This blog post takes a close look at an ABC7 I-Team investigation into a Tenderloin couple accused of paying homeless people to sign petition sheets for the Building a Better California initiative. It also digs into what this could mean for election integrity in Marin County towns like San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Sausalito.
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What happened in San Francisco’s Tenderloin
The I-Team spotted a couple in San Francisco’s Tenderloin allegedly paying homeless individuals to sign petitions using other people’s names. Reporters caught up with them as petitions sat out on the street and on their dashboard.
The man denied paying anyone and mentioned privacy rights, but then got pretty aggressive. Neighborhood advocate J.J. Smith filmed the couple offering $5 for 10 signatures and telling a homeless man to sign under someone else’s name.
The man refused because it wasn’t his name. The petitions were for Building a Better California, an initiative backed by tech figures like Sergey Brin, Eric Schmidt, John Doerr, and Patrick Collison.
Campaign spokesperson Molly Weedn said they have a zero-tolerance policy, have already alerted law enforcement, and will ban the circulator once identified. Attorney Kurt Oneto, representing the campaign, said they reported the incidents to elections officials and district attorneys and demanded that the petition firm identify and exclude the fraudulent circulator.
The I-Team found obviously fake names, including one belonging to someone who died in 2009 and another who no longer lives in the area. Oneto pointed out that California has systems to screen out fraudulent signatures, but said law enforcement should act quickly.
The campaign’s attorneys are working with investigators and have reinforced protocols with their signature-gathering firm. It’s not just a Tenderloin issue—these kinds of problems can pop up anywhere.
Campaign response and safeguards
Campaign leaders say they’re committed to strict controls and accountability. The Building a Better California team promised to remove anyone found circulating fraudulent petitions and to keep working with elections officials and district attorneys to stop shady practices.
The attorneys have pushed the petition firm to identify the circulator and take action. The I-Team’s findings, like the use of dead names, really highlight why the campaign says California’s screening measures matter.
Supporters say vigilance can’t let up, and they stress the need to work with law enforcement to prevent repeat offenses. In Marin County towns—Novato, Petaluma, Tiburon—voters should double-check petition integrity and report anything sketchy to county elections offices.
California’s screening and enforcement tools
Attorney Oneto says California has built-in systems to catch fraudulent signatures, including checks for invalid or deceased individuals. The focus is on combining automated screening with fast action from law enforcement if things look off.
The Building a Better California campaign and its lawyers are cooperating with investigations and tightening the signature-gathering firm’s protocols. If someone commits fraud, they’ll get pulled from the process.
For Marin County readers, this means safeguards exist, but oversight is always needed. Local elections officials in Marin—from San Rafael to Corte Madera and beyond—will keep an eye out for anything suspicious, aiming to make sure every signature really counts and belongs to a real, eligible voter.
What this means for Marin County voters
Marin residents are getting ready for ballots. This whole situation really highlights why folks should stick to official channels and double-check signatures—especially when petition drives get tangled up in big campaigns.
From Mill Valley to Fairfax, volunteers and voters need to keep an eye out for pressure tactics or any weird cash offers tied to signature gathering. Nobody wants to see the process get hijacked by shady moves.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you care about keeping local initiatives legit:
- Avoid taking cash or incentives to sign petitions. Only sign your own name, and only if you’re eligible.
- Don’t sign for anyone else. Make sure every signature matches the person actually signing.
- If you notice anything suspicious, report it. Call your local elections office, Marin County Elections, San Anselmo, or even the Sheriff’s Department if something feels off.
- Trust the established signature verification process, but remember—high-profile issues can attract some pretty unsavory tactics.
San Rafael and Tamalpais Valley voters are heading to the polls soon. California’s system checks signatures and lets authorities jump in fast if there’s fraud, which is honestly reassuring.
If Marin County residents stay informed and talk to local election officials, they’ll help keep every ballot measure safe—whether it’s in Sausalito’s waterfront neighborhoods or up in the Fairfax hills.
Here is the source article for this story: EXCLUSIVE: I-Team confronts couple paying SF homeless for fake signatures on petitions
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