Sometime in late 2010 or early 2011 we’ll begin circulating petitions!  Until then we’ll be focusing on crafting the proposed amendments (input welcome).

In the meantime, sign up on the bottom right, and think of three NYC voters you can get a signature from, each solid enough to go on to collect three of their own the following week.

Well, to no one’s surprise, it does not look as though NYCCAN will be getting on the ballot.  Worth noting though is that not among the things found invalid in their petition was that some of their signatures were from before the previous general election.  According to their website’s FAQ,

Each of the 30,000+ signatures collected in 2008 remain valid until the signer is no longer a registered voter in New York City.

Whether the validity of the signatures was ultimately not contested because the city was confident the measure would be blocked based on its content, I don’t know.  Given NYCCAN’s demonstrated tunnel-vision, a grain of salt is needed, but still..

Also not appearing on the ballot will be…Bloomberg’s threatened revisions which have quietly disappeared never having been specified, the unreachable deputy mayor once responsible for their formulation dropping any mention of them from her title, the threat having, except in NYCCAN’s case, achieved its goal.  Sigh.

The only questions on the ballot will be two state constitutional revisions placed on the ballot by the legislature.  Kind of quaint how the people create the government, but then changes to it can only come from those they hire to run it, huh?  Even when we next get the option to call a constitutional convention in 2017, it’ll be through delegates elected from state senate districts, and everything will be on the table, not just whatever changes we might want.

The NYC Coalition for Accountability Now submitted their ballot petitions to the City Clerk last month.

They deserve congratulations for their incredible doggedness, which I hope will keep them going after they are kept off the ballot, as they almost surely will be, so that they might partake in winning the rights they, given case law, over-optimistically believe recognized.

The City Clerk who first needs to certify and pass the initiative petition to City Council for action, and the judge NYCAN will likely need to convince to make the Clerk do so, are both likely to find their proposed ballot measure inappropriate to the city’s charter, and thus, under current law, ineligible for placement on the ballot by initiative petition.

Their claim of 4,000 signatures a week is pretty damn impressive though!

The Clerk has until the end of next week to certify to the Council the petition conforms to all relevant law.

(Incidentally, for a fictional example of an NYC ballot initiative that would also get thrown out in court, check out the movie Noise, which touches on the even more galling ability of the mayor to block the democratic process.)

Note: we won’t begin petitioning until late 2009. The forms below are from when we toyed with and then (for these reasons) decided against a 2008 attempt.

Click the link below to download the petition we briefly circulated for the first portion of our charter amendments. It is likely to see revision before late 2009.

The Right of Initiative PDF.

The second, Citizen’s Forum portion continues to evolve.

Here’s some petitioning tips and form instructions.

After long consideration and several discussions with the more actively involved, it looks like it would be best if we called off this year’s attempt to get on the ballot. I’d like to especially thank the can doers, who may feel it’s too early to make such a decision, as well as everybody else who has given some time to our effort thus far. You guys all rock!

Here are the reasons I see to wait:

• Currently, though we have some dedicated and willing people, we do not have sufficient petitioners to gather the needed signatures before June 3rd.
• If we submitted after June 3rd, we would be knocked off next year’s ballot by Bloomberg’s anticipated 2009 charter revisions. While this could all ultimately place us on the ballot in 2010, if getting on the ballot in 2010 is our goal, it would be far easier to act accordingly.
• If through concentrated effort by relatively few people we did manage to gather the signatures in time this year, but were kept off the ballot by a judge on other grounds, we would have failed to start a public conversation, which we have a better chance of doing aiming for 2010.
• It looks like we may have more time than we thought to gather petitions, possibly up to eight months, more than three times as much time as previously thought and left to us this year. Much better!
• By waiting we give ourselves more time to improve the text of the proposed amendments, get more input, find more allies and cohorts, and further master the relevant law.
• This year the media landscape is dominated by the presidential race, which has largely captured people’s political attention and aspirations. National media and people’s hopes will be less interested in the gubernatorial race of 2010, and it’s possible that there will have been some maturation among voters on how much change to hope for from purely representative government.
• The digital divide will hopefully continue to narrow (albeit more slowly than it might, had we succeeded this year).  Every passing year increases people’s familiarity with current technology and expectation of its application.
• The documentary on direct democracy that I (and a few others) have been working on will (finally!) be complete and can be employed in our education and outreach efforts.
• We can employ our media and give it time to be effective.
• Our organizational capacity is only getting stronger. Comparing where we are this year with where we were last year is cause for real optimism, as is the positive reception we’ve gotten from individuals (if not from organizations claiming a mission of popular empowerment). We might even have some money by 2010! (We are currently receiving applications for treasurer and intend to file as a 527 political committee, allowing us to take donations without paying taxes on them.)
• 2017, by which time we will want to have built a statewide lowercase democratic consciousness to vote yes on calling a constitutional convention, isn’t quite so far from 2010.
• I will *hopefully* not have a crippling injury.
• In preparing for this year, we have positioned ourselves well for more.

Speak up if you think this a miscalculation. Here are some downsides I see, other than a short term hit to our credibility among some less involved observers:

• Pretty much all remaining surprise is lost. Who knows, maybe Bloomberg would go for this, or co-opting it, but we’ll have to stay on top of the ‘09 charter revisions and relevant state legislation.
• Potential synergy with Mike Gravel’s attempt to promote direct democracy through his presidential campaign is largely lost. However, his national initiative effort will surely continue and both it and the broader idea’s public life will benefit from an NYC effort in ‘10.
• Two more years without the democratic rights we’re after is probably not a good thing for the city. Some bad things might have been prevented, some good perhaps accomplished.

There’s lots of ways to gather petitions. The most efficient known method is called “the table method”. It has several advantages, which will become apparent. While we should certainly be willing to improvise, since New York City today presents unique opportunities and challenges to petitioning, arming ourselves with the best expertise available couldn’t hurt.

Here are some important guidelines for legally filling out petition forms.

Two master petitioners are helping us out by sharing some of their tips in this video.

To summarize, the key elements of successful table method signature gathering, many of which apply to other methods, are:

A Good Location

You’ll want to position yourself in a place where there is a consistently high flow of pedestrian traffic, a good portion of it registered city voters. People are unlikely to come to you on their own, so a position near the entrance to a public area would be better than in the middle of it.In addition to traffic and voter status, you’ll want to take cultural and psychological factors into consideration. Some people are too hip to be bothered. Others come from places where being politically active is risky. No one wants to be interrupted when they are in the middle of something, so they tend to be more receptive coming out of a store or event than they would be on their way in. Everyone will try to avoid being delayed if they have a chance to assess the situation in advance, so locations at the bottom of stairs or visible from a distance will often be less successful than at the top of the stairs or around a corner - sidewalks by busy subway exits could be productive.

Be willing to move if a location doesn’t seem to be working. We’ll see how much New Yorkers go for this, but a standard for good locations in past campaigns elsewhere has been around 50 signatures an hour, though more are possible if conditions are ideal. (Technically, since we’ll be submitting two separate petitions, we’re looking for twice this, if you count two signatures from every person.)

We can use this map to pool our experience and ideas. Ideal locations are of course also a question of timing. Some of the best will be onetime big events. (When we get closer to petitioning we’ll decide how best to coordinate, whether by common calendar or a discussion list or something else.)

Neat Appearance and Positive Attitude

Dress nice, or at least decent. No sunglasses—eye contact is crucial. Always be polite and cheerful, but remember you don’t have time to talk. Stay animated. Using body language to direct people is important, as is the “action stance” of the person behind the table—no chairs, no sitting down. No food at the table. If you get tired or hungry, take a real break and come back. Having something to drink on hand is fine, but don’t put it on the table. Keep the table area neat. Tape down as many petitions of each kind as will fit at the paper’s corners with masking tape. This prevents their blowing away or being picked up, and keeps people focused on signing the petition. Hang your signs from the table.

Eye on the Ball

This is about getting signatures, not convincing people to vote for anything. If we don’t get the needed signatures, they won’t have the option to vote and there will be little point in debate. So no literature on the table. If someone doesn’t want to sign or wants to discuss further, give them a card or blank petition, refer them to the website, and move on to the next person.

Supplies

In addition to the petition forms, you’ll need the following:

• plenty of blue or black ballpoint pens,
• something to store your supplies and particularly your petition forms in,
• and either several clipboards, or, if you are going the highly recommended table method route,
• a lightweight collapsible table,
• “Sign Here” signs and lowercase d cards (just call 917.355.6494 to arrange a drop off or to pick up at one of several locations),
• and some masking tape.

If you deploy a donation jar, try to track whether it is affecting your signature count.If there is a possibility of rain, a garbage bag isn’t a bad idea, as is a dry backup location.

Work in Teams

One charismatic team member brings the passing crowd to the table, asking individuals as they approach, “Excuse me, are you registered to vote?” If yes, “In the city?” If yes again, “Great. Can you help us out with a quick signature?” (motioning them to table) “We’re trying to get New Yorkers the basic right to propose and vote on laws ourselves. We need 75,000 petition signatures to put it on the ballot.” In many hectic New York City locations, all of this may have to be abbreviated to, “Excuse me, do you have a second to sign a petition to help put us on the ballot?” In order to make eye contact it helps to speak to somebody well before they get to you.

Another team member, who must have been registered to vote in New York City no later than the last election, stands behind the table, pens in hand (not scattered on the table) and hands one to the person, asking “You’re registered to vote in the city?” (physically guiding them to the exact spot on the first petition) “Great, if you could just sign here with the name and address you’re registered with.” If there’s a lot of hesitation, you might add, “This is just to get it on the ballot so we can all vote on it.” Once the person begins signing, as you make sure they are filling all fields in correctly, you explain, “For legal reasons we had to separate our charter improvements into two parts. The one you are signing now is just to get our right as citizens to propose and vote on laws. The second part, over here, which we also need you to sign, uses the internet to make the process as fair and open as possible.”

Throughout, things will be much easier whenever there is already someone else signing a petition, as they serve as both an example, and a way for you to disengage from convincing a new potential signer already contemplating the petition, leaving them to get onto signing by giving unneeded confirmation to the already signing person, as you double check them, “That’s right, you’re address as you are registered to vote.”If someone seems interested, let them know we need all the help we can get, but don’t let their presence, which should make the table more inviting, distract you from keeping things moving.

If tables ain’t your style, outdoor concerts, street fairs, and bars are great places to get signatures.. though it’s obviously important to keep moving and avoid drunks. Subways and subway platforms, given enough clipboards and a good pitch, are good too. Let’s see what we can come up with.

Here [thanks to Lynne Serpe, who’s currently working for FairVote, trying to get NYC proportional representation again, and modified from Gloria Mattera’s Brooklyn Borough President campaign,] are some guidelines:

How to Complete a Petition
A. General Info
• Only use blue or black ink pens. Pencils CANNOT be used.
• Don’t use ditto marks.
• You cannot witness your own signature.
• If you are witnessing a petition, you personally must see EVERY signature on your sheet happen in person.

B. Witness Statement (bottom of page).
When you start a new petition sheet print your name in the first blank – “I (name of witness) ……………….” of the witness statement. Make sure it is legible and is the name you are registered under with the Board of Elections (e.g., include middle initial if that’s the way you’re registered). If you are unsure how you are registered, send an email to joinin with your name and address indicating what you are unsure of.

ONLY PRINT YOUR NAME. DO NOT COMPLETE OR SIGN THE REST OF THE WITNESS STATEMENT. You will fill out the rest of the statement and sign it once the sheet is completed and checked over.

C. Dates.
Always put the day’s date in the first signature line of a new sheet. This is to prevent signers from accidentally putting in the wrong date. It’s best to start a new sheet for a new day so that the dates don’t get confused.

D. Signature.
This is the only part that the signer must complete themselves and is absolutely necessary.

E. Name and Address
The name and address should be completed for all signers. Note that the petitioner can fill these out for the signer if necessary. Make sure that the signer is PRINTING this information LEGIBLY or do it for them (just ask them for the info).

The name and address should match the way the person is registered with the Board of Elections to the best of their knowledge. For example, someone who goes by Bobby may be registered as Robert. If they’re not sure how they’re registered, ask them to use their name the way it appears on their checks. Initials and customary abbreviations of names are permitted if the voter can be identified from the Board of Elections registration records.

The zip code is not necessary in the address, and neither is an apt. no. or floor. Customary abbreviations of street addresses (e.g., St., Ave.) are permitted if the abbreviation is commonly understandable. P.O. Boxes can only be used if that is the address that the person is registered under AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED.

F. What Types of Corrections You Can Make and How
• You CANNOT make changes to someone’s signature.
• Minor corrections to addresses must be neat and legible and do not have to be initialed.
• Corrections to the date should be avoided, but if necessary, correct neatly and initial.
• Inversion of the printed name and signature (a common error) can simply be initialed.
• If you or the signer make a serious mistake (wrong date, wrong address, etc.), YOU must cross the entire line out – in blue or black ink, draw a single line completely through the mistake and initial at both ends of the line. Have the voter sign again on the next line.
• Blank lines – neatly cross out signature lines that were skipped. It is not necessary to cross out the unused lines after the last signature on the page.

G. Completing the witness statement.
Be very careful here. This can wait. You don’t have to fill this out on the same day that the signatures were gathered. Call Olaf first at 917 355 6494 if you have any questions. Any errors invalidate the entire sheet. For each sheet, fill in the number of apparently valid signatures. Make sure to get this number right for each sheet. Fill in your address as you are registered to vote. Date carefully and sign.

H. Sheet Number.
DO NOT FILL OUT THE SHEET NUMBER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. This will be done later when the sheets are ready for binding.

What Do I Do with My Completed Petitions?
Great work! Once you have finished petitioning for the day, either email your totals to gathering or call Olaf at 917.355.6494. It’s important that we keep a tally of how we are doing.

Keep your petitions in a safe, dry place, and get them to the campaign as soon as possible