Is there a signature, age, or voter registration requirement to get a petition to Congress?
There are no actual requirements for a successful petition (or email) to Congress. On this general topic the First Amendment states simply: “Congress shall make no law […] abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” There is never any voter registration or other requirement on the right to petition– it is in the Bill of Rights! Having said that, we do take steps to make every petition campaign effective. The Rally Congress system has both the public online petition, and after the visitor signs the petition, a process that lets people email their letters directly to their member of Congress. In order for those emails to be effective, we do collect full name, address and email information and relay that with the letters. That reassures Congress that there are real people behind the petition, and gives elected officials a way to contact people with a response. I’m an ove
