Lawyers, ? re: Internet Petitions

[G-Man]

Listening to Steve Forbes is on the radio telling folks to sign an internet petition to yadda, yadda, yadda……

I recently read that even a million signatures on an internet petition means nothing, no matter how "legitimate" it appears is worth nothing.  Is this true?

[hubcapsc]

Listening to Steve Forbes is on the radio telling folks to sign an internet petition to yadda, yadda, yadda……

I recently read that even a million signatures on an internet petition means nothing, no matter how "legitimate" it appears is worth nothing.  Is this true?

Internet petitions don't make law or anything... but a million signatures on one
would lend some credibility to the object of the petition...

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Gary, some petitions, like under state law to say require a recall of an elected official, have to be of registered voters and must be checked/verified (to some degree), like elections (used to be).  There are others like this (like to get your name on a ballot as a write-in, or add a proposition to a ballot)

Most petitions, however, are nothing more than power of public persuasion, and have no legally binding effect, and I would think internet petitions are as good as those walked door to door.   (I suppose someone could argue just one guy made a million web entries under different names, but so could a handwritten one).

[Moonshot_1]

Listening to Steve Forbes is on the radio telling folks to sign an internet petition to yadda, yadda, yadda……

I recently read that even a million signatures on an internet petition means nothing, no matter how "legitimate" it appears is worth nothing.  Is this true?

How does one legitimize such a petition?

I would guess an internet petition would be worth the paper it is printed on and less than an internet poll.