What is a petition? How it works and why it matters

When Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill passed the House in 2022, the LGBTQ community looked to the Walt Disney Company to support them as an ally.

The bill — which would later be signed into law — prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation up to third grade. Further legislation in 2023 extended the total ban to eighth grade, allowing instruction on these topics past eighth grade only if it’s relevant to state-required sex and reproductive health education.

Disney, with many large resorts and hotels located in Florida, was initially silent on the anti-LGBTQ policy and reportedly provided funding for sponsors of the bill. Many found this upsetting and unacceptable, especially since the company claims to be a “safe space” for the gay community and is a beloved, popular destination for them.

So, instead of sitting idly by feeling helpless in the face of injustice, one activist started a petition to demand action. The petition calling on Disney to denounce the bill and cut political funding to its sponsors resulted in victory. In response, the Disney CEO released a statement apologizing for their initial inaction, pledging support for the LBGTQ community, and announcing pausing political donations in Florida.

A petition is a tool that gives anyone the chance to participate meaningfully in democracy. Learn everything you need to know about how petitions work in this guide.

What is a petition?

A petition is a formal written request to a person in authority, elected official, or organization with demonstrated public support in the form of signatures.

Petitions can be physical documents signed with pen or created online with digital signatures. They function as tools to raise awareness about and address problems, concerns, and areas of opportunity. They can address specific, local community issues up to large, global causes.

A petition contains background information and details on the issue it concerns and the specific actions requested to achieve its goals. The purpose of a petition is to demonstrate support for a cause by gathering signatures and presenting it to the people with the power to make the requested change.

The decision maker could be a member of the government, a company, or an institution like a school or a hospital. Targeting individuals in charge is generally more effective than addressing the institution as a whole.

Types of petitions

There are a variety of different scenarios where petitions are useful, and some cases even required. These are the main types of petitions for the most common uses:

• Social cause petitions: Social cause petitions aim to raise awareness and create change for social issues, from health care to criminal justice, education, immigration, and equal rights, to name a few. Most Change.org

  petitions fall into this category. These target officials and authority figures like legislators, company CEOs, law enforcement, etc.

• Legal petitions: These are legal documents that make a formal request for a court order. A legal petition is the first step in the lawsuit process and can also function to appeal a court decision.

• Ballot measure petitions: Ballot measure petitions are conducted through the ballot initiative process where citizens collect signatures to place laws, amendments, or policy changes on ballots for the public to vote on.

• Work petitions: Work petitions typically involve employees making certain requests to their employers, like improving working conditions, reforming policies, addressing HR violations, etc.

• School petitions: School petitions can be created by students, parents, or faculty requesting curriculum, policy, operational, or other changes to the leaders of educational institutions.

• HOA petitions: HOA petitions are generally created by homeowners addressing the HOA board members about common issues like member fees, property restrictions, and maintenance problems.

What is the right to petition?

The right to petition is a fundamental pillar of democracy, empowering individuals to voice their concerns, challenge injustices, and seek action from their government. The freedom of petition is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution with origins tracing back to the Magna Carta.

This right enables citizens to engage directly with elected officials, through ways like starting and signing petitions, speaking at public meetings, or organizing peaceful protests. It’s become a powerful tool for creating social and political change, influencing policies, advocating for justice, and ensuring that governments remain accountable to the people they serve.

Do petitions actually work?

Petitions are a tangible, concrete way for anyone to take civic action, challenging those in power to address problems. By targeting the right decision makers and creating a well-researched, detailed, clear, and persuasive petition, you can start gathering signatures.

Build support by sharing your petition online and asking signers to share it on their channels. Then, you can collect enough signatures to put public pressure on those in authority. You can mobilize your supporters to take further action with letter-writing and phonebanking campaigns directed at decision makers.

So, if you’re wondering “do petitions actually work?” and specifically, “does Change.org do anything?” — the answer to both questions is yes. Trailblazers and activists throughout history have created pivotal change using their right to petition, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Frederick Douglass.

Millions of people create online petitions on Change.org, and over 100,000 of those petitions in 196 countries have led to victory. Many successful petitions on Change.org have produced major results, like policy changes, clemency for those unjustly incarcerated, reducing harmful plastics, improving life threatening work conditions, and much more.

What is a petitioner?

A petitioner can be anyone involved in creating, signing, and submitting petitions. A petitioner isn’t just one person responsible for confronting an issue, but a team of people creating a movement for change. The beauty of petitioning is that anyone can do it regardless of their background.

What happens when you sign a petition?

When you sign a petition, it activates important factors that contribute to its impact. Here’s a glimpse at the results of signing a petition:

• Your support is documented and counted, adding to the strength of the petition

• The petition gains momentum, credibility, and urgency

• Your voice joins a community surrounding a movement

• You receive optional updates on the petition’s progress if it’s on Change.org

• Each new signature puts more public pressure on decision makers

• Your personal information is secure, and only the necessary information is shared with the petition starter and decision maker

• You’re able to share the petition with others to increase awareness for the cause

While not every petition achieves its goals, each signature plays an important role in pushing for change and holding decision-makers accountable.

Make change with a petition

A petition is more than just a piece of paper or digital document with signatures attached to it. It represents your voice and the voices of all your supporters who are uniting for a common cause. You can make change with just 100 signatures for a neighborhood initiative or help shape society on a national level with huge support backing you.