Signature

Gathering Instructions

WHO CAN GATHER SIGNATURES? Anyone who is 18 years or older

WHO CAN SIGN THE PETITION? Anyone who is registered to vote in California

Where can you gather signatures? Be creative!
§ At home with your own social network. Start with your family and friends!
§ In your neighborhood, knock on your neighbors’ doors. Use the voter file if it’s available from your
organization. The voter file is a list of all the registered voters in your neighborhood.
§ At work with your co-workers.
§ Places with lots of foot traffic. For example: a college campus during the lunch hour, grocery stores,
farmers markets, large community events, festivals or fairs.
§ You have a right to gather signatures in any public place, as long as you don't block the flow of traffic.

Use a catchy one-liner to grab their attention first, then ask if they are registered to vote in California and
what county they’re registered in:

Hi! Can I get your signature to help raise $12 Billion for schools and local services every year? Are
you registered to vote in California? What county are you registered in?


QUICK TIPS TO HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL

§ Speak with confidence and an upbeat attitude. § Keep it short and simple.
§ Hand people the clipboard as soon as you start § Prepare to hear “no” a lot - don’t take it personally!
talking – once a person is holding the clipboard § Focus on the positive, ignore the negative.
they will almost always sign. § Make eye contact, smile & always say thank you!


The Rules
§ Voters must put the address where they are registered to vote – or it won’t count. No P.O.
boxes.
§ All signers on a petition sheet must be registered in the SAME county – put the county name at
the top of the sheet where it says County – use a different sheet for each different county as
needed.
§ Voters must fill out and sign their own information.
§ We don’t want duplicate signatures. If someone already signed the petition somewhere else,
they shouldn't sign again. But, if they signed in 2017-18 to qualify the old SCF, they need to sign
again!
§ Use black or blue ink only.
§ Make certain that you triple check that the voter has filled out all of their information AND has
signed their name before they walk away.
§ When you’re done with a sheet, CAREFULLY fill out the Circulator declaration at the bottom.

 LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR CANVASSING

• Petitioning is an act of free speech.
• It is protected under the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Sec. 2 of
the CA State Constitution.
• It is NOT SOLICITING.
• The CA Supreme court upheld this right in two cases:
• PruneYard v Robins (1980)
• Fashion Valley Mall v Nat Labor Relations Board (2007).

What to say:
“Article 1, Section 2 of the California Constitution protects our right to be here. What we're
doing is considered FREE SPEECH, and as such cannot be prohibited under solicitation laws.”

The “PruneYard Shopping Center v. Robins case (1980) established that shared shopping
centers constitute public forums, and as such we are allowed to be here. We are not soliciting,
and hence do not need any licensure and cannot be prohibited by the same contractual
limitations that exclude vendors.”

Note: Individual retailers are not considered public forums.

Here’s what the court said:
Fashion Valley Mall v. National Labor Relations Board (2007 - San Diego) upheld that malls are
public arenas and thus must allow free speech.

"We do know, based on Alderwood, that initiative or referendum supporters must be permitted
to circulate petitions at large regional shopping malls, subject to reasonable time, place and
manner restrictions."

Sections 2 and 3 of Article I of the California Constitution protect speech and petitioning,
reasonably exercised, in shopping centers even when the centers are privately owned.”

Paid for by Schools and Communities First - Sponsored by a Coalition of Social Justice Organizations
Representing Families and Students. Committee major funding from:
Chan Zuckerberg Advocacy (Nonprofit (501(c)(4))
The San Francisco Foundation
California Teachers Association
Funding details at http://fppc.ca.gov

777 S. Figueroa St., Ste. 4050, Los Angeles, CA 90017