Our Work

Petition Collection in Jersey City

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In the months leading up to Jersey City’s November 4 municipal election, Great Society Strategies worked with Bill O’Dea’s campaign for mayor and his entire slate to deliver an ambitious, citywide petition operation that resulted in Team O’Dea filing an extraordinary number of petitions—far exceeding the requirements to appear on the ballot.

Project Details

Mayoral and at-large candidates were required to collect 100 signatures to qualify for the ballot, while ward council candidates needed only 75 signatures. Team O’Dea fielded candidates in all six wards and for three at-large seats across a city of more than a quarter-million residents, significantly increasing the complexity of the petition process. Additionally, the operation relied exclusively on volunteers, rather than paid field staff who typically supplement petition collection efforts.

Tactics

100% Volunteer-Driven Effort: Our team coordinated an extensive network of local volunteers who canvassed every ward and neighborhood, engaging thousands of residents in meaningful conversations about the city’s future.

Record-Breaking Number of Petitions Collected: A total of 7,763 petitions were signed for the slate. For context, when Mayor Fulop submitted more than 6,000 petitions in 2021, InsiderNJ described it as a “massive number that shows his campaign’s organizational strength as well as the broad support the Mayor enjoys throughout the community.” Team O’Dea exceeded that benchmark by more than 1,700 signatures. The petition total also surpassed that of multiple New Jersey gubernatorial candidates collecting signatures statewide, including Steve Fulop (7,561), Steve Sweeney (7,410), and Jack Ciattarelli (5,543).

Turning Signatures Into Votes: Every signed petition was reviewed by our team and cross-checked against voter rolls. Petition signers were hand-logged into VAN and sorted by ward and campaign. We ensured signers felt valued, including sending thank-you letters to petition supporters. We then followed up with petition signers to encourage them to vote, helping build the momentum that ultimately carried two City Council candidates to victory.

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Results

Great Society Strategies oversaw the entire petition collection process, from training and deploying volunteers to meticulously validating every signature by hand and preparing petitions for filing. Volunteers fanned out across every ward, collecting signatures at doors, local businesses, community events, and high-traffic transit corridors. Because every signature had to come from a registered Jersey City voter, volunteers were trained to verify eligibility, explain candidate platforms, and guide voters through the petition process.

Once collected, petitions entered a rigorous quality-control pipeline. Validated signatures were counted and logged, allowing campaign leadership to track progress and understand precisely how far the campaign exceeded ballot requirements. The final step involved assembling petitions into organized, clearly labeled filing packets. Each bundle was double-checked to ensure compliance with the city clerk’s strict filing standards.

Surrounded by volunteers, organizers, and campaign leadership, the petitions were delivered to City Hall in a filing that visibly demonstrated the strength of the campaign. The effort generated coverage from multiple media outlets, including Hudson County View and InsiderNJ.

Turning in 7,763 petitions was a major achievement for Team O’Dea, and Great Society Strategies is proud of the petition operation executed in Jersey City. Our work not only secured ballot access for the slate but also set a high bar for operational excellence. Follow-up outreach to petition signers directly contributed to Election Day turnout and the successful election of Team O’Dea City Council candidates Joel Brooks and Tom Zuppa. The results exceeded both expectations and requirements.

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