Why you should care
The Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition in seeking more choices for all of us on Election Day. Current Pennsylvania law makes it difficult for independent and minor party candidates to appear on the ballot — much more difficult than in most other states. The result is less political competition, less political dialog, and fewer choices to vote for in November. The current system is simply not fair and does a great disservice to the ideal of democracy and to the voters. What you can do about it.
The trainwreck of 2006
In 2006, independent and minor party candidates were required to collect over 67,000 valid signatures simply to get on the state-wide ballot in Pennsylvania on Election Day. Legally, Democratic and Republican candidates require no signatures to get on the state-wide ballot, and even the 2,000 signatures required for the Primary Day ballot are ridiculously smaller than the virtually impossible hurdle of 67,000.
The solution
Pennsylvania law needs to be changed by the State Legislature to lower the outrageous signature requirements. The Coalition has drafted a Voters' Choice Act and is seeking sponsorship of it in the General Assembly.
State ballot rules far too restrictive
Scranton Times-Tribune, October 19, 2005
Anyone who doubts that Pennsylvania believes in the two-party system should take a crack at seeking office under the banner of any party other than the Big Two. Neither the state nor federal constitutions address the idea of two-party rule, but it is enshrined in state election rules that always have been written, not coincidentally, by Republicans and Democrats.
Not that some restrictions are a bad idea. The public, rather than the politicians alone, has an interest in keeping elections from becoming chaotic, and the government from becoming paralyzed by factionalism. There should indeed be some test of an independent candidate's viability as the means of access to the ballot.
It is quite clear, however, that the current standard in Pennsylvania needs revision. In order to be on the ballot in a statewide race, an independent must obtain nominating signatures from a number of voters equal to 2 percent of the vote total of the highest vote-getter in the most recent round of statewide elections.
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Site last updated » March 4, 2008 «