2009 California Government Code - Section 23510-23520 :: Article 2. Initiation Of Proceedings

23510.  Proceedings for the consolidation of two or more contiguous
counties may be initiated by petition, or by resolution of the board
of supervisors of each affected county filed with the board of
supervisors of the principal county.

23511.  A petition initiating proceedings shall be signed by
qualified electors of each affected county equaling in number not
less than 25 percent of the number of electors of each county
registered within the county on the date of the last preceding
gubernatorial election.
   Each elector, after signing a petition, shall add the name of the
county in which the elector resides, the elector's place of
residence, giving a street and number or a designation sufficient to
enable the place of residence to be readily ascertained, and the date
the elector signed the petition.

23512.  A petition may consist of a single instrument or several
counterparts.

23513.  A petition may designate not more than three persons as
chief petitioners setting forth their names and mailing addresses.

23514.  No petition shall be accepted for filing pursuant to this
article unless the signatures therein shall have been secured within
six months of the date on which the first signature on the petition
was affixed and such petition is submitted for filing as provided in
Section 23515 within 60 days after the last signature is affixed. If
the time between the date on which the last signature is affixed and
the date on which the petition is submitted for filing exceeds 60
days, or, if any signature on the petition has been secured more than
six months from the date on which the first signature was affixed,
the petition shall be considered insufficient and shall be filed by
the clerk as a public record without prejudice to the filing of a new
petition.

23515.  All petitions shall be filed with the clerk of the principal
county. All counterparts of a petition shall be filed at the same
time.

23516.  Within 30 days after the date of filing of a petition, the
clerk of the principal county shall examine the petition and
determine whether it is signed by the requisite number of electors.
When the clerk has completed the examination, the clerk shall certify
the results of the examination.

23517.  If the clerk certifies a petition to be insufficient the
clerk shall give mailed notice thereof to each of the chief
petitioners, if any, and file the petition as a public record without
prejudice to the filing of a new petition.

23518.  If the clerk certifies a petition to be sufficient, the
clerk shall immediately transmit a copy of the certification to the
board of supervisors of each county and to each of the chief
petitioners, if any.

23519.  In certifying the sufficiency of a petition, the clerk shall
compare the name of each person signing the petition with the
registration records of the county in which the person signing the
petition resides.

23520.  Upon receipt of the certification of a petition for county
consolidation or the adoption of resolutions pursuant to Section
23510, the board of the principal county shall forthwith transmit to
the Governor a copy of the certification or a certified copy of the
resolutions.