(1) Upon receipt of each petition sheet submitted on the petition form prescribed by the Secretary of State and containing a completed affidavit of circulation required under ARM 44.3.1003(1)(c), the county official responsible for registration of electors, or their designee, shall: 

(a) determine whether each signatory on the petition sheet is a registered voter in the county, and if so which legislative district that elector is registered;  

(b) verify the signature of each elector signing the petition by comparing each elector's petition signature with the signature of that elector as it appears in the records of the county election office; and

(c) determine the total number of verified electors in the county who have signed the petition and how many of the electors reside in each legislative district contained in whole or in part within the county.