Case Study: Bricker & Eckler LLP achieves rapid petition-fraud detection and invalidation with Relativity

Ricker & Eckler Uses Relativity to Identify Illegalities in Petition Process

Bricker & Eckler LLP was asked by a medical provider association to pressure-test a high-stakes Ohio ballot petition that contained about 19,000 part-petitions and over 490,000 signatures. With only weeks to analyze massive amounts of handwritten signature data and to identify circulator noncompliance, duplication, and other irregularities, the firm turned to Relativity to build an efficient, defensible review process.

Using Relativity’s open platform and APIs (with developer partner NSerio), Bricker & Eckler LLP built Petition Analyzer—integrating USPS and Google Maps/Search validation, clicker-based automatic signature counting, and an interactive county map to surface anomalies and validate data in one repository. The team analyzed more than 490,000 signatures in four days, presented clear, map-based evidence to the court, and less than six weeks after filing the petition was invalidated—saving the client tens of millions of dollars.

Bricker & Eckler LLP

Chris Slagle

Partner and Chair of the Government Relations Group