipalities may provide, by charter or ordinance, the procedure for exercising the people's initiative and referendum powers. 11 O.S. 2001, § 15-102[11-15-102]. Because we cannot…