Several setbacks have forced Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana to change up their strategy to reach the needed number of signatures to place two related petition initiatives on the November ballot.
On Friday, May 6, the NMM campaign revealed their revised plans, which will shift from an effort using paid petition circulators to one that’s grassroots.
State Senator and NMM Co-Chair Anna Wishart of Lincoln told reporters and supporters that the loss of a key benefactor to a motor vehicle accident, and another diagnosed with a terminal illness, plus failure of a drive to raise the necessary $1 million funding to move forward with a traditional paid signature drive forced the change, but supporters remain undaunted.
“We have come too far and have too much support to give up. It will be unprecedented for a petition to be successful without a traditional paid signature drive, but if any campaign can do this, it is Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana. We collected over 196,000 signatures in 2020 during a global pandemic. We have an 80% approval rating across the state. I truly believe that where there is a will, there is a way.”
Along with Co-Chair Adam Morfeld of Lincoln, Wishart unveiled the new strategy, which would be much more aligned with a ‘get out the vote’ effort. Among other things, the group is asking supporters across Nebraska to make contributions that will keep campaign staff in place that will help guide the signature-gathering effort, and to make those contributions recurring if possible over the next sixty days.
Statutory initiative petitions require 87,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. The campaign has collected 25,000 on each of its medical cannabis petitions so far, and is facing a July 7 deadline to turn in signatures for validation by the Secretary of State’s office.
The group also unveiled a ‘Go Vote, Go Sign’ campaign, tied to the Tuesday primary election in which the organization is encouraging supporters to go to the polls, then find one of the more than 100 businesses across the state that are hosting petitions for people to sign. Morfeld says all of the businesses have been well-versed in the requirements to host petitions., says the campaign has adjusted their strategy and sees a pathway for qualifying through good old-fashioned grassroots campaigning.
Wishart said they’re also asking supporters to volunteer as petition circulators, and to pledge to gather at least 50 signatures each.
