Pro-Animal DC turns in 45,000 signatures for foie gras ballot measure

Pro-Animal DC submitted more than 45,000 voter signatures Monday to put Initiative 86, which would ban force-fed foie gras sales in the District, on the November 2026 ballot. D.C. election officials have 30 days to verify the signatures, and supporters say the campaign has already cleared the threshold needed to qualify.

Why it matters: - Initiative 86 would block sales of foie gras made through force-feeding in Washington, D.C., if voters approve the measure. - The campaign says the ballot drive could change what residents and restaurants can legally sell in the District. - Supporters frame the measure as part of a broader push to curb animal cruelty in U.S. food production.

What happened: - Pro-Animal DC submitted more than 45,000 D.C. voter signatures on Monday, July 6, outside the D.C. Board of Elections Office. - The signature delivery was joined by D.C. Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa, who is also the current D.C. Democratic Party candidate for at-large councilmember. - The D.C. Board of Elections says 28,728 valid signatures are required as of July 6, 2026, for Initiative 86 to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. - The D.C. Board of Elections Office says it has 30 days from submission to verify the signature count.

The details: - Pro-Animal DC says 198 circulators collected the signatures over 14 weeks. - The campaign says the measure would take effect July 1, 2027, if voters pass it. - Initiative 86 is titled the PROHIBITING THE FORCE-FEEDING OF BIRDS ACT of 2026. - The campaign says the signature submission ranks as the second-highest total for any D.C. ballot initiative, behind marijuana. - Organizers say they have already surpassed the requirement and expect the measure to qualify for the General Election ballot in November. - The proposal would make D.C. the latest jurisdiction to target foie gras sales tied to force-feeding. - Denver has a similar initiative on the ballot this November. - Portland, Oregon, passed a force-fed foie gras prohibition last month. - The source material says D.C. is the third-highest foie gras consuming city in the U.S., behind New York City and Las Vegas, citing a recent report.

Between the lines: - The campaign is trying to turn animal welfare into a local ballot issue with clear consumer and business consequences. - The signature count above the requirement suggests the campaign has built enough early support to reach the next stage, but election officials still need to validate the petitions. - Supporters are also using the measure to tap into a wider national debate over foie gras production and whether force-feeding should remain legal. - Owolewa said D.C. residents want a