It’s petition season!
To help Addison Township Dems know the correct protocols for circulating petitions, we’re re-posting this article from the How-To Guides section of or webpage.
For more valuable information such as links to progressive publications, helpful organizations, and other Democratic websites, select from the dropdown menu of Resources tab!
(Photo by Sollange Brenis on Unsplash)
Instructions for Petition Circulators — Please Read Carefully!
Any registered voter who resides in the Representative District may sign a petition. The best way to find voters in the district is walking door to door with a poll sheet or walk sheet.
They must be registered to vote at the address at which they are currently living. If they were registered at a different address but moved, their signature won’t be valid until they re-register at the new address.
More than one person at the same address can sign a petition, but they must each sign in separate rows on the petition.
Do not circulate petitions at grocery stores or shopping centers – most probably don’t live in the district and many aren’t registered to vote.
Signing a petition does not obligate a person to vote for our candidate – this is just to get the candidate’s name on_the ballot. Explaining this may help if someone is hesitant about signing.
A person may only sign petitions for one political party for the same election. However, voters may sign the petitions of multiple candidates within the same party who are running for the same office.
Signers cannot use ditto marks. They must sign their name in the signature column as it appears on their voter’s card. They cannot print their name in the signature column unless printing is their method of signing their name.
You may print their name in the printed name column and fill in their address for them, but you cannot sign their name for them.
Signatures need to be in ink.
You may not circulate petitions for more than one political party.
You must be 18 years of age or older and a U.S. citizen to legally circulate petitions.
You may sign one of the petitions you pass.
You must witness all the signatures on the petitions. You will have to execute a sworn statement to that effect on each sheet you-pass. Executing a false oath may lead to criminal charges.
The petition page does not have to be full. Even a petition with one signature is valid.
Do not share sheets with anyone. Again, you must sign an oath that you, as the circulator, witnessed every signature personally.
Do not number the sheets. This will be done later.
Do not sign at the bottom of the sheet until you are ready to have it notarized. Your signature on the affidavit ( at the bottom of the petition) must be signed in front of a notary public.
Do not sign at the bottom of the sheet until you are ready to have it notarized. Your signature on the affidavit ( at the bottom of the petition) must be signed in front of a notary public.
Notarized petitions should be returned to the campaign as soon as possible.
Thank you and happy circulating!