Article 12(Examination and Confirmation of Petition Book) #
(1) The representative of petitioners shall submit a written petition for residents' voting and a petition book (in cases of a digital petition book, submitting means that the representative of petitioners requests the head of the relevant local government to utilize the digital petition book in person) to the head of the relevant local government within 10 days from the expiration date of the period of solicitation for signatures pursuant to Article 10 (3) in cases of a City/Do, and within five days in cases of a Si/Gun/Gu. <Amended on Apr. 26, 2022>
(2) Any signature falling under any of the following subparagraphs shall be null and void: <Amended on May 29, 2016>
1. A signature of a person who is not a petitioner for residents' voting;
2. A signature which is illegible to identify whose signature it is;
3. A signature written at the request of a person without the right to solicit signatures;
4. Where the same person has written not less than two valid signatures on the same matter, the remaining signature excluding one signature among them;
5. A signature written during a period other than the period of solicitation for signatures pursuant to Article 10 (3) or a signature written during the period of solicitation for signatures is restricted pursuant to Article 11 (1);
6. A signature procured by coercion, fraud or other unlawful means;
7. A signature in violation of methods and procedures prescribed by municipal ordinance of the local government by delegation under this Act.
(3) When a written petition for residents' voting and a petition book have been submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), the head of a local government shall publish such request for residents' voting without delay and keep a petition book (in cases of a digital petition book, referring to its printed version) or copy thereof in a place open to the public for seven days so that residents may read such. <Amended on Apr. 26, 2022>
(4) Any person who has an objection to a signature on a petition book may file an objection with the head of the local government in writing within the period for public inspection pursuant to paragraph (3).
(5) When an objection is filed pursuant to paragraph (4), the head of a local government shall examine such within 14 days from the date when the period for public inspection pursuant to paragraph (3) expires, and notify a demurrant and the representative of petitioners of the result thereof without delay.
(6) When deemed necessary in connection with a formal objection pursuant to paragraph (5), the head of a local government may request an interested person to state his or her opinions or bear testimony.
(7) When signatures on a petition book submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) are judged as invalid signatures and fail to meet the requirements pursuant to Article 9 (2), the head of a local government may have the representative of petitioners correct such within the period prescribed by municipal ordinance of the local government.
(8) Where a request for residents' voting pursuant to paragraph (1) falls under any of the following subparagraphs, the head of a local government shall reject such. In such cases, the head of a local government shall notify the representative of petitioners of the grounds therefor and publish the same: <Amended on May 29, 2016>
1. Where the total number of valid signatures (when a correction is requested pursuant to paragraph (7), including the corrected signatures) fails to meet the requirements pursuant to Article 9 (2);
2. Where a written request for residents' voting and a petition book have been submitted after the lapse of the period pursuant to paragraph (1);
3. Where corrections have not been made within the period for correction pursuant to paragraph (7).
(9) Except as provided in paragraph (1) through (8), matters necessary for the petition for residents' voting by residents, such as the methods of submitting petition books, the examination and confirmation of signatures, shall be prescribed by ordinance of the relevant local government. <Amended on Apr. 26, 2022>