The Highlander
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE
For the week of Tuesday, april 14, 2026
VOL. 74, ISSUE 23
Petitioners continue to show up at UCR
NEWS
The Highlander News team investigates what petitions are being offered around campus. JOSÉ DEL ÁNGEL News Editor
RADAR
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On April 8, 2026, The Highlander conducted an investigation around campus centered on understanding who is funding the petitioners around campus and what
The Perfect Playlist for Parrying Petitioners
they are promoting to students. The investigation concluded with a list of petitions that Riverside locals should be aware of before signing any document in exchange for an energy drink. The petitioners who stand around campus are not volunteers, the majority are paid by organizations who they have declined to name or provide any information on. Some of them claimed to be paid by the hour while others claimed to be paid per signature. Some of these organizations have petitioners creating posters with slogans that are provocative and easy to understand such as “end ICE” to attract more students to sign the documents and
provide their personal information. According to the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities Organizations and Students, article 40 details policy on use of university properties. Section 3, Sub-section 42.50, mentions that any form of voter registration is protected because “Such activities shall not be considered to be commercial or noncommercial solicitaFEATURES tion, since there is ... ► SEE PETITIONERS ON PAGE 8
Don’t let some wannabe car salesmen force you to sign your life away.
A list of songs for those who hate being harassed and told what to sign.
SANJANA THATTE Features Editor
IAN PALMA Radar Editor
With campus petitioners coming down on unsuspecting bystanders like moths to a flame and manipulating them to commit to obviously false promises, the time to put one’s foot down and start making informed decisions is now. For those who are just trying to get to places on time and hate being pestered when it comes to being told what to sign, and for those who just want to have new tunes to listen to, here’s the perfect playlist for avoiding petition tables. “Got the Time” by Joe Jackson With a lightning fast tempo that emulates the heartpounding sense one might have when trying to... ► SEE PETITION PLAYLIST ON PAGE 25
What to say to petitioners harassing you
OPINIONS Increased presence of petitioners on campus has gone largely unregulated by UCR
If you’ve been walking around campus any time in the past five months, you might’ve noticed the petitioners’ tables that seemed to magically spawn at hot spots all around campus. And if by chance you were trying NOT to notice them, they definitely saw you — immediately shoving a clipboard under your nose asking if you want to end homelessness. To avoid causing a scene and to get people off your back, the people pleaser in you might find it prudent to give strangers your personal information in exchange for a Celsius, and hopefully, being left alone. I’m here to tell you that there is a way to avoid all of that. Here are a few simple sentences that can roll off your tongue just as they attempt to disturb your peace...
THE EDITORIAL BOARD The Highlander
► SEE SAY TO PETITIONERS ON PAGE 19
Petitioners are misleading students. If you’ve walked around the University of California, Riverside (UCR) campus in recent months, you’ve likely encountered petitioners holding clipboards and asking whether you are registered to vote and over the age of 18. With tables near the Bell Tower, the Highlander Union Building, Market at Glen Mor and the residence halls, these petitioners often display signs reading “End ICE!” or “Stop Climate Change!” while offering free Celsius drinks andchips to students who sign. The increased presence of petitioners comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In California, the deadline to submit initiative signatures is June 25, 2026, as county elections officials must verify all... ► SEE EDITORIAL ON PAGE 9
ADELIA URENA / THE HIGHLANDER