Remarks of David Jahn, chair of the PA Libertarian Party, at the kickoff rally for the Voter’s Choice Act

Harrisburg State Capitol
September 24, 2005

I want to speak about what it means to lose minor party status and clarify the disparity between the requirements for major and minor party candidates.

Minor Party

Under current law, minor parties are forced to run statewide candidates, in next years election, who garner votes equaling at least two percent of the highest elected official, or we will forfeit our minor party status. I’m sure some of you are wondering, what are consequences of losing minor party status. Let me list them for you:

  1. 1.First, we are no longer listed as a party on voter registration cards. As a result some Libertarians, Greens, etc will inadvertently register as independents. This hinders our ability to identify and communicate with supporters, and puts up artificial obstacles for any political body that is trying to organize in our state. Obviously, these obstacles benefit the two major parties in their quest to maintain dominance.

  2. 2.Second, we are denied the opportunity to run candidates in special elections.

  3. 3.Lastly, our line is taken off of voting machines throughout the state.

The Voter’s Choice Act changes the way minor parties are defined, using a voter registration threshold as they do in other states. In other words, once you have registered a sufficient number of voters you are considered a minor party. After that, you have the option of deciding whether or not you want to run a candidate in a statewide race. Not running a candidate next year is not an option available to us now.

What does it take to get on the ballot

Now that you understand why we must run a candidate, let’s consider what it takes to run a candidate. Next year, major party candidates seeking statewide office will simply collect 2000 signatures to get themselves listed in the taxpayer funded primary election. After that, the winners of the taxpayer financed primary are automatically listed in the November election. No further signatures are required.

Minor parties on the other hand, burden the expense to conduct our own primaries. After which, our statewide candidates are required to gather over 67,000 signatures. 33 times more than the major’s.

So, we are not invited to participate in the taxpayer financed primary, and then we confront this blockade on our way to the November election.

This is a process that is not healthy, as it permits the major parties to run and elect sub par candidates with ease while our candidates are overwhelmed with ballot access hurdles.

The Voter’s Choice Act proposes that once minor parties have burdened the expense to chose their candidates, they should be given the same treatment as major parties by allowing us to simply provide the state with a list of our candidates. If the major parties aren’t required to gather signatures for the November elections, neither should we.

It should be noted that this is a solution that is already being used in Delaware, and the result there have been higher voter turnout. If it works there, it should work here.

Summary

It is important that each of us has the right to run for office. We shouldn’t have to bow to whoever is controlling the dominate party in our counties. And, our political careers shouldn’t be determined by our loyalties to the king makers within the major parties. We must encourage minor parties and independent candidate participation.

Closing

In closing, I would like to direct those of you that are interested in learning more about ballot access and the Voter’s Choice Act to the white paper on the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition’s web site at paballotaccess.org. It includes information regarding the findings of Governor Rendell’s election reform task force, a section on the history of ballot access laws in our nation, information regarding the effects of ballot access on voter turnout and participation, our recommendations and a copy of the Voter’s Choice Act.

If you would like to have someone come and speak to your group about ballot access laws and this act, please contact me either through the coalition web site at paballotaccess.org or through the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania’s web site at www.lppa.org and I will do my best to get myself or someone else to your event.

Finally, I want to ask each of you to please contact your legislators and ask them to sponsor this act.