Saying that a signer will be charged with a felony if the circulator doesn't read the statement is a mischaracterization of the law and a scare tactic, he said.

Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said if a petition signer gives someone else's name or address, they are going to be in trouble.

"That's the most significant thing for someone who's asked to sign," Evnen said.

The requirement that the language of the petition be read to the signer is the circulator's obligation, he said. He's not aware of any investigation, charge or prosecution of anyone who has signed a petition.

The statement on the mailed postcard that says the signer can be charged with a crime if the circulator doesn't read all the language is incorrect, he said.

Morfeld said the reason these types of scare tactics are being sent out is that petition issues such as medical marijuana are popular and likely to pass once they get on the ballot.

The cards also tell voters that if they sign a petition, their names become accessible on the internet, and corporations and political parties can purchase the names and use them to send telemarketing messages to phones and via junk mail.