LAST CHANCE to Sign Petitions — Come to Petition Palooza on Saturday

We are now just 20 days away from delivering our petitions to the Secretary of State, which means here in Southern Arizona, we have 11 more days to finish collecting signatures and get them notarized and submitted.

This gives us time to process the petitions that are returned and get them up to Phoenix on September 21 where they will be prepared for formal submission on the 28th.

Saturday, September 11

LOCATION #1 
8am to 5pm 
Pima County Democratic Headquarters
4639 E 1st St
Tucson, AZ 85711

LOCATION #2

7:30am-3pm

Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Church

3235 W Orange Grove Rd

Bring your petition signatures to get them notarized.

“We are within striking distance of our goal — petitions are being returned at a brisk pace — so brisk that I can hardly keep up with the data entry,” said Merrill Eisenberg of Arizona Deserves Better. “Last week you handed in 7,683 signatures — this increased our total by 57%! If this pace continues we can make it. But it will take a second wind of participation for all of us to get there.”

Here is what is happening in these closing weeks of our campaign:

PUBLICITY

• Radio ads have started, directing potential signers to our two large Saturday events.
• Letters to the editor have started being printed – thanks to all of you who submitted them. Keep them coming!
• Social media posts that you have made have resulted in a significant number of people showing up at the Saturday events.  Keep posting on social media. Post new “last chance” messages.
• The Democratic Party has been sending email blasts that are also very effective.
• Literature drops in the precincts surrounding our Saturday event sites are very helpful. We have a bunch of literature pieces for the Democratic HQ site for this Saturday’s Petition Palooza. If you can distribute them in your neighborhood today, tomorrow, or even Saturday morning, please contact Eisenberg directly at eisenberg.merrill@gmail.com.

EVENTS

• Our two large Saturday events last week at the Unitarian Churches were a great success!  “A huge shout-out to Elizabeth VanHorn and Tamar Rala Kreiswerth for organizing the Northwest event, and to Nancy Burton for organizing the mid-town event. They and their intrepid volunteers are true heroes,” Eisenberg said. We will repeat these events this Saturday, 7/11, and finally on 7/18.  This coming Saturday, Sept 11, you can bring in petitions to be notarized at: Democratic Headquarters, 4639 E 1st Street, Tucson, 8am-5pm.
• Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Church, 3235 W Orange Grove Rd, 7:30am-3pm
• Our Oro Valley contingent is continuing to work the libraries, with great success. “They have done an incredible job all through this campaign – shout out to Jean Meconifor all that she has done to lead that effort,” Eisenberg said.
• Our neighbors in Green Valley have been hard at work and will hold a Petition Palooza on 9/12 – these are the folks who invented the term “petition palooza.”
• Large events are scheduled and will be advertised for Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties.
  • Veterans Park, Bisbee 10am-2pm TODAY and on the 16th
  • 179 N Grand Ave, Nogales, 9:30-5pm on September 18th
• Your efforts at your regular haunts should continue. “Please try to give an extra push in these last 2 weeks,” Eisenberg said.
  • Check out the volunteer calendar Linktr.ee/TAGGAZ  or use the QR code to see events where you are needed.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED URGENTLY

• • Literature Drop in central Tucson: We have lit dropped to the precincts surrounding Democratic HQ for this Saturday’s Petition Palooza event, but we still need help in precinct 91. If you can help out in Precinct 91, please contact Lisa Wolfe today at (520)-260-3974, lisaewolfe22@gmail.com).  We have a ton of leftover flyers – let’s not waste them.  If you live in midtown and can walk your neighborhood, contact Eisenberg ASAP. She has flyers.
  • Midtown Petition Palooza: Saturday, Sept 11 and Sept 18:  Volunteers needed to staff tables at the large “stop and sign/petition turn-in” event at Democratic HQ.  We need volunteers for both outside and inside signing tables.  Contact Nancy Burton 518-496-2026, Nancy.burton19@gmail.com
  • Northwest Petition Palooza: Saturday, Sept 11 and Sept 18. If you would like to volunteer to help out at the Unitarian Church on Orange Grove please contact Tamar Rala Kreiswirth 520-909-2979,  tkreiswirth@gmail.com.
  • Historic Y: Our Oro Valley partners have had great success getting signatures during the CSA distribution that takes place there on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4pm-6pm.  This coming week they are short of volunteers — if you are interested in helping out contact Eisenberg as soon as possible:  eisenberg.merrill@gmail.com and (520) 327 – 5390.

• Social Media. Post again. Our personal networks are the best way to reach the general public.
• Letters to the Editor: Now is the time to start submitting letters — to the Arizona Star, but also to the local and weekly papers, including the Sentinel, the Explorer, the Marana News, the Weekly, Saddlebrook Progress.
• Make an extra effort to try some locations that have been largely untapped. 
  • • Trailheads:  Tumamoc Hill is a gold mine for signatures.  There are many other trails that are also well-used in the early mornings and evenings.  You can fill several petitions in a short period of time.
    • On the Loop:  Many sigs have been collected on the Loop at Swan — volunteers should try Campbell or any other portion of the Loop. 
    • Reid Park Concerts: Demeester Outdoor Performance Center, September 12, arrive at about 5 pm.  You can set up a table/ironing board and also work the crowd
    • Mercado San Augustin:   100 S Avienda del Convento, probably best on a Saturday

Oro Valley Signing Events:

9/10, Friday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/10, Friday, Nanini Library from 10 am to noon
9/11, Saturday, Red Captain Coffee shop (4004 N. Stove Ave) from 9 am to noon
9/11, Saturday, Nanini Library from 10 am to noon
9/12 Sunday, Oro Valley Library from 11 am to 1 pm
9/13 Monday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/14, Tuesday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/15, Wednesday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/16, Thursday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/16, Thursday, Oro Valley Library from 4 pm to 6 pm
9/17 Friday, Oro Valley Library from 10 am to noon
9/18 Saturday, Oro Valley Library LAST CHANCE TO SIGN from 11 am to 1 pm

SCHEDULE

• 9/18 Last day to turn in notarized petitions 
• 9/19 Drivers needed to pick up petitions from Nogales and Sierra Vista
• 9/21 Petitions go to Phoenix
• After 9/20:  If you continue to collect signatures during the week of September 20, you will have to overnight mail your notarized petitions to Phoenix.  They should be sent overnight to: Alison Porter, 616 E Julie Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283.
• Disability assistance: Please continue to have people who need assistance have someone (not you!) sign on the same petition as everybody else.  Remember to have the Voter Assistance form filled out for each petition that an assistant signed, and return these forms with the petitions. In addition, please note that the Voter Assistance forms that were originally distributed are specific for 1485.  You can use them for the other ADB petitions by crossing off the 1485 and inserting the correct Bill number.  OR, you can download a new generic version of the form from the Hub.
• NO writing in the margins or underlining/highlighting phrases in the 100-word summary
• NO crossing off blank lines
• Check “VOLUNTEER” and write in the County in 2 places before you collect any signatures
• You can’t add signatures after the petition has been notarized
• DO NOT REMOVE THE STAPLE!  Keep the petition attached to the text of the bill at all times. 
• Sign at Home.  If you run into people who can’t get out, there is the option for them to have the petitions brought to them! Here is a link to the Sign At Home service, sponsored by Indivisible and Strong.  You can also use this link to sign up to bring petitions to people.

So this is the home stretch!  Let not our efforts dwindle as time runs out – NOW is the time to take a deep breath and redouble our efforts if we are to be successful.  All of you are such fine examples of responsible citizenship and dedication to a fair and open democratic process. You should feel proud!

Please continue to spread the word about petition signing events. Your advertising continues to have a huge impact. Our DOV website points out why the recently passed bills are destructive and the need to make dark money transparent. It provides links with the official language summary as well as the entire text of each. Please share the link below:
http://www.demsov.org/petitions.htm