About Voice & Ballot

What this is

Voice & Ballot is an independent public register for community petitions — the kind of everyday civic asks that don't always have a formal channel: a crosswalk, a park cleanup, a change to a local policy. Anyone can browse and sign what's already here; starting your own petition just takes a free account, so there's a real person behind every request.

How review works

Every petition is written by its creator and checked by a real person before it's published — we're looking for a clear, specific ask, not vague venting, and nothing that violates our terms. Once approved, anyone can sign with just a name and email; no account required for that part. One signature per email, per petition, so the count you see reflects real people.

Discussion, not just signatures

Alongside petitions, the discussion board is a place to ask questions and talk through the issues behind a petition before or after signing it. Reading is open to everyone; posting or replying takes an account, and — unlike petitions — discussions go live immediately rather than waiting on review. Anyone can delete their own post; our admins can remove anything that breaks the rules.

What we don't do

We don't take a position on any individual petition or discussion. The views expressed belong to whoever wrote them, not to this site. We're not affiliated with any government body or political party, and publishing a petition here doesn't mean any official has seen or acted on it — sharing it directly with the people who can actually act is still on you (our blog has some thoughts on doing that well).

Names and privacy

Every account has a private full name (used only if we ever need to reach someone directly) and a separate public display name, which is what actually shows up next to anything you post. You choose your display name yourself, and can change it anytime from your profile. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Questions

Most common questions are answered on the FAQ page. Anything else — get in touch.