District of Columbia Council Period 26 Status: Enacted

PR 26-0499 — Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

Last action — Resolution R26-0301, Effective from Jan 06, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 000460

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Council
  4. ✓
    To Executive
  5. 5
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 05, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

43 added · 48 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to the bill clarify rules about how signatures are handled on election petitions in D.C. Now, petition circulators must affirm that they have not altered any signer's information after the signer has signed. Additionally, the bill prohibits altering signer information, except when a signer requests assistance before they sign. This matters because it strengthens the integrity of the nomination process and ensures that all signatures accurately reflect the intent of the voter.

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________________________ Councilmember Anita Bonds 4 A PROPOSED RESOLUTION _____________________ IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA _____________________ To declare the need to amend, on an emergency basis, the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to require candidate nomination petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a petition after a signer has signed the petition;
ENROLLED ORIGINAL A RESOLUTION 26-301 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA January 6, 2026 To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to require candidate nomination petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a petition after a signer has signed the petition, prohibit anyone from altering signer information provided by the petition signer, except in cases where the signer requests assistance in signing the petition before signing the petition, require initiative, referendum, and recall petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a petition after a signer has signed the petition, and prohibit anyone from altering signer information provided by the petition signer on an initiative, referendum, or recall petition , except in cases where the signer requests assistance in signing the petition before signing the petition.
to prohibit anyone from altering signer information provided by the petition signer, except in cases where the signer requests assistance in signing the petition before signing the petition;
to amend the Initiative, Referendum and Recall Procedures Act of 1979 to require initiative, referendum and recall petition affidavits to state that the circulator has not altered signer information on a petition after a signer has signed the petition;
and, to prohibit anyone from altering signer information provided by the petition signer, except in cases where the signer requests assistance in signing the petition.
This emergency bill is identical to B26- 233, which unanimously passed first reading by the Committee of the Whole on December 16, 2025.
The emergency bill is identical to Bill 26-233, which unanimously passed on first reading on December 16, 2025.
Although B26-233 is on track for Council approval, it will be months before that bill becomes law due to mayoral and congressional review periods.
Although Bill 26-233 is on track for Council approval, it will be months before that bill becomes law due to mayoral and congressional review periods.
(c) B26-233 has widespread support because it provides clarity to circulators and the Board of Elections by banning changes to petitions after a signer affixes their signature.
(c) Bill 26-233 has widespread support because it provides clarity to circulators and the Board of Elections by banning changes to petitions after a signer affixes their signature.
The 2026 election cycle will include many high-profile, contested races – including for Delegate, Mayor, Attorney General, and Chairman of the Council – and it is crucial that we begin the petition period with the provisions of this law in effect.
The 2026 election cycle will include many high-profile, contested races – including for Delegate, Mayor, Attorney General, and Chairman of the Council – and it is crucial that we begin the petition ENROLLED ORIGINAL period with the provisions of this law in effect.
The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances, making in necessary that the “Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026” be adopted after a single reading.
The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Petition Administration Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 be adopted after a single reading.
The resolution shall take effect immediately.
This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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Action History

  1. Resolution R26-0301, Effective from Jan 06, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 000460

  2. Approved with Resolution Number R26-0301

  3. Final Reading

  4. Retained by the Council

  5. PR26-0499 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 13 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (13)

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Final Reading

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 12000
Total 12000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (12)
Member Party Vote
Anita Bonds — Yea
Brianne K. Nadeau — Yea
Brooke Pinto — Yea
Charles Allen — Yea
Christina Henderson — Yea
Janeese Lewis George — Yea
Matthew Frumin — Yea
Phil Mendelson — Yea
Robert C. White, Jr. — Yea
Trayon White, Sr. — Yea
Wendell Felder — Yea
Zachary Parker — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors PR 26-0499?
PR 26-0499 is sponsored by Anita Bonds.
What is the current status of PR 26-0499?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 05, 2026. Enacted.
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