Students are concerned about the signature gatherers frequently on campus.
Although petitioners have been seen at El Camino College since 2009, in the last four years they have become a nuisance that disrupts the learning environment on campus.
El Camino College should create stricter regulations than there currently is because of how frequently petitioners harass students on campus for signatures, and be transparent about how it has increased over the years.
“Many of these signature gathers are aggressive in their approach of students,” Mary Hanna, a 20-year-old fine arts major and Art Gallery volunteer, said as she expressed concerns about the number of petitioners seen as the spring semester began.
“During the first week, I noticed it was just absolutely terrible. I think I saw like five or six around campus,” Hanna said.
Political science major Honey Bizzaro, 21, spoke to an older petitioner on campus who was collecting signatures for Uber driving safety involving sexual assault.
“So the bill was like…if you’re a victim of assault in an Uber, you can sue the company for lack of background checks,” Bizzaro said.
These petitioners camp near the Art Gallery, the Aquatics Center, the Student Services Building and the Bookstore. They have also been soliciting students by informing them they can make money in exchange for signatures.
Bizzaro further confirmed that the petitioner became aggressive when asking her to sign the form on Uber assaults and made it known that she can make money from signatures as well.
“I did feel that sense of aggression…he was like, yeah if you want to get involved and make money too let me know,” Bizzaro said.
On the job search website Indeed, petitioners employed by the company MVP campaigns can make up to $500 to $1000 a day for each signature received. Another job position on Indeed called Petition Circulator has payouts that range between $50 to $100 an hour from signature field work.
The minimum wage in California is $16.90 as of Jan 1, 2026, according to the Department of Industrial Relations website. Maybe the reason why petitioners are getting worse is because wages aren’t enough to cover the cost of living?
Some signature gatherers create manipulative signs using AI generated advertisements and bribe students with snacks and drinks.
“One of them that I noticed just recently has.. advertisement signs being like, ‘vote against pedos’… ‘if you care about women’, ‘sign these petitions,’” Hanna said.
Petitioners are collecting signatures that cover real economic issues involving sexual assault, voting registration, religious inquiries and more. Petitioning is something that could be used to make a positive impact in society, but is treated as a money grab instead.
“It rubs me the wrong way because it’s like using these issues that affect so many people so intimately and deeply to sign the petition so they can get $2 a signature,” Hanna said.
The campus needs to put stricter measures in place enforcing boundaries against the petitioners. Students have the right to deny, walk away, and get to where they have to be without feeling like they are doing a civil injustice. Petitioners are not incentivized by policy or change, they are incentivized by the pay.
