Ballot Petitioning Training Notes.docx

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent candidate for president. Each state has different laws governing how candidates earn their places on the state’s ballot. In Massachusetts, the names of candidates chosen to represent the Democrat, Republican and Libertarian parties will automatically be on our general election ballots in November.

Before Kennedy’s name can appear on those ballots, he must:

(1) Collect 10,000 signatures from registered Massachusetts voters on his nomination papers;

(2) Have the signatures certified by election offices in the municipalities where the signers are registered to vote; and

(3) File his nomination papers containing at least 10,000 signatures with the Secretary of the Commonwealth for approval.

Due to the problems that can occur in validating voters’ signatures, our campaign aims to collect 60% more signatures than required (approximately 16,000 signatures).

The deadline for submitting the 10,000 signatures is July 30, 2024, but we aim to get all 16,000 signatures by the end of May.

What is the significance of signing nomination papers?

A voter who signs Kennedy’s nomination papers is simply supporting the placement of his name on the 2024 Presidential Election ballot in Massachusetts.

● It’s not an endorsement for RFK Jr. in the election

● It’s not a commitment to vote for RFK Jr. in the election

● It’s not publicly regarded as support for RFK Jr.

Signing Kennedy’s nomination papers does not put the voter on the campaign’s email list.

Any registered voter can sign RFK Jr.’s nomination papers regardless of which party they are registered with.

Voters can sign papers for as many different candidates as they wish.

Basic Terms

Nomination Papers (sometimes called “Ballot Petitions”) - the specially printed sheets of paper on which voters’ signatures are collected for the purpose of having a candidate’s name placed on an election ballot in Massachusetts.

Petitioner/Circulator - A U.S. citizen over the age of 18 who collects signatures on a candidate’s Nomination Papers.

Signer/Voter - a registered Massachusetts voter who signs the Nomination Papers.

The Massachusetts Nomination Paper

Signing the Nomination Paper

1. The voter signs her name on one of the numbered lines in the same way that she signed it on her voter registration card. If the voter’s name can’t be read from the signature, she must clearly print her name to the right of her signature. Do not draw a line down the middle of the first column to separate the signature from the printed name or the signature will be invalidated. All writing should stay within in the lines and no lines can be added.

2. The voter clearly prints the street address at which she is registered to vote, including her apartment number, if any. No one in Massachusetts is registered to vote using a post office box as her address - only addresses of buildings.

3. The voter does not write the name of her city/town on the address line because you will have already written it in the box at the bottom of the sheet.

4. It is not necessary to fill in the ward and precinct.

Signatures will be declared invalid if:

1. The voter’s address is not legible.

2. The voter is not registered to vote in the town or city written at the bottom of the nomination paper. To reduce the incidence of this happening, only collect one signature per sheet when petitioning in public places.

3. The voter’s name is that of an inactive voter whose current address is different from the former address at which he is listed as having been inactive.

4. The voter’s signature is “not signed substantially as registered” or the registrar cannot identify the signature as that of a voter because it is illegible.

Massachusetts voters can check their registration status, listed address, etc. on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/voterregistrationsearch/

Leeway on signatures:

According to the regulations, a name is considered to be “signed substantially as registered” if it can reasonably be determined to be the signature of a registered voter. Registrars shall certify signatures in which:

A middle initial is inserted or omitted.
A common or known nickname is used instead of the full first name, e.g., “Sue” instead of “Susan.”
Two initials are used with a surname, e.g., H.L. Mencken.
One initial is used with a surname, if no other registered voter with that initial lives at the indicated address.
“Jr.” or “Sr.” is inserted or omitted.
“Ditto marks” referring to the line above are used to indicate a correct address (but please ask voters to write the words).
The name is printed rather than signed.

Two types of petitioning locations - public vs. private

At ballot petitioning events like our Supermarket Days of Action, Earth Day Ballot Access Events, etc., volunteers will be interacting with the public often outdoors on sidewalks and in other public and quasi-public locations, typically in 4-hour shifts.

Through the Friends and Family Ballot Access Plan, volunteers will be collecting a relatively small number of signatures from people they know. They will be doing this in homes, schools, and workplaces over the course of a few days. This type of petitioning is less complicated logistically, it requires less training, and we expect a higher percentage of signatures collected in this way will be certified by municipal registrars.

The recommended pitch to voters in public places:

We recommend that you work in pairs. One person brings the people in, and the other supervises the signature collection and safely stores the signed nomination papers.

You will only have around 3 seconds in which to make your pitch as people are passing by. Be sure to greet them, smile, and be polite no matter how they respond. Try an approach similar to this one:

“Hi! Are you registered to vote in Massachusetts?”

“Great! Would you sign our petition to get RFK Jr.’s name on the November ballot as an independent candidate for president? You don’t have to be a supporter to sign.”

“Thanks! Which town or city are you registered to vote in?”

You will then write the name of the town or city in the box at the bottom of the sheet before handing the clipboard to the voter. Only voters registered in that town or city can sign on this sheet. When petitioning in public places, it will be easier to manage if just one person signs per sheet.

“Please sign your name here just as you normally sign official documents or checks, and clearly print your full name right after it on the same line.”

“Clearly print the street or road you live on, for example, 27 Main Street, Apt. #4. No need to put the town/city because it’s already at the bottom of the page.”

“This is great. Thank you.

Take the clipboard and pen from the voter, carefully remove the signed petition from the top of the stack, and place it in the plastic bag used for the petition kit.

If people want to learn more, give them one of our campaign business cards with the kennedy24.com address or QR code.

Your petition kit will include a sample nomination paper with signatures that voters can use as a model.

Quality control:

It’s helpful to have a small table when you are petitioning in public places because it attracts people’s attention and allows you to supervise voters as they sign the nomination papers. If you don’t have a table, you will need a messenger bag to hold your materials.

Please be sure that voters are following instructions and that their printing is legible. If you can’t read their writing, ask them to cross out the line and start again on the line below it.

Remind voters to keep their writing inside the lines. There shouldn’t be any writing, stray marks, or smudges in the margins outside of the lines and boxes on the papers. Nomination papers can’t be folded or creased.

Carefully protect the signed nomination papers by storing them in the kit’s zippered plastic bag as soon as they are completed.

What to expect when petitioning and how to respond:

Only around 10% of the people you approach in public places will agree to sign. Keep a smile on your face, wish all a good day, ‘cause come November, they’ll vote RFK.

As for the people who make disparaging remarks, just give them a “Thank you anyway” and move on. You’re there to get signatures, not de-program people. Always remain polite and respectful. #HealTheDivide

If people say, “I don’t know whether I support RFK,” let them know that they don’t need to be a supporter to help get his name on the ballot. We never know what the future will bring, so it’s always good to have another option in an election. They can vote for whoever they want in November.

If people ask what Kennedy’s main positions are, choose your favorites:

expanding the middle class by standing up for regular people and small businesses, while reining in corporate corruption,

protecting the environment from pollution by big corporations,

ending our constant wars,

healing the divisions between Americans,

protecting the rule of law and our constitutional rights.

getting our national debt under control,

taking control over our Southern border away from the cartels,

improving the mental and physical health of all Americans,

restoring medical freedom and autonomy.

PLEASE DO NOT give out anything while petitioning - no candy, stickers, merch, or anything else - or all of the signatures you have collected may be invalidated.

Many hands make light work

The average rate of signature collection in public places is between 5 and 10 per hour. Each signature is worth between $10 and $15 and it moves us closer to our goal. You are part of a team of hundreds of volunteers, each of us doing our part to get Kennedy on the ballot.

When you are out collecting signatures, you will be interacting with all sorts of voters in a process that affirms and strengthens our democracy. Ballot access petitioning can be a very rewarding and memorable experience.

What will be included in your kit for petitioning in public places?

A stack of Massachusetts Nomination Papers
A petitioning instruction sheet
A sample of a signed nomination paper
Your sign-in sheet (pink paper)
2 clipboards
A legal memo on your right to petition
Pens
Materials will be inside a zippered bag

The items in blue will be included in kits for the Friends and Family Ballot Access Plan.

Recommended public petitioning locations:

Indoor shopping mall common areas
Outside grocery and retail stores
Farmers Markets
High foot traffic downtown areas
Outside Post Offices
Outside DMV sites
Sidewalks at college and university campuses that are open to the public
MBTA and Commuter Rail stops
Outside sporting events/tailgates
Public Parks
Parades and fesivals
Outside courthouses
Outside of conventions
Outside town offices
Public Parking Garages
At approved local businesses

Article 19 of the Massachusetts Constitution has been interpreted to allow ballot petitioning on certain kinds of private property even without the permission of the property owner, including in the common areas of shopping malls and directly outside of grocery and retail stores.

We cannot petition inside government buildings or inside stores, offices, or college buildings without the permission of the property owner. Do not petition on walkways or lawns that are U.S. post office property.

When you have completed your petitioning . . .

Please contact your ballot access captain (usually the campaign organizer who gave you your petition kit), and follow his/her instructions for turning in your petition kit containing the signed nomination papers.

The signatures we collect have to be sorted, packaged, and sent to campaign headquarters in California on a weekly basis, so please get them to us as quickly as possible.

If you have advice or suggestions based on your experience that you want to share with us, please email us at massachusetts@teamkennedy.com.

Create Your Own Petitioning Events

Now that you have been trained, we encourage you to create your own ballot petitioning events and invite others to join you. Look for local events in public places that will have high foot traffic. Reach out to your County Chair to schedule your events and make arrangements to receive ballot petition kits.

Once you and your County Chair have set the date, time, and location where volunteers will meet, he/she will post your event on Kennedy24.com. The listing may take up to 24 hours to appear on the website. Your event will be publicized to volunteers in your area via email and text and we’ll train those who sign up to participate.

Please be sure to collect all petition kits and signed nomination papers from the volunteers who participate in your event, and return them to your ballot access captain or county chair as soon as possible.

massachusetts@teamkennedy.com

Reach out and we will put you in

touch with your County Chair

and answer any questions.

Twitter: @MAforKennedy24

Instagram: @massachusettsforkennedy24

Thank you for volunteering your time to help put Kennedy on the ballot and into the White House!