PETITION SIGNATURE COLLECTION REMINDERS & BEST PRACTICES

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By Carrie Davis, League of Women Voters of Ohio

Attention Fair Districts volunteers! Now that petitions are in the field around Ohio, we wanted to share a few reminders about critical rules for keeping your petitions legal:

• Make sure you pick up the petition instruction sheet when you pick up your petitions. It includes important Do’s and Do-Not’s. You can also review a webinar of the petition training online here and check out the FAQ sheet.
• Only registered voters can sign and must use the name and address that appears on their voter registration. If someone is not registered or they moved, they can submit a new or updated voter registration online or using a paper form.  If you register someone on paper, you will need to turn in the registration form to the Board of Elections within 10 days.  Registration online can be completed on a smartphone at myohiovote.com. Once someone completes a voter registration, they can sign your petition.
• Only use the pre-printed, bound petitions that you pick-up from designated locations. Do not print your own.
• Do not remove the staples or otherwise take apart your petition booklets. That can render them invalid.
• You can only have signatures from one county per booklet. If a petition booklet has signatures from multiple counties, they won’t count. It’s a good idea to carry extra blank booklets so you have them available for voters from other counties (each county gets its own booklet). 
• You cannot sign your own petition. That is because as a circulator you are witnessing each signature, and legally you cannot witness your own signature. Sign a friend’s instead.
• You cannot share petitions. Each circulator must have their own petition booklet.
• You must observe every signature. Do not leave petition booklets out for people to sign while you are not present.
• Before you turn in your petition booklet, remember to complete the statement of circulator on the back page.

​Looking for a petition pick-up location near you? Check our current listings and call ahead to confirm there are enough available, especially if you need a large quantity for an event. We are looking to expand our list of pick up locations, so if you are interested in serving as a pick up/drop off location, please let us know by completing this form.

Need a little bit more? Check out the online Petition Training on Demand. This training reviews the do's and don'ts of signature gathering. Sign up here to register and view the training at your convenience.

If you ever have questions, reach out to us - we’re here to help! 

Thank you for helping make Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio a reality!