When any such initiative or referendum petition shall be offered for filing, the Secretary of State, in the presence of the person offering the same for filing, shall detach the sheets containing the signatures and affidavits and cause them all to be attached to one or more printed copies of the measure so proposed by initiative or referendum petition. All petitions for the initiative and referendum and sheets for signatures shall be printed on pages eight and one-half (8 1/2) inches in width by fourteen (14) inches in length, with a margin of one and three-fourths (1 3/4) inches at the top for binding; if the aforesaid sheets shall be too bulky for convenient binding in one volume, they may be bound in two or more volumes, those in each volume to be attached to a single printed copy of such measure; the detached copies of such measures shall be delivered to the person offering the same for filing. Each of the volumes and each signature sheet therein shall be numbered consecutively, and a cover sheet shall be attached, showing the purported number of signature sheets, the series of numbers assigned to the signature sheets and the total number of signatures counted per volume. The Secretary of State shall render a signed receipt to the person offering the petition for filing, which receipt shall include a report, volume by volume, showing the number of signature sheets in each volume, the series of numbers assigned to the signature sheets in each volume, and the number of purported signatures in each volume. Duplicate copies of the cover sheets, with necessary corrections, may be used as receipts. If the volume of signatures is sufficiently large, the Secretary of State shall seal the petitions in such manner that they cannot be opened unless the seal is broken, and if requested by those filing said petition, they shall not be opened before 9:00 a.m. on the day following the date said petitions are filed and said procedure shall continue until such time as the Secretary shall be able to receipt the petitions so filed; but additional signature sheets shall not be accepted after 5:00 p.m. on ninetieth day. The Secretary of State shall not provide any copies of signature sheets to anyone until the sheets have been bound as provided in this section.

Provided, that whenever reference is made in this act to the Secretary of State, such reference shall include the Secretary of State or any officer constitutionally designated to perform the duties herein prescribed.

R.L. 1910, § 3371; Laws 1961, p. 265, § 4; Laws 1970, c. 185, § 1, emerg. eff. April 13, 1970; Laws 1992, c. 92, § 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1992.