You learn that a bill has been introduced that will hugely increase the number of signatures to get Libertarians on the ballot in your state. The prospect is daunting, as you realize that you have an insufficient activist base to accomplish this on a volunteer basis, and a paid petition effort is not an option. What do you do?

Begin by insuring that, just as you have a newsletter editor, you have a person or people willing to commit their time to simply monitor proposed laws so that you are aware of them early enough to affect the process. It's easy to get a summary of bills being introduced by contacting your Secretary of State's office--you may have to get a fresh list more than once per session. Inquire as to on-line access to this information as well. Get a copy of your state's election laws, and inquire as to which House & Senate committees have jurisdiction over them.

In reviewing summaries of proposed laws, watch for obvious things such as increases in petition signature or registered voter requirements, or bills which change the definition of a ballot qualified political party. Once you've identified bills of interest, get copies of the full text of the proposed legislation and review them with a copy of the election laws at hand so you can see exactly what changes are being proposed.

Once you've found the bill, it's time to develop your strategy.

What arguments that you and your membership can use? My favorite is that to the extent ballot access is easier, it opens up the political process to more people. More parties on the ballot bring more voters to the polls, many of whom would otherwise be disenfranchised and not vote. You can develop other arguments as well, but most politicians find it difficult to argue against something that will increase ballot box turnout. Make it clear that this is not just a Libertarian thing--we support open ballot access for all parties.

Now, get the word out to your members. Start by covering the legislation in your state party newsletter, detailing the offensive provisions and the effect it will have on your ability to run candidates and grow as a political force. In the same issue, provide a list of the House or Senate committee members who will be evaluating the bill, including contact information. Ask your members to contact all committee members.

Members should telephone the committee member, referring to the bill number and inquiring as to their familiarity with it (if they don't know the bill, describe it briefly.) In a pleasant and friendly manner, express your opinion, using the key arguments that you've provided to members in the newsletter--a clear and consistent message is what we are trying to get across. Unless they initiate a longer conversation, your phone call should take less than 5 minutes, and is ideally followed-up with a thank-you note in the mail which reinforces the points you made on the phone.

The committee will likely hold at least one hearing. (Note that your phone lobbying effort should happen before the committee hearing.) Recruit prominent Libertarians to testify (e.g., your state chair or a recent high-profile candidate), as well as significant Libertarian public officeholders. They should close their testimonies asking the committee to vote for an "ought not to pass" recommendation on the bill, or however they refer to killing a bill in your state.

The bottom line: You want to stop the bill during the committee process, rather than after it's passed the committee and gone to the full house or senate where the effort needed to lobby it will be much greater. Follow-up with the committee chair to see where the process goes after the hearing--often to a smaller sub-committee, which may recommend changes or concur with your lobbying effort. Continue to update your membership, giving new contact info & arguments where needed.

Other resources include the use of personal relationships with legislators, email to expedite getting the word out, and press releases to support your position. And you may have to adapt this process to change the bill rather than kill it, depending on the circumstances. But get started today by monitoring bills closely, and involving your membership into a grassroots lobbying effort.

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As LPNH Chairman, Tuniewicz led successful lobbying efforts affecting several bills in the New Hampshire legislature. He served as Treasurer of the Libertarian National Committee.