California election officials are investigating allegations that signature collectors paid individuals $5 to sign ballot petitions using other voters’ names, according to video evidence captured in San Francisco that has raised serious questions about the integrity of the state’s petition process.
The Alleged Fraud Scheme
The video reportedly shows petition signature gatherers offering cash payments to individuals who would sign ballot initiatives using names that did not belong to them. At least one petition visible in the footage promoted a tech-industry-backed ballot measure designed to counter a proposed tax on billionaires. The initiative received funding from Building a Better California, a political committee launched by prominent business leaders, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who contributed $20 million to the effort.
🚨CA ELECTION PROBE: A video filmed in San Francisco appears to show petition signature collectors offering $5 for signatures and telling people to sign for proposed ballot initiatives with OTHER VOTERS’ names.
The California Secretary of State’s office says it has opened an… pic.twitter.com/SPklj2zy9m
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 11, 2026
Campaign representatives quickly distanced themselves from the alleged fraudulent activity. Molly Weedn, spokesperson for the anti-billionaire-tax campaign, stated that the signature collectors were not directly employed by the campaign organization. She emphasized that campaign attorneys reported the matter to authorities immediately upon learning of the video and that they are working to reject any petitions containing falsified information.
Campaign Response and Additional Petitions
“Under no circumstance do we tolerate this type of activity,” Weedn said in her official statement. The campaign notified elections officials as soon as the video surfaced online. A second ballot petition also funded by Building a Better California appeared in the same video footage. This measure would prohibit new taxes on retirement savings. Spokesperson Nathan Click confirmed that the campaign has zero tolerance for fraudulent signature-gathering practices and demanded their signature-gathering firm identify the petition circulator involved and reject all submissions from that individual.
Implications for Election Integrity
The investigation highlights ongoing concerns about the ballot initiative process in California, where signature gathering has become a lucrative industry with paid collectors working on multiple campaigns simultaneously. The alleged scheme undermines public confidence in the petition system that allows citizens to place measures directly on the ballot. State law requires valid signatures from registered voters using their actual names, and violations can result in criminal penalties. The outcome of this investigation could prompt reforms to signature collection oversight and verification procedures across the state.