Signature Gathering with CDP: Tips, Tricks, and Talking Points Basic Rules for Signature Gathering 1. 2. 3. 4. Person signing must be a registered voter in Oakland . If they’re not, they can fill out a voter registration card. Black or blue pens only ! Name and address must be legible. Know your rights you can gather signatures anywhere you don’t have to pay or spend money to be in. Sample Script YOU: THEM: YOU: THEM: Hello! Are you a voter in Oakland that believes in people power? or Do you love Oakland? or Do you care about democracy? YES! or Maybe? or I don’t know, who’s asking? We are trying to bring a people’s budget to Oakland so residents have more say over the city’s resources. Sign our petition to help us bring our initiative to the ballot! Yes! ( sign) No! (say thanks anyways) Anything else in between ( read below) Talking Points/FAQs “What’s this about?” This makes it so the people of Oakland get to decide where our money goes. “How does this work?” There will be neighborhood assemblies throughout the city where people come together to get informed, and determine public priorities by directly voting on the city budget. “I’m not sure about this.” That’s ok, this petition is only putting it on the ballot. Once it’s on the ballot, it will still have to be approved by a majority of Oakland voters. “I’m not registered” or “I need to update my registration” or “I’m not sure if I am registered” No problem. We’ve got voter registration cards so you can sign the petition and register now. *They must return their voter reg card to you. At the end of your shift, hand it in to the shift leaders* Talking Points/FAQs cont. “This sounds great, how can I get more involved?” Glad you're excited! If you'd like to get involved, please sign up here and we’ll follow up with you to talk about ways you can get involved. [ hand them signup form ] “Are you guys affiliated with any political parties or groups?” No, we are an allvolunteer, nonpartisan group, open to anyone who thinks we should have more say in how our tax dollars are spent. “Has something like this been done before?” The people’s budget, also called participatory budgeting, is taking place in various forms in over 1,000 cities worldwide. The closest city that has it is Vallejo. If we are successful, Oakland will be the first big city in the U.S. to have the budget fully decided by the people. “I’m still not sure about this. Where can I get more information?” (Hand them a flyer!) You can also visit us at www.communitydemocracyproject.org Tips and Tricks 1. If you have trouble approaching people, don’t think too much. Jump in and start talking immediately. 2. The tone/vibe you give off really matters. People can sense anxiety so keep a positive, easygoing attitude. A smile can really go a long away. Try not to get affected when people are rude. 3. Don’t spend too much time on one person. Once they start signing, move on. You may meet some haters or debaters that want to have an hour long conversation, answer politely and move on to the next person. 4. Feeling overwhelmed? Tired? If you don’t feel 100%, take a walk , keep yourself hydrated, get something to eat, and try again. 5. If you feel unproductive and have trouble getting people to stop, move to a place with higher density . We want to make the best of use of your precious time with us. 6. Are they taking a long time to think? Give them one of your clipboards and let them have some time to read while you start talking to someone new. 7. If someone asks a question you don’t know how to answer, ask them to check out our website , hand them a flyer, or ask your volunteer lead!