Why petitions are powerful tools for transit & bike advocates
And how to use petitions responsibly
This weekend I helped organize petitioning teams in San Jose and in Redwood City to talk with community members about funding transit. One of the volunteers (who might be reading this– if so, hey, thanks again for helping out this weekend!) said it was his first time ever petitioning. He said it was a lot less “invasive” than he had expected. We chatted about how people often associate petitioners with aggressive tactics and messaging which can be a turn-off. Instead of that strategy, we took a much friendlier approach. We walked around town and approached folks as they waited for the bus and light-rail. People who are waiting for the bus tend to be very interested in more bus service and are open to signing petitions or taking other actions that help make that happen!
Petitions are great political tools because they can show decision makers how popular an idea is. It is one thing for a transit agency to ask a politician for funding and cite their statistics on service delays. It is a whole other thing to have outside advocates make the same demand of politicians and show a long list of voters who signed the petition in agreement. It is good for agencies and the advocates to ask for transit funding, and when politicians hear from both groups it is a lot more powerful.
Petitions are also excellent organizing tools. Petitions help organizers collect contact information of people. That is a key part of the community building process. In other words, you can treat petitions as sign-up sheets indicating interest in that topic. That topic, not “every topic you work on.” That topic. A person signing a petition is a sign of narrow interest, it is not some larger commitment. Help petition signers deepen their engagement by easing them in with invitations to related follow-up activities that are easy to say yes to. Invite them to events like happy hours, mixers, or interesting talks on the subject. These sorts of events are easy to say “yes” to compared to some bigger ask like an invite to spend a day passing out flyers. These sorts of events also provide the petitioner with direct value. They offer information on a topic they care about and community/fun. When someone signs your petition, it is the beginning of your relationship– not the end. Make it a nourishing relationship!
Petitions are NOT a sign-up sheet for endless fundraising texts, calls and emails. Just because the Republican and Democratic parties treat their petition signers and donors that way, does not mean you should too. Although your pool of potential supporters is very large in transit and bike advocacy, it is finite. Do not spam your potential supporters and make them tune you out. That might mean you have to go a bit slower than you want. That is ok. Building community and durable political power takes time. Extractive political strip-mining practices like spamming your list might give you a short-term boost, but it salts the earth behind you.
Whether you use that power for good or for bad, petitioning is a helpful tool to build power. If you are having trouble getting started in your campaign, making a petition and getting out into the community is always a decent way to get started!
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Excellent insights, as always! I love signing petitions!