. SEC. 0. Section 0000 of the Elections Code, as amended by Section 0 of Chapter 000 of the Statutes of 0000, is amended to read: 0000. (a) Each section of the petition shall be filed with the elections official of the county or city and county in which it was circulated, but all sections circulated in any county or city and county shall be filed at the same time. Once filed, no petition section shall be amended except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. (b) Within 00 days after the filing of the petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the total number of signatures affixed to the petition and, in the case of an initiative petition, the total number of signatures submitted for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 0000. The elections official shall transmit this information to the Secretary of State. If the total number of signatures filed with all elections officials is less than 000 percent of the number of qualified voters required to find the petition sufficient or, in the case of an initiative petition, the number of signatures submitted for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 0000 is less than the total number needed to satisfy the requirement of that subdivision, the Secretary of State shall so notify the proponents and the elections officials, and no further action shall be taken with regard to the petition. (c) If the number of signatures filed with all elections officials is 000 percent or more of the number of qualified voters needed to declare the petition sufficient and, in the case of an initiative petition, the number of signatures submitted for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 0000 is equal to or greater than the total number needed to satisfy the requirement of that subdivision, the Secretary of State shall immediately so notify the elections officials. (d) (0) Within 00 days after this notification, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the elections official shall determine the number of qualified voters who have signed the petition and the number of qualified voters who have signed a section of the petition that satisfies the requirement of subdivision (a) of Section 0000. (0) (A) If more than 000 names have been signed on sections of the petition filed with an elections official, the elections official shall use a random sampling technique for verification of signatures, as determined by the Secretary of State. The random sample of signatures to be verified shall be drawn from all petition sections in such a manner that every signature filed with the elections official shall be given an equal opportunity to be included in the sample. (B) For initiative petitions, a second random sample of signatures shall be drawn from all petition sections submitted to satisfy subdivision (a) of Section 0000 and verified according to the procedures set forth by the Secretary of State. The verification of signatures that are submitted for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 0000 shall be consistent with subdivision (g) of that section. (C) In each case, the random sampling shall include an examination of at least 000 signatures or 0 percent of the signatures on the respective petitions or sections of petitions, whichever is greater. (0) In determining from the records of registration the number of qualified voters who have signed the petition, the elections official may use 