Electronic petitions are a convenient and effective tool of direct democracy for individuals who want to support one initiative or another. The “Local Petitions” service allows people to address local government agencies virtually.

Ukraine is one of the first countries in the world to institute petitions in local government agencies. The kinds of issues about which community residents typically appeal to their governments using e-petitions include a wide range of questions that arise in housing and residential services, road repair, and furnishing or designating premises.

A petition has specific time, quantity and legal frames, as well as requirements that must be met. If a petition does not garner the necessary number of signatures, it reverts to the status of an individual appeal.

An e-petition is an effective instrument for change in a community. In Lviv, the institution of a single ticket for all forms of public transit started with a petition. In Lutsk, a petition to expand the memorial to Volyn residents killed in the Russian war against Ukraine got the city to allocate funds for the purpose from the local budget.

Nearly 220 communities have instituted e-petitions, and those have so far gathered nearly 2.4 million signatures. In 2016, the platform was expanded to the national level and implemented as part of the process of introducing e-petitions in the Cabinet of Ministers.