Our Action Plan

---

The Short Version: 

Petitions for these amendments to the Missouri Constitution have been approved for circulation by the Secretary of State. If we collect enough signatures by May 5, 2024, these proposals will be on the ballot in Missouri on November 5, 2024.  If approved by voters at that election, they will take effect 30 days later.

The Long Version:

Step One (Completed): Get Petitions for “Proxies for Citizens” and “Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens” drafted, submitted to the Secretary of State, and approved for circulation.Petitions for these amendments to the Missouri Constitution have been approved for circulation by the Secretary of State. 

Step Two: Get organized and gather signatures.

We are in the process of recruiting volunteers, interviewing potential staff members, and raising money.

“Proxies for Citizens” is an elegantly simple, yet incredibly powerful reform with many benefits, but it is a new and untested concept that will take many people a while to understand and fully appreciate. We will need to train petitioners and staff so that they feel comfortable explaining how Proxies for Citizens will work and will be able to answer questions and explain and extol the benefits. 

We are organizing a coalition of organizations that include strengthening democracy in their mission statements.  A list of such organizations is being complied.  As of December 1st, the list includes 91 organizations.  Contact with those organizations is being initiated.  We want to get as many political organizations as possible to endorse both “Proxies for Citizens” and “Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens”.  

There are numerous organizations dedicated to promoting democracy.  We need to encourage communication between the organizations that share this common goal.  We need to coordinate the efforts of these organizations to the greatest extent possible. 

We are placing a particular emphasis on recruiting political groups on as many campuses as possible.  With a single campus group involved, members of a recognized campus organization can table, promote the reforms though campus media, and host events.

We are reaching out to labor unions throughout the state encouraging them to have petitions available for signing and for distribution at their offices during normal business hours and to have their members help gather signatures.

We are encouraging individuals who are planning to run for office in 2024 to become active spokespersons for “Proxies for Citizens” and “Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens” and to lead the effort to gather signatures on petitions.  This will enable them to build name recognition and good will among voters and give their volunteers something constructive to do during the “off year” (2023).  Candidates-to-be will benefit greatly – across party lines- if they make it clear to voters that they are Champions of Democracy.

Step Three: Assuming that we gather the required number of signatures by May 5, 2024, we will then need to conduct a campaign to ensure that both proposals are approved by voters on November 5, 2024.