Conservative group proposes digital signatures to cut costs and curb fraud in ballot petitions

A conservative advocacy group, the Prosperity for US Foundation, has created a digital-signature platform aimed at replacing the traditional "wet" signatures required for citizen-initiated ballot measures. Executive director Bob Carlstrom explained that the system would pre-authenticate signers using their name, birth date, voter registration details, driver’s license number, and the last four digits of their Social Security number before forwarding the data to a secretary of state.

The foundation contends that such authentication could slash the per-signature cost from roughly $12-$15 to less than $2 and reduce overall campaign budgets from millions to under a million dollars in medium-sized states. While Utah currently allows digital signatures, officials in Georgia and South Carolina have expressed curiosity about the technology. The proposal comes amid recent disputes over signature validation in Oregon and Nebraska, and a wave of more than 100 bills in over 15 states seeking to tighten petition rules. The group also promotes broader fiscal reforms, including limits on property-tax growth and mandatory voter approval for new taxes.