Top Ten Petition Tips

							Top Ten Petition Tips!

The Votes at 16 petition is a key part of the campaign and what Action Week is all about.
Here is where you can really help make a difference by gathering as many signatures as you
can to show the Government that this campaign has the public’s support and that it’s time
for Votes at 16.


These are our ten-top-petition-tips to help you on your way:


       1. Know your arguments. Make sure you know your stuff so that you can support
           your position with robust arguments and research. The Votes at 16 website it full
           of information about the arguments supporting lowering the voting age, and you
           need to know it if you’re going to convince anyone.


       2. Be persuasive. Just knowing your arguments isn’t enough. You have to be
           passionate and convincing to persuade people who might not support the
           campaign that this is right. Think about


       3. Know your audience. Campaigning to your school or college friends will be very
           different to campaigning to your parents’ friends and teachers. Think about your
           audience whey they in particular should support Votes at 16.


       4. Work online. Use your online networks to promote the campaign and link to the
           petition online. Your reach through twitter and facebook, combined with that of
           your friends is probably massive, use it!


       5. Work offline. Make yourself as visible as possible by holding events and
           publicising everywhere! Ask for slots in assembly, put notices up on boards in
           libraries and community halls, turn up at the local park, farmers market and
           fayres, attend local rallies and political gatherings – anything to get yourself
           heard!


       6. Get involved. Write to your local newspaper, phone your local radio station and
           generally strike up conversation. Get stuck into the debate and let people know
            what you think, the more attention you can draw to your campaign,
            the more signatures you’re likely to collect.


        7. Get you mates involved. Recruit a team of faithful helpers and work together.
            That way it’s more fun for you and you widen your reach even further.


        8. Be prepared. When you’re out and about collecting signatures, the last thing you
            want to happen is that you run out of sheets, or even worse, lose some. Make
            sure that you have plenty of petition sheets, pens, clipboards to lean on if you
            need to and a big enough bag to carry it all!


        9. Respect privacy. You are going to be asking people for a few personal details, as
            well as the all important signature in order for your petition to count. Reassure
            people that you will carefully protect their information and will not pass it on to
            any third parties.


        10. Don’t forget to send us your signatures! Don’t let all of your hard work go to
            waste. Remember to send us your filled in petition sheets and the end of the
            week so we can show the Government just how many people think it’s time for
            Votes at 16.


And finally...
Don’t stop there! We want to collect as many signatures for the campaign as possible, and
Action Week is going to help us do that, but it doesn’t have to stop there – The Votes at 16
petition doesn’t close until August 2012; there’s no reason why shouldn’t keep campaigning
and keep collecting signatures. Let’s make Votes at 16 happen!