[Lnc-business] DRAFT - Contracts Required - Notice to All Potential Petitioners

[Wes Benedict]

I plan to start inserting text along the lines of what's below when 
petition drive budgets are discussed. This is not a final version, but 
the draft hopefully makes the intentions clear. Thanks.

=======draft - Contracts Required - Notice to All Potential 
Petitioners=======

The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) appreciates volunteers and 
people willing to work as paid contractors to collect ballot access 
signatures.

The Libertarian National Committee Policy Manual requires that "All 
contracts or modifications thereto shall be in writing and shall 
document the nature of the products or services to be provided and the 
terms and conditions with respect to the amount of 
compensation/reimbursement or other consideration to be paid." 
Additionally, "Independent contractors doing business with the LNC are 
required to sign formal contracts that clearly set forth the parties' 
intention that they be treated as independent contractors."

Please be advised that just because the LNC approves funding for a 
petition drive does not mean any willing petitioner is going to be 
hired. No petitioner is guaranteed any particular price without a legal 
contract in force that has been signed by the contractor and the LNC.

In the past, some petitioners have collected signatures without having a 
contract in effect. For example, some interested petitioners have heard 
that the LNC has approved encumbering funds for petition drives in a 
particular state and possibly a price per signature has been mentioned. 
Petitioners have sometimes assumed that they could collect signatures 
without a contract, travel to the state, collect signatures, and then 
show up to turn in the signatures and expect to get whatever price other 
petitioners have been receiving.

Sometimes in the past, the LNC or state affiliate has agreed to pay for 
such signatures either without involving a contract, or by executing a 
contract on the spot for that purpose. The practice of paying people who 
collected signatures without a contract has created problems and will be 
avoided going forward.

In order to facilitate planning, and to avoid signature shortfalls or 
excesses, the LNC tries to keep a close account of how much money has 
been spent, and how many signatures have been collected. Contracts and 
close communication helps the LNC control costs.

Some petitioners have developed reputations for doing a better overall 
job than others, whether that's due to quality, quantity, ease of 
management, willingness to follow instructions, demands of time on 
petition organizers, and other factors.

The bottom line is that just because you want to work on a petition 
drive does not mean the LNC or a state affiliate will hire you.

Unless you have a contract in writing signed by yourself and also signed 
by the authorized representative of the LNC (usually the Executive 
Director, currently Wes Benedict),  you should not commit yourself to 
working on a petition drive. For example, buying plane tickets or 
starting travel to a state based on the fact that the LNC has approved 
or announced funding for a petition drive is going to happen is not what 
potential petitioners should do.

For several years most petitioners have been signing contracts in 
advance, and collecting signatures according to the terms of the 
contracts. There have been some exceptions, and we want to end that.

Again, thanks to all those who have collected signatures for the 
Libertarian Party, whether as volunteers or as paid contractors. Without 
your help, the LP would not be on the ballot in so many states.


Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership