Supreme Court boosts signature collectors

Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999 | 2:28 a.m.

The court ruled in a Colorado case that people who gather signatures for petitions don't have to be registered voters of the area where they collect petitions.

Nevada has such a requirement, according to Secretary of State Dean Heller. But he welcomed the decision, saying it removes a stumbling block to qualifying petitions.

Rick Arnold, chief executive officer of Carson City-based National Voter Outreach, says the court decision will make his job easier.

National Voter Outreach uses paid circulators to gather signatures for initiative petitions in 24 states. All but five of the states require circulators to be registered voters of the areas where they collect signatures.

Under the court's decision, people who collect petitions don't even have to be registered voters. They can't be forced to wear identification badges either.

Despite the current requirements, Arnold's company gathered enough signatures to place 28 initiatives on ballots in 1996, including three in Colorado.

Even with the court decision, Arnold added his company still will hire people from local areas to do signature gathering.

"We would still tend to hire locals," he said. "That would be our preference. It is better all around. We would be putting money back into the local economies."