Supreme Court issues 8-1 ruling that anti-gay petition signatories may be made public
They sided with gay-rights activists, and the matter will go back to a lower court. Clarence Thomas was the sole dissenting vote, and Chief Justice Roberts authored the majority opinion.
So, if someone signs a petition to, say, put an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot, their name will be considered a public record and can be disclosed. But, the ruling did come with a caveat: if concerned parties can demonstrate “a reasonable probability” to a federal court that those who sign petitions will be the victim of “threats, harassment, or reprisals from either government officials or private parties," than their names can be barred from disclosure. So, this issue may not be completely resolved.
So, if someone signs a petition to, say, put an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot, their name will be considered a public record and can be disclosed. But, the ruling did come with a caveat: if concerned parties can demonstrate “a reasonable probability” to a federal court that those who sign petitions will be the victim of “threats, harassment, or reprisals from either government officials or private parties," than their names can be barred from disclosure. So, this issue may not be completely resolved.