For a fee, his Nevada-based company fields armies of professional signature gatherers to put initiative petitions on election ballots in 24 states, including Massachusetts. A libertarian, Arnold says he wouldn t vote for most of his clients initiatives, but advocacy and ideology are not part of his mission. My mission is to get them on the ballot so people at least have a chance to have a say. While they may be at odds with traditional grass roots activists, paid signature gatherers are now a fixture on the Massachusetts initiative petition front. Many campaigns this year enlisted paid workers to hit the streets and malls in search of signatures on behalf of questions that roll back the income tax, reform the state s drug laws, and grant Internet providers access to cable lines.
Some activists decry the practice as special interests buying access to the ballot.
All nine active petition drives were ready for last week s filing deadline, with several campaigns submitting more than 100,000 signatures when only 57,100 were required. At least five or those campaigns used some combination of paid and volunteer efforts. Secretary of State William Galvin reported receiving 800,000 signatures. Activists estimated they collected one million, inundating the office with 750,000 pieces of paper. Both attributed the deluge to the SJC ruling.