[statecom-discuss] Encouragement And Last Minute Tips for Getting Signatures

[Melissa Harrell]

Hey folks,
I've been out collecting signatures for the Green-Rainbow slate lately. 
Sometimes I'm tired after a long day at work, or I'm feeling discouraged 
about how many more signatures the campaign seems to need so quickly to 
get Grace and Wendy (and Jill and Jamie) on the ballot. I really want 
them there but it's easy to think, "How can the few signatures I could 
collect make a difference?" But then I remember that I'm not alone in 
making this happen. That if I do my part, and you do your part, then 
together we really CAN make a difference. So, to help _me_ keep going 
with this, I realized it's really important that I encourage you to do 
what you can too. You'll have to figure out what works for you, of 
course, but I figure maybe if I share some of what I've found works for 
me that'll help get more of us out there in the next few days to get 
this job DONE. (I know this is long, but I promise it's an easy read.)

The last couple of days I've been standing on the sidewalk outside the 
Trader Joe's in Coolidge Corner in Brookline and it's been a really good 
place--I got 50 signatures today in about 2 hours, and 60 signatures 
yesterday in just over 2 hours. In front of grocery stores seem to be 
good places (I also did a stint in front of the co-op in JP), and I've 
also done pretty well in places where people hang out a bit, like 
Harvard Square, or at an event in a park. If people are moving too fast, 
say into a T stop, it's not so good, even if there are a lot of people 
around. I think straight stretches of sidewalk are easier than corners 
because there are fewer ways for people to avoid you. Parking lots might 
also have more chances for them to veer around you, so sidewalks might 
be better for that, too.

Sometimes I start by saying, "Excuse me, are you a voter in 
Massachusetts?" though if they hesitate, I'll go quickly on to "I'm 
trying to get signatures to get some folks on the ballot." Sometimes I 
start by saying, "Hi, I'm collecting signatures to get the Green-Rainbow 
slate on the ballot, would you like to sign?" and then ask if they're a 
Massachusetts voter. People find lots of reasons not to sign, but don't 
let that get you down--if you're in a spot with a lot of people, you can 
still get a lot of signatures. For example, lots of people in Brookline 
aren't voters either because they're students or tourists or from out of 
state or from other countries. (Some of them just say they aren't voters 
so I'll stop asking them but that's OK, too.) A lot of people will just 
dismiss me pretty quickly saying, "I'm OK," and walking on, or "Not 
today," or "I'm in a rush," though sometimes I can say, "I'm just 
looking for signatures to get people on the ballot," and they'll stop. 
If they really won't stop or feel bothered by me, I thank them anyway 
just to be polite. A few people are dismissive, but I figure that's 
their problem and try to stay up-beat. Still, there are enough people 
who are voters and will stop to talk and maybe sign that this kind of a 
place feels worth it. (I usually walk alongside people for a bit so I 
can talk with them until they decide to stop and sign.)

Once they've stopped, some will just sign (some people like the idea of 
getting more choices). Make sure you ask them what town they live in so 
you can find the right sheet before they do and remind them to sign 
legibly or print their last name after their signature. Most people want 
to know a little bit about the party and/ or the candidates before they 
sign. I keep a green slate sheet on the top of my clipboard and point to 
it and the candidates as I say we're for environmental and social 
justice issues--the "Green" part and the "Rainbow" part 
respectively--and may mention workers' rights or health care or global 
warming or instant run-off voting. Then I usually describe the 
candidates. People have often heard of Jill from her 2002 run for 
governor and sometimes Jamie from his 2002 run for Treasurer, and they 
can be impressed with Grace's long history as an activist for low-income 
women (among other things). In fact, most don't really want to know 
much, just that the party and the candidates are respectable people, and 
after just a little bit of talking, you can emphasize again that you're 
just trying to get signatures to get them on the ballot so people can 
hear fresh ideas in the political debates. I'll tell them that Grace has 
already done that in the debates she's been part of.

Sometimes someone will say they don't want to sign because they don't 
want to split the left vote and end up with another Republican governor, 
or they'll mention Ralph Nader. If they're really committed to one of 
the Democratic candidates, it's hard to talk them out of this and it's 
worth thanking them anyway and moving on. But I can often point out that 
there's not a Republican in the Secretary of State race and that we 
ought to have a choice there, and that even if Grace and Wendy don't win 
for governor, having them in the race to present a different set of 
ideas can make a difference in the kinds of policies we end up with. 
Sometimes the instant run-off idea is appealing to these folks because 
it's clear that then they wouldn't have to make this kind of bad forced 
choice.

Some people want more information before they'll sign. I think it's 
worth giving them a flyer about the candidates, reminding them they 
don't have to vote for the candidates, and then asking if they'll sign 
"just to get them on the ballot," but not pushing too hard if they just 
want to walk away at that point. We're there to educate people about the 
party and the candidates as well as to get signatures--especially if 
that education doesn't take too long. There are some who are suspicious 
if they're signing the back of the nomination paper and want to be sure 
the front says what we say it does (I guess there have been some scams 
lately.) That's totally fine, and I let them check what they need to to 
know we're legitimate. A few people want to be sure that they're not 
getting on a fund-raising list and that they don't have to vote for the 
candidates--"no," I assure them, "just signing to get them on the 
ballot" I repeat.

Finally, there are some people who aren't registered or have moved 
recently and it's really delightful to offer them the chance to fill out 
a voter registration form or change of registration form and then get 
them to sign at their new address. Some folks have been meaning to do 
this for a while and they're pleased to have run into us and that we can 
help them out. (And the other parties don't do this.)

I'll usually thank people one way or the other, but sometimes they thank 
me, too. They're really grateful to see that people are taking an active 
part in our democracy.

That's a lot of ideas and suggestions. Sorry if it's too long. But 
really what matters is getting out and doing it. And most of what 
matters is just spending the time. If you find a good place, you're 
bound to get 20 or 25 signatures for every hour you spend. If each of us 
spends a couple of hours on a couple of days this week, we'll each get 
50 or 100. And those hundreds will add up to thousands, and those 
thousands are all we need to be sure to get all the candidates on the 
ballot. But we have to ALL do it and do it NOW or the thousands we've 
already collected won't count at all.

I'll do my part. I'm counting on you to do yours.

Thanks,
Jim Hammerman
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