If, for example, you want to petition your local government for a new park, look on your town’s website regarding regulations and rules for parks. See if you can find previous budgets or proposals for past parks, too.
If you are petitioning a government office, have the office direct you to the department that handles matters related to your cause. Then request petition guidelines. You may also want to confirm whether or not your petition needs approval prior to circulating.
”We support more funding for a park” is far too weak and general. Instead, try, “We demand that the Commissioners of Nature County allocate funds for a new park in the Adventure District. ” This statement will go at the top of your petition. You may choose to put it in larger and/or bolded text to make it stand out.
The longer your petition is, the less likely people will be to read it through completely or sign it. Try keeping your petition’s text to two or three short, easy to scan paragraphs. Adding a few bullet points or number can also he helpful. Do a check to make sure your petition text makes sense. Have someone else read it over to check for clarity and see if they understand your the problem and your campaign’s end goal.
You can even choose to print out a few extra copies and hand them out if someone requests such.
Try something like, “we call on the Department of Housing and Economic Development to require at least 20% voucher-sponsored housing in all buildings in the city within the next five years. "
You could add on a brief statement like, “To further support the cause, make an appointment to meet with the City Manager’s Office sometime before the City Council vote this coming March. "
Collect postal codes, zip codes, or any other information legally required so that you can verify the signers live in an area impacted by your petition issue. Print out more copies of the signature form than you think you’ll need. It’s always better to be over-prepared than to have to turn away impactful signatures. If you are using a website to collect signatures, the program will develop the signature form for you.
If you want to speak or solicit on private property or closed campuses, including schools, make sure you get the necessary permission first. If there is a local rally or event scheduled regarding your petition issue, ask if you can make a quick speech there to get people to sign. Be polite when soliciting signatures in person. Even if someone believes in your cause, they might not have the time or ability to support you at the moment. It’s always better to be polite. People may still contact you or help fund your cause later on.
Try not to flood people with e-mails. Sending an e-mail every day will not get results. Instead, follow up a first round of petitions with 1-2 reminders over the period when you are petitioning.
Use a designated hashtag that you develop specifically for your petition so that it is easy to track the attention your social media posts receive. Even if you’re petitioning for a national cause, focusing on local media can help gather support in your area and draw attention from larger media sources.
