Pasadena Charter Amendment Petition Falls Short of Goals
City officials rejected the petition after it missed the required threshold for ballot certification by 135 signatures.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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The Pasadena City Clerk has declared a charter amendment petition insufficient after it failed to meet the required signature count. Verification by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder determined the effort fell 135 signatures short of the 13,743 required for certification.
Why it matters
The rejection halts the current effort to place the amendment on the ballot, as the petition failed to secure the necessary support from 15% of the city's registered voters.
The petition submitted 28,214 total signatures, but 14,606 were rejected due to issues including unregistered signers and duplicate submissions. The requirement is set at 15% of the 91,619 total registered voters in Pasadena.
The players
Pasadena Housing Providers
This organization acted as the primary sponsor for the charter amendment petition.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder
This agency is responsible for the verification of signatures on election petitions.
The details
The County Clerk examined 28,214 total submissions over 30 business days, ultimately finding 14,606 signatures insufficient. Rejections were largely driven by 4,074 unregistered signers, 3,217 out-of-district signers, 2,902 signature mismatches, and 2,336 duplicates.
Timeline
March 30, 2026: Notice of Intention to Circulate was published.
September 9, 2026: The petition was submitted for verification.
October 22, 2026: The county examination period concluded.
October 23, 2026: The Registrar-Recorder signed the certification of insufficiency.
October 24, 2026: The City Clerk sent the official notification letter to the proponent.
Political Context
The petition verification process is strictly governed by California's Elections Code Section 9114, which mandates the specific examination period and certification requirements for local initiatives. Opposition groups typically focus on these rigorous verification standards to challenge the validity of ballot measures.
The rejection of this petition means the proposed charter amendment will not appear on the upcoming ballot for city residents to vote upon. Residents seeking to understand the specific reasons for disqualification may see further public discussions regarding signature collection standards.
The takeaway
This outcome illustrates the difficulty of meeting high signature thresholds during the petition verification process. Organizers must ensure nearly half of all collected signatures remain valid to successfully move a local charter measure toward a public vote.
What happens next
Proponents have an 81-day window starting from the October 23 certification to review the disqualified signatures. Pasadena Housing Providers intends to utilize this timeline for a secondary review, with long-term plans to seek ballot placement for the amendment in 2028.
Further reading
For more on local governance and local ballot initiatives, visit the Civic Engagement section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pasadena Now.
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