State initiative checkers are always cranky about how many bad signatures are submitted by some sponsors. We’re not talking doctors’ signature bad, but rather the traditionally high number that are either not registered voters or are duplicates or dippy (as in using the name “Mickey Mouse”).  

Historically, about 1 in 5 signatures, over 18 percent,  don’t pan out. One recent measure had a 26.1 percent error rate and plenty have topped 20 percent. It’s bad enough that officials suggest that sponsors turn in a 25 percent pad on top of the legally required minimum. (300,000 this year, to qualify an initiative that needs 241k valid signatures.)

But sponsors of I-1033 get a gold star for an unusually low error rate, 12 percent. The measure, dealing with revenue growth limits for state, county and city general funds and property tax relief from excess revenue, qualified for the ballot Wednesday.  Sponsors had submitted over 315k signatures.  

 “It’s one of the lowest invalidation rates we’ve ever seen, and possibly even the lowest,” says initiatives supervisor Teresa Glidden. 

While obviously not taking a position on the measure or wading into the debate over use of paid signature-gatherers, state elections Director Nick Handy says Eyman’s organization and their vendor, Citizen Solutions, are clearly doing a good job of training their crews and screening out any obvious problem signatures before the petitions are submitted for scrutiny. Eyman says the Spokane-based co-chairs, Jack and Mike Fagan, are “fervent” in reviewing every petition sheet.