Petitions are the traditional way for citizens to approach their elected officials with problems they want addressed. Petitioners approach officials from a position of weakness: they are pleading with the authority to do something they otherwise cannot do themselves.
FNV Campaigns might look like petitions because their formats are similar — they both approach authority about an issue with some quantified level of support from X number of citizens. In fact FNV campaigns are very different from petitions because they approach officials from a position of strength. A future no vote pledge is not a plea, it’s an ultimatum: do what we want or you will be voted out of office at your next election.