Petitioning

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ChecklistA petition is like a letter with a thousand signatures. It's easier to get people to sign a petition than write a letter. Officials know this-that's why they pay more attention to a letter-writing campaign. But a petition will help spread the word about your cause and your organization.

Give your petition a clear, simple title. Tell what you want.

Address the petition to an individual or group who can help you with your problem.

Write your petition like a short letter. Briefly describe the problem, your plan, and your reasons.

Provide numbered spaces for people to write their signature, address, and telephone number. The numbers will help you count the signatures you have collected.

Include your group's name on the petition.

 

Make every page a separate petition. That way more than one person can gather signatures. Also it makes it clear that people knew what they were signing.

 

Get permission to set up a table at school or at the local mall.

Be able to tell people about the problem and your strategy in clear, simple language. People will want to know more before they sign.

Let people make up their own minds. Deliver your message and let your ideas speak for themselves.

Get your friends to sign first. People will feel better if a lot of other people have already signed your petition.

Set a deadline. Energy for the drive will last a short time. Make the drive short. You can hen claim, "In only a week, we collected 500 signatures."

Make copies of the petition before you deliver it. You may want to contact the people who signed it.

Do something special to deliver the petition. Present it at a public meeting or invite the media.