That website would be an excellent place to post an approved copy of the referendum petition in PDF format. The approved version can be rapidly distributed via the website for a signature gathering blitz.
There is still another route to failure. The initiative petition to get 2nd amendment language added to the CA constitution failed because the people "counting" the "valid" signatures made sure there would not be enough.
Good idea. I am not the owner of the site. (I heard it promoted on KSFO in San Francisco, Monday.)
On your second point, people have not given up.
Check out
http://www.caproprkba.org/
You do make a valid point. It's not the votes, but the people counting the votes that determines the election. Heard that a lot during the 2000 presidential recount.