CIRRRA is about amplifying citizens’ voices. That’s it. Simple.The only direct effect the voters of California can have on politics besides voting are the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall processes. In 1911, California adopted the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall system to allow for a more direct democracy by giving voters a chance to introduce legislation, stop legislation, and oust representatives. Not every state in the US has been given this opportunity.That was then, this is now! It’s 2019, and it is time we modernize these processes! Society has experienced a remarkable boom in technology. According to the Census bureau, 8 out of 10 Americans have high speed internet.
Californians can now register to vote online, renew our drivers licenses online, and get thousands of dollars in student loans via electronic signatures online...you can even buy a house with DocuSign! Unfortunately, the Initiative, Referendum, and Recall process has been rendered all but useless to the average voter. With our busy schedules and limited resources, most voters do not have the time to stand in front of grocery stores to collect signatures. Special interest groups know this!These groups find ways of using this to their advantage, leaving the intended purpose of the system out of reach and useless to citizens. They can afford to pay circulators to do the job! We must even the odds by making it easier for participation using the technology we use daily. Can you imagine a day when you can sign a petition using your mobile phone?! If you have a CA driver’s license, your signature is likely already on file at the DMV. This reform will allow you to use that signature to sign a petition electronically at the Secretary of State’s website. Some may be intimidated by technology, so you can still sign using pen and paper, but you won’t have to do so! Your signature will be verified immediately thereby reducing the daunting and controversial task of counting and verifying signatures. No third party. No app. It’s that simple! And you can check on the progress!It’s important to note this initiative does not change anything else and is directed to work with all other existing constitutional and/or statutory directives related to initiative referendum and recall processes.
The Secretary of State has already been using electronic signatures safely and securely with their voter registration program. We can even access and transfer our electronic signatures from DMV’s database, but we are not permitted to transfer the digital signature directly to a petition. Yes, they are using the digital signatures for their convenience, but we are not allowed to use it for ours! Perhaps our government would rather we not participate?! It’s time for CIRRRA!
Find out why this initiative reform is important and how it affects our livws!
