A petition is a written document signed by multiple people to request an authority to grant a request. It can be used to initiate a ballot, repeal laws or recall elected officials. A minimum number of signatures is required, and the text must comply with the laws in force. It can also refer to a simple request from anyone.
A petition is a formal written document that is presented to an authority in an attempt to get that authority to grant a request. Typically, it is signed by multiple people, indicating that a large group of people support the request detailed in the document. In some countries, the right to petition members of government is protected by law; many of these countries have legal systems based on the English legal system, which has had this right since Magna Carta.
Politically, a petition can be used to get an initiative on the ballot in some countries, assuming enough people sign the ballot. In the United States, voter-originated initiatives are common in many ballots and cover a wide range of issues that the authors believe are not addressed by government figures. Petitions can also be used in attempts to repeal laws or recall elected officials. In other cases, they can be used for community appeals; a group of people who want an off-leash dog park, for example, might create a petition to take to a city council meeting for members to consider.
In regions of the world that support the right to petition, a minimum number of signatures is generally required before the document is accepted. This minimum amount varies widely and a time limit may also be imposed to ensure that proceedings do not drag on. For example, someone who wants to get a lead on a particular ballot would have to file paperwork with government officials and then gather valid signatures on the petition and submit them within a set time frame.
In order for this instance to stand legally, the text of the proposed initiative must comply with the laws in force. Many activists are asking lawyers and expert legal authorities to draft the text to ensure that the initiative is legal and effective if approved. Petitioning is a common activity on many college campuses and in busy urban areas as signatories know they can gather large numbers of signatures from a crowd.
The term is also used more informally to refer to a simple request from anyone, not just a member of the government. Some people talk about petitioning a deity when they pray, for example, or a child might ask a parent to increase the allowance. In these cases, it is not a formally drafted document, making the request oral rather than written.
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