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Learning how to right a petition will allow you to take political/social action into your own hands to create a change in policy. Here are some tips on writing a petition that will get people’s voices heard:
Find out if the issue you are petitioning falls under local, state, or federal jurisdiction. After that, contact the specific office that the issue falls under to learn the petitioning guidelines. This will help you in constructing your petition statement and inform you on how many signatures you need for the petition to become effective.
Based on the petition guidelines, draft your petition statement in a concise way that gets the point across clearly. Make the statement look professional by typing it out and proofread it to find any grammatical. Format the sign-up sheet in four columns: Name, address/email, phone number, and signature (necessary information may vary according to the petition guidelines). Print off several forms depending on the amount of signatures you need. Attach the sign-up sheets to a clipboard and put the petition statement on top so people can get the gist of the issue before signing the petition.
Online petitions are a great paperless tool and have been used to petition a great deal of issues over the past decade. Ipetition.com and petitionsonline.com are two great sources that provide free hosting for online petitions. This gives you another avenue for gathering signatures from people who are not in your area and support your issue.
Go to local businesses, grocery stores, and shopping malls to get the word out about your issue (make sure to get permission first). Get your friends and family on board so your petition sheet doesn’t look blank once you go out to the public. Create some buzz online by making a Facebook page, posting a video on YouTube, or creating you own website if you have the money. Also try to get some press in your local newspaper or TV station if you can. Generating buzz is the best way to get the word out to people who are unaware of the issue.
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