Creating an e-petition allows you to reach a wider audience and potentially gather more names to support your petition.
Step 1: create your petition
You will be asked to give:
- your name
- your organisation (if you represent one)
- your address
- your email address
- the title* and text of your petition.
* You will also be asked to give a short, one word name for your petition. This will be used to give your petition a unique website address (URL) that you can use to share and/or publicise your petition.
You will be able to specify a start and finish date for your petition. Most petitions run for three months, but you can choose a shorter or longer timeframe, up to a maximum of 12 months.
Step 2: submit your petition
Once you have submitted your petition, you will receive a confirmation email asking you to click a link. Your proposed petition will then be sent to us.
Step 3: petition approval
Our member services team will check your petition to make sure it meets the basic requirements set out in our terms and conditions. This can take up to five working days.
Once your petition is approved, we will send another acknowledgement email to let you know that it will be published online.
If we’re unable to publish your petition due to it not meeting our requirements, we will contact you within five working days to explain why. If you wish to do so, you will be able to change and resubmit your petition.
If you do not resubmit your petition within 10 working days, a summary of the petition and the reason why it has not been accepted will be published under the 'rejected petitions' section of the website.
Step 4: petition live
Once the petition is live, you will be able to publicise your chosen website address.
Please note as the petition creator, your name and your organisation (if you have specified one) will be displayed.
People who wish to sign the petition will be asked to give their name, address and an email address so we can verify their submission.
The electronic system is designed to identify duplicate names and addresses, and it will not allow someone to sign a petition more than once.
People who sign a petition will be sent an email by us requesting them to confirm that they have signed the petition. Once confirmed, their name will be added to the petition.
Your petition will show the total number of signatures received. It will also display the names of signatories, unless they have opted not to be shown.
Step 5: petition close
When a petition closes, the results will be sent to us (Woking Borough Council). You will then receive an acknowledgement from us within 14 working days, which will outline our next steps and the petition will be published online.
If we’re able to take the petition’s requested action, the acknowledgement may confirm this action and the petition will be closed.
If the petition has enough signatures to trigger a debate at a meeting of the Council or requires a senior officer to give evidence, then the acknowledgement will confirm this and the relevant meeting details.
If the petition needs more investigation, the acknowledgement will outline our intended steps.
Step 6: our response
Our response to the petition will be emailed to everyone who has signed the e-petition and elected to receive this information. The response will also be published on our website.