A copy of the petition, required by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 82a-1335, setting forth the text of the petition in full, shall be circulated among the eligible water right holders of the proposed district. A duplicate original or a photographic copy of the original petition, with copies of all signature sheets attached thereto, shall be furnished to the county clerk of each county wherein lies a part of the proposed district. All counterparts shall be filed with the secretary of state at the same time and shall be received and treated by the secretary as a single petition. The secretary of state shall determine the sufficiency or insufficiency of the petition on the basis of the information as to the number and qualification of signers as shown by the verified enumeration filed with the petition. The secretary of state shall endorse the findings and the date thereof on the face of the petition, and shall notify in writing, the person designated in the petition as the acting chairperson of the steering committee of the findings.