How To: Petition Writing
You’re scrolling through social media, and you find an interesting news article on a bill that’s being introduced in the House of Representatives or the Senate. You click to find out more and realize that your representatives/senators aren’t co-sponsoring the bill! That’s something you want to change, and you can, by writing a petition. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Learn More About the Bill
Bills are introduced twice: in the Senate, and in the House of Representatives. Make sure you know who is co-sponsoring the bill from your state. If you want your representative to support this bill, you can mention in your petition how your senators are supporting the bill, making it easier to convince them. Ensure that you also have a general idea of what the bill will accomplish, how long it will take to implement, and other important information. You can find all this information at sites like congress.gov.
Step 2: Draft a Petition
When writing your blurb at the top of your petition, state what the cause is, how this bill is helping it, and who the petition is addressed to. Include any relevant information you think will encourage others to sign your petition, and format the writing in a succinct and persuasive manner. At the bottom, make sure to have numbered spaces so that all the signatures are organized and easily countable.
Step 3: Gathering Signatures
While you can go door-to-door, the process is time consuming and won’t lead to much success. The best way to quickly get signatures is to showcase your petition at an event, preferably one that is related to your cause. For instance, if you’re gathering support for a bill against climate change, going around at an event hosted by your school’s local Earth club would be your best bet.
Step 4: Sending It Out
All local government officials have an email where you can reach them, so emailing them the petition is quick and easy; you can find your representative’s email here. In order to be the most effective, however, emailing as well as mailing the petition to their office would be ideal.
And that’s it! Make a change in your community and help stop issues in the country that are near and dear to your heart. Writing a petition may seem daunting, but once you finish, there’s nothing more rewarding.
