Petition Signatures: Public or Private?
We've heard both sides of the argument--back and forth, back and forth--that revolve around Washington's recently passed SB 5688, aka the "everything but marriage" law, expanding the rights and benefits of same-sex domestic partners. Earlier this month (exactly 19 days after the law was signed), gay rights adversaries filed the signature-driven Referendum 71 that could overturn the law and push it to a vote this November. Burn!
Now the website WhoSigned.org plans to take those 121,000 valid voters' signatures from those opposed to the same-sex partnership law and make them public record, searchable and stalkable (ummm...Google Maps?) on the Internet. Zing! Doesn't that make you want to sign up to support (or overturn) future causes?
Really, is shaming or blaming the way to go here? While outing the names publicly could prompt a good response for some, it still leaves the potential for endangering others, who potentially face threats, aggravating phone calls, or even just awkwardness with co-workers or neighbors.
So, if our votes are kept private, should our signatures placing a referendum onto the voting ballot be kept private, too?
