Online Petitions Explained
Online petitions are increasingly becoming the most effective way to organise large groups of people in support of a common cause. Traditionally this was done using a paper petition form, which was signed by a group of people to indicate their support of the attached petition letter. The paper forms were then delivered to their target. This type of petitioning works well for a smaller number of closely spaced individuals, however for larger and more widespread groups, an online petition offers a far better method of gathering people in collective support of a cause. An online petition can circle the globe very quickly and generate millions of signatures of support almost overnight.
GoPetition has hosted tens of thousands of online petitions generating millions of signatures, we are highly experienced campaigners and as such we have produced MANY online petition success stories.
This page is generated to explain online petitions and how they work. It hopes to give prospective petition writers an in depth understanding of what they need to know before writing an online petition.
GoPetition offers free membership and petition hosting, click here to join now. Once you have joined you can begin writing your own online petition, or you can find an existing online petition to sign. We also offer help if you are wondering how to write a petition.
Online petition (electronic petition) acceptance
The status of online petition and electronic signatures (e-signatures) is undergoing major change and development in many Western jurisdictions. The law of electronic signatures is in its infancy. In these circumstances, we at GoPetition provide for the collection of a variety data fields to provide as much flexibility as possible for each petition author. We provide custom software so you can build your own fields and collect the data you need and want.
GoPetition aims to keep up to date with the latest trends and requirements for each online petition and its e-signatures while also providing a customized experience for our campaigners, partners and signers.
Many jurisdictions throughout the world now recognize the online petition. For example, 10 Downing Street, UK, accepts online petitions as long as each petition complies with basic content requirements. In the USA, statutory requirements vary federally and from state to state.
In Scotland, e-Petitioner (a parliamentary service) has introduced online petition formats and protocols. Similarly, in Queensland, Australia, online petitions to parliament have been sanctioned if a Member of Parliament sponsors the relevant online petition. Please note that petitions addressed to the European Parliament require signers to indicate nationality and job.
The increasing acceptance of internet petitions by governments and parliaments worldwide makes GoPetition an ideal partner for your campaign. Our services can be used for any onlinepetition addressed to government at a local, county, state or national level or even internationally (for example, the UN). GoPetition has many examples of well written online petitions to a variety of local, state and national governments and parliaments and also to the United Nations (UN).
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