Petitions shall be submitted to the county auditor who shall verify the signatures thereon to determine that the petition has been signed by the requisite number of persons who are registered voters within the proposed service area. If the petition is found not to have the requisite number of signatures, it shall be returned to the petitioners. If the petition is found to be sufficient, the auditor shall so certify and transmit the same to the board of county commissioners.
RCW 36.68.430