How To Write or Start A Petition

Writing a petition is not as hard as you think. For the best results, you need to think about a number of issues: identifying your target, writing the petition, gathering signatures, publicity and issues of privacy.

Identifying your target

This is the company or organization that you would like to see change what they are doing or take some action, which entirely depends on what the campaign is for. A target could range from a media corporation to a political party or the government. In some cases, it could have multiple targets.

Writing the Petition

Be concise while including all the important information. A good petition should quickly describe the situation for those who aren't totally aware and serve as a reminder for those already informed. It should suggest what is needed and who it is needed by and conclude with why it is needed. Again, make sure it is just a paragraph or two because people become disinterested quickly if it’s too wordy!

There are some regulations that come with making a petition which may influence whether you want to do a local, county or even state level petition. Call your local government (think Town or City Hall) and ask for the exact set of guidelines and regulations before you begin to learn what kind of information you need, how many signatures to aim for, and whether your petition needs approval before it even begins to circulate.

Gathering Signatures

If you're doing a paper petition, have copies of the petition summary and information for everyone who might be interested. Also, have paper and pens available for the signatures you wish to collect. Your signature page should have some columns, which you can add using a pen and ruler or have it printed with columns. These will usually include things like the name, address, phone number and of course the signature. (Provide plenty of space for the address because this is usually the longest category.)

Number these pages and make photocopies of them whenever you can so you have back up copies of your petition if something were to happen.

Depending on the kind of petition, the people who sign may have to be eligible registered voters, so keep this in mind when looking for people to sign on.

Online or Offline?

Nowadays, there are many online petitions. There is a different set of rules if you want them to be taken seriously, so these should be read through carefully. The rule will affect the way you present a petition and the kinds of information you need from the signers. The exact rules and regulations for legitimate petitions vary from state to state and country to country. To view some of them, you can visit: Go Petition, Petition Online, I Petitions, Petition Spot .

Online petitions do have their advantages though, the most important one being how much easier it is to access people. That’s why online petitions are becoming increasingly popular.

Offline petitions require a lot of legwork. For a paper petition, recruit a team to help you collect signatures. Also, create a plan that will include a list of high traffic areas you can hit and the dates and times you will be stationed at these various places.

Privacy

Those who sign a petition are usually required to leave some sort of personal information, to ensure that their signature and their opinion are legitimate. You should ensure that their personal information will not be shared with any third parties.

Online Examples

Click here to check out some successful petitions that you could use as examples for your own.

Sources:


Go Petition

Petition Online

I Petitions

Petition Spot