Chapter Nuts and Bolts
Petition Drives: Signing on the Line Does Save Lives And Helps Your Chapter Thrive

By Holly Miller
NRL Field Coordinator

Ever wonder how you can find new members to join the efforts of your chapter? More likely, that is a constant question your chapter faces.

Petition drives are sometimes overlooked, underrated, or given short shrift. In fact they are among the most useful of ALL pro-life tools.

We are a people-power Movement. No people, no power. Petitions are an invaluable aid in recruiting new members, identifying pro-lifers in your community, and educating the community on a salient issue facing our elected leaders.

NRLC prints and provides petitions either supporting pro-life legislation or opposing pro-abortion legislation free of charge. (See pages 16-17.)

The lists afford pro-life individuals a great opportunity to circulate within the general public and to acquaint a large number of people who are concerned about the life issues with your organization's existence.

The names, addresses, and phone numbers gained on petition lists should be kept and utilized as potential pro-life supporters and those concerned about the issue in general.

Your chapter will also gain credibility by participating in this sort of grassroots lobbying.

For many, signing their names in support of our efforts will be their first actively pro-life deed. This is a tremendously valuable feat, one that acclimates people to being active participants. Some signers will become participating members of your chapter.

Other signers will lend support when you need them, as when you must generate hundreds or thousands of phone calls to your elected officials immediately before key votes in the state and federal legislatures. If you can readily access 5,000 people in a congressional district immediately prior to a vote and if a simple majority of these people will write a letter, place a phone call, or send an e-mail to their representative or senator, the impact will be tremendous.

Since each petition is based on a critical piece of legislation pending before Congress, a petition drive is a great way to educate your community about common-sense pro-life legislation.

For example, in the late 1990s, millions of signers of the original petition supporting the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act first learned of the existence, details, and legality of that gruesome procedure when solicited to sign the petition. Their justifiable outrage and ensuing pressure on their elected officials propelled the ban through the House of Representatives, Senate, and 28 state legislatures.

Your chapter will also gain credibility by participating in this sort of grassroots lobbying. Local officials and community members will notice that your chapter is both tuned in to state and federal issues and also actively engaged in influencing the outcome of the debate.

National Right to Life is currently promoting two petitions. One supports the ban on all human cloning. Our newest is in support of the new ban on partial-birth abortion that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

The petitions are attractive and printed on legal-size paper. They allow ample space for a signature, printed name, address, and a question regarding whether or not the signer is registered to vote. You can make additional copies of the petition forms if you need them.

Remember that it is very important to send the petitions to National Right to Life right away. Keep a copy for your chapter use but send the original signed copies to NRLC.

Following signature collection you can also use the lists to develop a phone tree so that when the bills come up for votes in the U.S. Senate, those that support life can be quickly alerted to call their senators.

Not many things come easy for pro-lifers, but petition drives have the distinction of being effective without being time intensive. So, if you are looking for ways to attract new pro- lifers and educate your community, your decision should be an easy one.

Please call 202-626-8800, ext. 142 to order either or both petitions free of charge.

Tips for Collecting Signatures

Pro-Life Churches: Churches will be one of the best sources for obtaining signatures. Setting up outside the church following services is an excellent way to obtain signatures on the petitions as well as promote your chapter to the community. It is important to remember:

* That most people will not stand in line and wait to sign a petition, so ample tables should be set up with plenty of petitions on hand. Clipboards are also an excellent way to allow many people to sign the petition in a brief amount of time.

* To have a knowledgeable person or persons on hand to answer questions and take names of those who may be willing to volunteer with the chapter.

* To run a brief notice in the church bulletin to alert the members to take a moment before or after the service to sign the petition.

* To provide a jar for donations. Every dollar raised helps your chapter and thus helps save lives.

Other suggestions for collecting signatures are as follows:

Fair Booths: Have petitions included in all state and county fairs and health fairs.

Mall: Position two volunteers at each entry of the local shopping mall or set up a table inside if allowed. Be sure you receive permission from mall authorities prior to making plans.

State Conventions: This is an excellent way to promote the petition with activists statewide. It also makes a great theme for a workshop.

Newsletters: Include a petition as an insert in the state and/or chapter newsletter.

Advertise: Advertise the petition project on religious radio and television stations. Offer petitions to local Christian bookstores free of charge.

Teens for Life: If there is a Teens for Life group in the state, ask it to help promote the project. Since the petitions simply recognize support for pro-life measures, signers need not be 18 years old. Thus, this is an excellent project to get a local Teens for Life group started in the community by first identifying young pro-lifers. They are young, energetic, and the future of the pro-life movement.

Your chapter will likely come up with other ideas for promoting the petition.