The Declaration of Internet Freedom has arrived in Denver, Colo.— just in time for tonight’s presidential debate.

reddit’s Internet 2012 Bus Tour is kicking off its week-long journey through the Midwest to campaign for Internet freedom. Internet activists and folks from reddit will be collecting, documenting and sharing stories about people across the country who are using the open Internet to start new businesses, get educated, communicate in new ways and share creative work. Along the way, they’ll ask everyone they encounter to sign a giant copy of the Declaration.

This isn’t the first time the Declaration has made its way from 21st-century LCD screens to good old-fashioned paper — and it won’t be the last. This summer, people around the world took the Declaration from the Web to their elected officials to city cafés and into their own backyards with incredible results.

And while those hazy summer days have faded into the fall, enthusiasm for the Declaration continues to grow. Internet users from London to Hawaii are getting together to talk about what the open Internet means to them (more on that soon), and the Declaration will play a central role in upcoming fights to protect our online freedoms around the world.

If you’re near one of the tour’s stops, think about stopping by. Stay tuned for more updates!

Image courtesy of Erik Martin