Dawidziak: Go ahead, sign the petition

Michael Dawidziak is a political consultant and pollster.

Beware, your neighborhoods are being invaded.

Armies of people are besieging your streets and coming to your homes. No, it isn't a foreign invasion or a science-fiction nightmare come true. It isn't even young men in white shirts and skinny ties, as portrayed in "The Book of Mormon," come to convert you and save your everlasting souls.

These armies aren't armed with guns or Bibles, but rather with clipboards and pens. They don't want your money, allegiance or conversion. Only your signature. You should give it to them.

It's that time of the political calendar when political parties and candidates have to collect signatures on their nominating petitions. It's an arduous task, accomplished for the most part by volunteers. The State Board of Elections, which sets the dates for elections and campaign financial filings, also determines when petitions can be collected. It's roughly the same time every year, and this year it's the 38 days from June 7 to July 14.

The number of signatures per office varies with the size of the jurisdiction. For a countywide position, such as county executive, 2,000 signatures are needed. But once the petitions are filed with the Board of Elections, they're immediately scrutinized by opponents for signatures that may not withstand legal challenges. Because, let's face it, the easiest way to win an election is not to have a challenger. So to be "bulletproof," most experts recommend collecting twice the number of signatures required. Four thousand signatures is a daunting number -- particularly in just 38 short, hot days.

Political parties have committee members to accomplish this task, but would-be candidates who wish to challenge the convention-nominated choices in a primary usually only have a ragtag group of volunteers to gather the needed names.

Many voters resent the intrusion when someone knocks on their door asking them to sign a nominating petition. They're too busy washing the car or running the kids to soccer games to deal with this annoyance.

They also don't understand what their signature represents. Any seasoned petition gatherer will tell you that the most oft-quoted objection to signing a petition is, "I haven't decided who I am supporting." The correct response by the person behind the clipboard is that signing isn't a show of support, but rather the mechanism by which voters get a choice come Election Day.

And that's the point. These volunteers are out on some of the hottest days of the year, risking biting dogs and slamming doors, so we all can have a real choice in a primary or general election. This is how democracy works. If these workers don't get the signatures, then you don't get a choice at the polls.

So whether it's for the Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Working Families, Independence Party, the Green Party or even an independent, go ahead and take the few minutes to sign it. You can decide later on whom to actually vote for. Rather than be annoyed by the intrusion, thank your fellow citizen for doing the grunt work that makes the wheels of democracy go 'round. If it happens to be a beastly hot day, you might even offer that volunteer something cold to drink.

Our country's founders bequeathed to us a participatory system of government. That means it doesn't work if people choose not to participate.