2007 California Elections Code Chapter 2. Nomination Documents

CA Codes (elec:17100)

17100.  (a) All nomination documents and signatures in lieu of
filing fee petitions filed in accordance with this code shall be held
by the officer with whom they are filed during the term of office
for which they are filed and for four years after the expiration of
the term.
   (b) Thereafter, the documents and petitions shall be destroyed as
soon as practicable unless they either are in evidence in some action
or proceeding then pending or unless the elections official has
received a written request from the Attorney General, the Secretary
of State, the Fair Political Practices Commission, a district
attorney, a grand jury, or the governing body of a county, city and
county, or district, including a school district, that the documents
and petitions be preserved for use in a pending or ongoing
investigation into election irregularities, the subject of which
relates to the placement of a candidate's name on the ballot, or in a
pending or ongoing investigation into a violation of the Political
Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000) of the
Government Code).
   (c) Public access to the documents described in subdivision (a)
shall be limited to viewing the documents only.  The public may not
copy or distribute copies of the documents described in subdivision
(a) that contain signatures of voters.