How to Deliver Your Petition
Once you’ve finished collecting petition signatures, the next step is to actually deliver them in person to the person your petition is addressed to. Here are tips on delivering your petition:
- Downloading Your Petition
To download a PDF of your petition to print and deliver, log into MoveOn’s petition website using your email and password. After you log in, you’ll be taken to your petition dashboard. Click the “Print” button next to the petition you want to print. You will then have the option of either printing your entire petition in one document or splitting your petition into multiple documents sorted by state, district, or number of signatures to make large files more manageable. Choose one option, then click “Download Petition.” MoveOn will then send you an email with a link to download your petition as a .pdf. Your pdf will also appear on your dashboard.
- Delivery Option 1: Pre-Arranged Meeting
There’s often no substitute for sitting down and having a conversation with the person you’re trying to persuade with your petition. By organizing a meeting, you can present your concerns in greater detail and engage in a back-and-forth discussion about possible solutions. And you’ll be 100% sure that they saw the petition!- For a more in-depth overview on how to communicate with decision makers: click here.
- For a more in-depth overview of how to organize a meeting: click here.
- Delivery Option 2: Simple Drop-Off
It’s far more effective to deliver your petition with either a pre-arranged meeting or news event, but if you can’t do either of those things (either because the target is too far away, or because you are unable to secure a meeting), the next best option is to drop it off at their office. At the very least, you should email a copy of your petition signatures along with a personalized note.
- Delivery Option 3: Organize a News Conference or Rally
If your petition is large enough, it may be of interest to the media, and you can organize a news conference to draw attention to the delivery of your petition. How big does a petition have to be to merit media attention? That depends. If your petition is addressed to the mayor of a city of 250,000 people, then signatures from 1,000 residents may be enough to get noticed. But if you’re petitioning President Trump, you will probably need millions of signatures to draw the media’s attention.- For a more in-depth overview on how to organize a news conference: click here.
- For a more in-depth overview of how to organize a rally: click here.
- Delivery Option 4: Birddogging Your Target
If you can’t get a meeting and your target doesn’t have regular office hours, you can try to approach your target at a public event or fundraiser. You can try to pull your target aside for a private conversation or you can use a public comment period to draw attention to your petition.For an in-depth guide on birddogging: click here.
- After the Delivery.
Unless you get a concrete response to your petition when you deliver it, you’ll want to follow up with an additional call or meeting. You also may find that additional campaign strategies and tactics are needed to win your campaign. For more guidance, check out the link below on “How to Engage Your Petition Signers.”
- What if I don’t live near the target of my petition?
If your petition is targeted at President Trump and/or the entire U.S. Congress, consider delivering your petition in person to your local U.S. representative and/or U.S. Senators at their district offices. If your petition is targeted at your entire state legislature, consider delivering your petition in person to your local state representatives. Alternatively, you can email your petition signers and ask them to help you deliver the petition in person.
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