Activist Toolkit: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing A toolkit for volunteers, partners and advocates to use in collecting signatures in support of medical aid-in-dying legislation. Before using this guide, please contact your state outreach staff or local action team leader to coordinate with ongoing activities. www.compassionandchoices.org 1-800-247-7421
Petitions Are a Critical Tool The simplest of political acts remains among the most important currencies in pubic policy: signing a petition. Petitions, like letters, are monitored and tracked by public officials and legislative staff, and tallies are kept on the numbers of supporters on either side of an issue. Strong community support, demonstrated through large numbers of petition signatures, can help politicians feel more comfortable supporting a controversial issue. This brief guide offers you some basic ideas and best practices for both gathering signatures on petitions for medical aid-in-dying laws, and presenting those petitions to your local, state and federal elected officials as well as to Compassion & Choices. Petition language: Use the basic petition in support of medical aid-in-dying laws at the end of this guide to ask people for their general support. For petitions on behalf of (or calling for) specific legislation in your state, contact Compassion & Choices or your local action team leader. Tip #1: Copy Compassion & Choices Regardless of what kind of petition you are using (more on that later) or whom you are petitioning, always send a copy of the completed petition to Compassion & Choices so that we can track and aggregate all the grassroots activism like yours, and amplify it in our meetings with legislators. petitions@compassionandchoices.org Compassion & Choices: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing p.1
Best Pra ct i ce s w it h Petitions There are two basic types of petitions that Compassion & Choices works with: general support petitions and legislative petitions. There are many similarities when working with either kind of petition. For example, always make sure to send copies of all signed petitions to Compassion & Choices, be courteous and respectful whenever you ask someone to show their support with a signature, and use the most current approved language in your petition. That said, there are also some important differences: General support petitions: Like the one provided at the end of this guide, general support petitions ask people to offer their signature in general support of the medical aid-in-dying platform, but not for specific legislation. You should be ready to answer basic questions about Compassion & Choices and about medical aid-indying policies. Legislative petitions: Petitions that support proposed medical aid-in-dying legislation, or seek the creation of specific legislation, are called legislative petitions. It is important to check with Compassion & Choices before drafting or circulating a legislative petition to be sure you are using the most current and effective language to support end-of-life options in your state. For legislative petitions, you should be able to answer specific questions about the legislation you are supporting and be ready to explain your support for its provisions. Whichever type of petition you are working with, remember these simple rules: 1. Ask each person individually to support medical aid in dying with their signature. 2. Be courteous and respectful to everyone, even those who may disagree. 3. If someone appears to want to avoid you, let them. Never force an interaction. 4. Be ready to answer questions about death with medical aid in dying and end-of-life options. 5. Always be clear that you are working with Compassion & Choices, and direct any additional inquiries to the website at www.compassionandchoices.org. 6. Always return a copy of the signed petitions to Compassion & Choices at petitions@compassionandchoices.org Tip #2: SET A GOAL Even a modest goal like 20 signatures will keep you on task and focused on accomplishing your objective. After you gather 20 signatures, repeat. After setting a 20-signature goal five times, you can present 100 signatures to your legislator. GOAL Tip #3: OFFER A TREAT Something as simple as a cute sticker or a piece of candy can make someone feel appreciated. It may not sway many skeptics, but it s a great way to give thanks for someone s support and presents a friendly face to a community that may be weary of politics. Compassion & Choices: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing p.2
Make It a Contest Getting 20, 40 or even 60 petitions signed by yourself is a great start. Now think about how to multiply your activism and really get some attention All you need is to identify some like-minded friends and colleagues, and recruit them into your petition drive. Offer a prize for the person who returns the most signatures by a certain date or for the first one to submit 50 signatures. A $10 gift card to coffee or another treat is a great prize that is easy and inexpensive. A few tips: 1. Put together a list of at least ten people you think might participate. 2. Draft an e-mail announcing your petition drive and your prize offer. Attach the petition and provide some basic pointers for gathering signatures (see page 3). 3. Consider expanding your drive to social media by posting on Facebook or Twitter and asking if anyone would commit to gathering 25 signatures. Ask people to message you privately, and then get in touch via e-mail and send them the petition. 4. Announce the winner of your petition drive on Facebook or Twitter, and/or acknowledge them in person or via e-mail to your petition group. Compassion & Choices: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing p.3
Tabling Tabling and petition signing go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly. Having a table gives an opportunity to bring medical aid-in-dying issues into your community in a friendly, visible way. It also gives you a base of operations for your petition drive, allows people to explore and self-serve, and is a distribution point for information and materials. A carefully presented table also gives important brand visibility to Compassion & Choices and the end-of-life options movement. A few basic guidelines: 1. Location: think of a good spot to set up a table where people are accustomed to displays and vendors. If you are interested in tabling on private property like a mall or a movie theater, always get permission first. To table in a public park, on a college campus, or at a farmer s market or other event, a permit or registration can sometimes be required. Use common sense; if you don t have specific permission and get asked to leave, then relocate your table to a permissible public space. 2. It is always a good idea to have a table partner. Here are three great reasons: 1. You ll be able to get more signatures. 2. You ll have more fun. 3. Everything is safer in pairs 3. Make sure to have the latest Compassion & Choices materials (quarterly magazine, palm cards, etc.) on hand to give out, and have your petitions on clipboards with pens at the ready. 4. Be creative and have fun More people will be interested in approaching a table that is fun-looking and friendly. Signs, prizes and treats are great ways to entice people to say hello. So is a smile Compassion & Choices: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing p.4
TABLING CHECKLIST Here is a list of the basic steps to take, and things you ll need for a great tabling experience to educate your community about end-of-life issues and about Compassion & Choices. Select a date and time for your tabling. Be realistic about how long you can table. A minimum of two hours and a maximum of six are good guidelines to start with. Select a location: Public parks, popular pedestrian areas and college campuses make great choices for tabling. Sometimes private spaces like malls, shopping centers or swapmeets have great potential as well. Events like street fairs or community festivals are always productive. Farmers markets are lots of fun Investigate and get permission: Wherever you decide to table, look into any posted guidelines for setting up a display, or contact the management of the facility or event to get formal permission to table when required. Recruit at least one tabling partner to join you. If you are going to table for longer than three hours, you should consider changing shifts and recruiting two more tablers so you can each work a two-hour shift. Secure a table. A six-foot table with folding legs is a very standard size, easily transportable and works well for tabling. You can probably borrow one, and they are sold at most home stores. But any lightweight, easy-to-transport table will do. Tabling supplies: Clipboards (at least four) for petitions, pens (a dozen), stickers, and candy or another inexpensive and plentiful courtesy gift. Materials from Compassion & Choices: quarterly magazine, palm card, local flier or brochure, promotion for upcoming local events. Talking points: Make sure to get the latest messaging points and updates from Compassion & Choices. Reach out to your Compassion & Choices contact or visit our Volunteer Resource Center webpage for the latest. Visual appeal: Use Compassion & Choices-branded materials and your own creativity to bring attention to your table. Make it look great, and people will really notice. Use a colorful banner or other materials to draw people to your table and convey your message. Basic supplies: A reusable bottle of water, snacks and a small first-aid kit are strongly recommended for any tabling activity. Setting Goals: Based on where you are tabling and how long you ll be there, set a goal for signatures gathered, conversations had and materials distributed. Goals: Signatures Gathered Materials Distributed Conversations
Canvassing Canvassing is a more direct approach than tabling because it involves going house to house (or business to business) and asking people for their support. Many people appreciate the neighborhood touch that canvassing brings, but others are bothered by being disturbed at home. Always use good judgment and be aware that you may be interrupting or even unwelcome. Canvassers should always emphasize safety: Only canvass in an area or neighborhood that you know, like where you live. Never canvass alone. Always go with a friend or colleague. Don t knock on a door if there are loud pets or other obstacles present. Never go inside a house, even if invited. Canvassing Tips: 1. Have a clipboard with your petition at the ready along with some basic materials on Compassion & Choices, several pens, and perhaps some stickers or candy to offer as a thank you. 2. Plan what you are going to say when someone opens the door, and practice it several times. 3. Smile and make eye contact while you're speaking. Introduce yourself at the beginning. 4. If the person you're speaking to is very busy or is strongly not supportive, it's best to move on quickly. Canvassing is about finding the people who already agree with us or are undecided, so don't spend time debating people who are decidedly opposed. 5. For door-to-door, if there's a doorbell, push hard and listen for the sound of the bell. 6. If there isn't a doorbell or you don't hear it ringing, don't be afraid to knock. And be sure you knock loudly enough that they can hear you 7. Once you see someone approaching the door, be sure to wave so they know you are friendly and want to talk with them. 8. Canvassing can be intimidating for people who haven't done it before, so never go alone. 9. Always end the conversation on a positive note. If you follow these rules and use good judgment, you can gather many signatures and raise awareness about medical aid in dying and end-of-life care in your neighborhood. Compassion & Choices: Petitions, Tabling and Canvassing p.6
We, the undersigned, feel strongly that terminally ill, mentally capable adults with six months or less to live should have the right to medication and support services they can use to achieve a peaceful death. Specifically, we call for legislation in the state of to ensure these rights, and to require medical professional to make more options available to the terminally ill. Name Address City + State ZIP E-mail 1. Please send (via e-mail, FAX or post) the original signed page(s) of your petition to your legislator. Please check with Compassion & Choices if you are uncertain which legislator you should target. 2. Please remember to send a copy of all petition pages to Compassion & Choices: 4155 E Jewell Ave., Ste. 200, Denver, CO 80222. FAX: 503-228-9160. Petitions@compassionandchoices.org
PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH Complete the following response card to stay up to date on end-of-life care issues from Compassion & Choices: First and last name: Mailing address: City, state, zip: E-mail: Phone: I m interested in: [ ] Volunteering [ ] Staying informed [ ] Making a contribution [ ] Dying well 1. Please remember to send this page to: Compassion & Choices 4155 E Jewell Ave., Ste. 200 Denver, CO 80222 FAX 503-228-9160 petitions@compassionandchoices.org