SECTIONS 23510-23520

23510.  Proceedings for the consolidation of two or more contiguouscounties may be initiated by petition, or by resolution of the boardof supervisors of each affected county filed with the board ofsupervisors of the principal county.23511.  A petition initiating proceedings shall be signed byqualified electors of each affected county equaling in number notless than 25 percent of the number of electors of each countyregistered within the county on the date of the last precedinggubernatorial election. Each elector, after signing a petition, shall add the name of thecounty in which the elector resides, the elector's place ofresidence, giving a street and number or a designation sufficient toenable the place of residence to be readily ascertained, and the datethe elector signed the petition.23512.  A petition may consist of a single instrument or severalcounterparts.23513.  A petition may designate not more than three persons aschief petitioners setting forth their names and mailing addresses.23514.  No petition shall be accepted for filing pursuant to thisarticle unless the signatures therein shall have been secured withinsix months of the date on which the first signature on the petitionwas affixed and such petition is submitted for filing as provided inSection 23515 within 60 days after the last signature is affixed. Ifthe time between the date on which the last signature is affixed andthe date on which the petition is submitted for filing exceeds 60days, or, if any signature on the petition has been secured more thansix months from the date on which the first signature was affixed,the petition shall be considered insufficient and shall be filed bythe clerk as a public record without prejudice to the filing of a newpetition.23515.  All petitions shall be filed with the clerk of the principalcounty. All counterparts of a petition shall be filed at the sametime.23516.  Within 30 days after the date of filing of a petition, theclerk of the principal county shall examine the petition anddetermine whether it is signed by the requisite number of electors.When the clerk has completed the examination, the clerk shall certifythe results of the examination.23517.  If the clerk certifies a petition to be insufficient theclerk shall give mailed notice thereof to each of the chiefpetitioners, if any, and file the petition as a public record withoutprejudice to the filing of a new petition.23518.  If the clerk certifies a petition to be sufficient, theclerk shall immediately transmit a copy of the certification to theboard of supervisors of each county and to each of the chiefpetitioners, if any.23519.  In certifying the sufficiency of a petition, the clerk shallcompare the name of each person signing the petition with theregistration records of the county in which the person signing thepetition resides.23520.  Upon receipt of the certification of a petition for countyconsolidation or the adoption of resolutions pursuant to Section23510, the board of the principal county shall forthwith transmit tothe Governor a copy of the certification or a certified copy of theresolutions.