The White House is apparently disappointed by all the petitions they've been getting, so they changed the posting rules to minimize citizen votes
When White House Petitions were first offered on the Internet, I was an early subscriber. It seemed such a good idea. Many other citizens did, too, and we voted for the things we thought the President should pay attention to. Many petitions quickly ran up to the required number.
But, the White House has apparently decided that was too much citizen involvement. Now, instead of clicking a {yes} button, you have to fill out a form. The form must include your name, eMail address and ZIP code, and then they send you an eMail message. Only AFTER you reply to that eMail is your vote apparently counted.
Interesting facts:
All the data you have to supply in the form is information already in your profile. They KNOW that information, and you have to be logged in to even see the petitions. But, bureaucrats to the end, intending to minimize your involvement, they won't do that for you.
Then, you have to wait for the eMail to arrive, and then you must click a link in that eMail. Then, and only then, is your vote (potentially?) counted.
All this filling out of redundant information, and responding to the eMail has to be done FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PETITION YOUR VOTE ON.
Clearly, this was instituted not to clearly identify you (they already know that information; you gave it to them when you signed up). It is a bureaucratic maneuver designed to frustrate citizens so they give up and don't vote because of the time you have to waste.
And, that, to me is the final expression of the "HOPE" the President promised: By making it harder to inform them of citizens' preferences and values, the White House can now decide to ignore (or, perhaps, abolish) the Petition site for "lack of interest." I notice petitions are taking longer to reach the threshold that means it will be responded to by the White House.
In politics, when the right-hand giveth, the left-hand taketh away. Thanks, White House bureaucrats, for making it harder to be an engaged citizen!