1. Name the decision and the person who can make it.
Choose one outcome your organization wants. “Improve public transit” is a cause; “Fund weekend service on Route 12 in the next city budget” is an ask someone can act on. Identify the office, board, or other decision-maker responsible before you start collecting support.
A petition gathers a shared message. If your campaign needs supporters to call individual officials instead, a topic-based advocacy widget or representative lookup widget may be a better first step.
2. Write a short, specific petition.
Use a title that states the change you want. Then explain the problem, who it affects, and the exact action you’re asking for. Keep the main request near the beginning so a visitor can understand it before deciding to sign.
PETITION TEXT TEMPLATE
To [decision-maker or office],
We ask you to [specific action] by [relevant decision date]. [Explain who is affected and why the change matters in two or three sentences.]
Please [repeat the requested action and identify the next decision or milestone].
Organized by [organization name].
Add sources for factual claims where you can, and avoid implying an official has endorsed your campaign unless that is accurate. A signature count shows recorded support; it does not guarantee a policy decision.
3. Make the signing experience clear.
Tell visitors who is organizing the petition and how their information will be used. Link your organization’s privacy policy. Explain any email confirmation step before people sign, and keep optional campaign updates separate from signing the petition.
In Civic Connect Rally, a signer confirms their email before their signature is counted as confirmed. This checks access to the email address; it is not identity verification. Rally provides a hosted petition page and an embeddable widget for your organization’s website.
4. Preview, publish, and test the full journey.
Preview your title, story, colors, and organizer details on a phone as well as a desktop. Check that the privacy link works and that your message makes sense without extra context. After subscribing and publishing, test the real signing and email confirmation journey with an address you control.
If you embed the petition, use the complete code on the website registered to your plan. Check the widget installation guide for website requirements. Rally is $59 per year for one website with unlimited petitions.
5. Prepare delivery before the campaign ends.
Choose the decision date or campaign milestone that will trigger delivery. Rally lets the organizer export confirmed signatures to CSV. The organizer sends or delivers the petition; Rally does not automatically email every signature to decision-makers.
Check the receiving office’s preferred method, introduce the request in a short cover note, and explain the campaign’s scope and date range. Share only the information needed for the delivery. Keep exports secure and follow your privacy commitments when contacting supporters afterward.
See Rally export instructions for the current fields and consent details. Decide how you will update supporters after delivery so they know what happened next.