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How to gather petition signatures?

CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract MetalThingyRegistered User regular
edited May 2009 in Debate and/or Discourse
I know a lot of people around the forums spent a lot of time volunteering on the Obama campaign. I know I spent faaarrr too much time. Some friends and I got a ballot initiative approved for colorado that helps un-fuck some of our budgetary woes. Now all we need are a TON of signatures by the beginning of August.

So I was wondering if any of you have done this or have any ideas on how to get lots of signatures. I know we all ignore the guy on the street that just yells at you. I was hoping to come up with some more creative ideas.
I'm already trying to tap into my obama volunteer network in the area.

No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
CommunistCow on

Posts

  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    The Obama campaign should know a good bit about this.

    Captain Carrot on
  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    According to Family Guy, you should watch Sex and the City with gay dudes.

    Scalfin on
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    The rest of you, I fucking hate you for the fact that I now have a blue dot on this god awful thread.
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    College campus's are your friend.

    Burtletoy on
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    You did not just pluralize a perfectly ordinary word with an apostrophe.

    Captain Carrot on
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    The guys on the street corner are there because that is, unfortunately, one of the more effective ways to get signatures. That, and going door to door.

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
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  • SpeakerSpeaker Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Enlist CO political blogs to publicize your proposal and gain volunteers. Write to papers. Gain the support of state legislators.

    Does any business or professional group stand to especially benefit? Talk to the people that run it and have them gather signatures internally.

    Basically you need to sit down and make a list of everyone who might benefit or be interested and enlist their aid.

    Speaker on
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    You did not just pluralize a perfectly ordinary word with an apostrophe.

    Yes I did.

    Burtletoy on
  • ScalfinScalfin __BANNED USERS regular
    edited May 2009
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    You did not just pluralize a perfectly ordinary word with an apostrophe.

    Yes I did.

    But wouldn't it be campi?

    Scalfin on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    The rest of you, I fucking hate you for the fact that I now have a blue dot on this god awful thread.
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Scalfin wrote: »
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    You did not just pluralize a perfectly ordinary word with an apostrophe.

    Yes I did.

    But wouldn't it be campi?

    But that isn't what I typed. I typed "campus's"

    Burtletoy on
  • PantsBPantsB Fake Thomas Jefferson Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    PantsB on
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  • KiplingKipling Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Is there an advocacy group that this fits well with? You need really need feet on the ground.

    Which groups depends on what you are going after in Colorado, since there are so many. TABOR, Amendent 23, Arveschoug-Bird, the school property tax freeze?

    You need to clear ~76000 valid signatures. Most ballots pull in 110-120k since you get a failure rate of up to 30%, and remember there are logistical challenges in collecting and keeping track of that many petitions. Most of the time people focus on around the number of outings and/or the number of signatures per volunteer. Build around that. 50 signatures per outing means 2400 outings, netting 120000 signatures. Some outings are fast (meetings that occur where you would predict a favorable response), versus outside a Rockies game.

    Remember that if Doug Bruce can get any stupid petition on the ballot, you can as well.

    Kipling on
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  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Kipling wrote: »
    Is there an advocacy group that this fits well with? You need really need feet on the ground.

    Which groups depends on what you are going after in Colorado, since there are so many. TABOR, Amendent 23, Arveschoug-Bird, the school property tax freeze?

    You need to clear ~76000 valid signatures. Most ballots pull in 110-120k since you get a failure rate of up to 30%, and remember there are logistical challenges in collecting and keeping track of that many petitions. Most of the time people focus on around the number of outings and/or the number of signatures per volunteer. Build around that. 50 signatures per outing means 2400 outings, netting 120000 signatures. Some outings are fast (meetings that occur where you would predict a favorable response), versus outside a Rockies game.

    Remember that if Doug Bruce can get any stupid petition on the ballot, you can as well.

    This is basically going to override Arveschoug-Bird (which is being replaced by SB-228 right now but the compromise on this bill is not what we really want), and possibly parts of TABOR depending on legal interpretation. It is not affecting Amendment 23 because this is not affecting former constitutional obligations and it doesn't affect the property tax freeze because it only pertains to general funds. My friends running this are already covering the dem blogs and the like. They don't have anybody running the ground game in Boulder but that might end up being me since I have some vague connections to the Boulder Dems and some Obama vols in the area.

    As for college campuses I don't they'll be of much help in the middle of the summer :'(

    CommunistCow on
    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Kipling wrote: »
    Is there an advocacy group that this fits well with? You need really need feet on the ground.

    Which groups depends on what you are going after in Colorado, since there are so many. TABOR, Amendent 23, Arveschoug-Bird, the school property tax freeze?

    You need to clear ~76000 valid signatures. Most ballots pull in 110-120k since you get a failure rate of up to 30%, and remember there are logistical challenges in collecting and keeping track of that many petitions. Most of the time people focus on around the number of outings and/or the number of signatures per volunteer. Build around that. 50 signatures per outing means 2400 outings, netting 120000 signatures. Some outings are fast (meetings that occur where you would predict a favorable response), versus outside a Rockies game.

    Remember that if Doug Bruce can get any stupid petition on the ballot, you can as well.

    This is basically going to override Arveschoug-Bird (which is being replaced by SB-228 right now but the compromise on this bill is not what we really want), and possibly parts of TABOR depending on legal interpretation. It is not affecting Amendment 23 because this is not affecting former constitutional obligations and it doesn't affect the property tax freeze because it only pertains to general funds. My friends running this are already covering the dem blogs and the like. They don't have anybody running the ground game in Boulder but that might end up being me since I have some vague connections to the Boulder Dems and some Obama vols in the area.

    As for college campuses I don't they'll be of much help in the middle of the summer :'(

    Well then you'd better get your ass to them, like yesterday.

    Burtletoy on
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Scalfin wrote: »
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    You did not just pluralize a perfectly ordinary word with an apostrophe.

    Yes I did.

    But wouldn't it be campi?

    But that isn't what I typed. I typed "campus's"

    And that's incorrect. It should be "campuses", since nobody says "campi" and in any case colleges aren't much like the Campus Martius.

    Captain Carrot on
  • BurtletoyBurtletoy Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    ...but I typed campus's


    Something I'm saying isn't getting through to you.

    Burtletoy on
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    See, I was using "You did not just" in the colloquial sense, meaning "You should not". Typing "campus's" is just plain wrong.

    Captain Carrot on
  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Well then you'd better get your ass to them, like yesterday.

    Well a conservative think tank might challenge the approval from yesterday which means we will be tied up in hearings for the next 3 weeks. We can't do anything until the hearings are over if this happens. If they don't challenge us then we can start collecting signatures this next weekend.

    Ok so I'm looking into advocacy groups like Progress Now, Progressive Future, New Era, Camp Wellstone,....hrm.

    CommunistCow on
    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
  • KiplingKipling Registered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Burtletoy wrote: »
    Well then you'd better get your ass to them, like yesterday.

    Well a conservative think tank might challenge the approval from yesterday which means we will be tied up in hearings for the next 3 weeks. We can't do anything until the hearings are over if this happens. If they don't challenge us then we can start collecting signatures this next weekend.

    Ok so I'm looking into advocacy groups like Progress Now, Progressive Future, New Era, Camp Wellstone,....hrm.

    There is still a fair number of people at the big colleges (Boulder, CSU) for summer, but slim pickings for the smaller colleges. From what I've heard, they are also prone to higher error rates. You do have county fairs and the like, but in comparison that probably takes a longer time per signature.

    Also: The amendment is admirable - even understanding the web of limitations set up by the various state amendments and laws takes time. You are going to want a simple concise explanation of the amendment for when people ask what they are signing.

    Kipling on
    3DS Friends: 1693-1781-7023
  • CommunistCowCommunistCow Abstract Metal ThingyRegistered User regular
    edited May 2009
    Kipling wrote: »
    There is still a fair number of people at the big colleges (Boulder, CSU) for summer, but slim pickings for the smaller colleges. From what I've heard, they are also prone to higher error rates. You do have county fairs and the like, but in comparison that probably takes a longer time per signature.

    Also: The amendment is admirable - even understanding the web of limitations set up by the various state amendments and laws takes time. You are going to want a simple concise explanation of the amendment for when people ask what they are signing.

    We are definitely working hard on messaging and trying to make some good short hooks.

    CommunistCow on
    No, I am not really communist. Yes, it is weird that I use this name.
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