# Petitions on CommonYard

> Start a petition that names who should act. People choose a side, then press and hold to sign — and nobody can see who signed. Free.

Updated: 2026-10-05
URL: https://commonyard.app/features/petitions/

A petition on CommonYard asks someone to act — a person, an office, a school, a company — and lets people sign it right where they read it.

## What a CommonYard petition does

- **Signatures are private.** Everyone can see how many people signed and how the sides split. Nobody can see who signed, or which side any one person chose.
- **Press and hold to sign.** Signers choose a side — **Agree** or **Disagree** — then hold the **SIGN HERE** bar until it fills. Let go early and nothing is signed, so a name is never added by an accidental tap.
- **Every side counts.** Disagreeing is a signature too; it counts on the disagree side.
- **Never counted twice.** Someone who changes their mind signs again on the other side, and their signature moves across.
- **It names who should act.** When you start one, you say who it is asking. A petition with nobody to answer it never gets answered.
- **For everyone, or just your yard.** Post it to the whole Yard, or to one of your yards, where it stays: anyone who opens a public yard can read it, and its members sign.

## Start a petition

1. Tap the round **+** at the bottom of the screen.
2. Write what should change. Add a picture if it helps.
3. Under **ASK PEOPLE TO**, tap **Sign**.
4. Say who has to act, and pick how many names you are aiming for.
5. Check where it goes and tap **Post**.

The full how-tos are [Start a petition](/guides/start-a-petition/) and [Sign a petition](/guides/sign-a-petition/).

## Good to know

- The people who run CommonYard can look at a signature only when they need to act on a report — the same as anything else that gets reported.
- Signing earns 8 points. Points are credits for taking part, not cash.
- Want a quick read of the room instead? Post an opinion and let people [take a side](/guides/take-a-side/).