Day: September 25, 2015

Members of the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PBAC) testified at a public hearing, Sept. 22, convened by Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48), chairman of the Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee. The committee’s purpose was to hear testimony regarding S.B. 495 also known as the “Voters’ Choice Act” (VCA). The VCA would bring Pennsylvania’s egregious ballot access laws much closer to the intent of Article 1, Section 5 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Constitution which guarantees that all elections shall be “free and equal”.

Currently, Alternative Party candidates and Independent candidates are required to gather as many as 30 times the number of signatures required by the two old parties. In a recent election, while the Democrat and Republican candidates required 2,000 signatures, independent and minor party candidates were required to collect more than 60,000 signatures! The VCA would change the method by which a “minor party” would be qualified. Once qualified as a minor party, it would then be free of the egregious signature collecting process and its destructive consequences. The “minor party” would then be free to nominate its candidates by convention or by whichever form described in its bylaws. Independent candidates would only have to collect the same number of signatures as the candidates from the 2 old parties.

Roy Minet, from the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party spoke for the PBAC. He made it clear that ballot access laws were favored by the two old parties because they “prevented ballot clutter”. He quickly protested that what they actually “meant by ‘clutter’ was in fact competition”!

Carl Romanelli, former US Senate candidate, speaking for the Pennsylvania Green Party, revealed that not only had he been removed from the ballot but was required to pay $80,000 covering the cost of the Democratic Party which actually used a “volunteer” who was in reality a salaried employee of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania resulting in what became known as “Bonusgate”. He pointed out that the VCA was “brilliant in its simplicity” in bringing about a change in the ballot access laws which would be more reflective of “free and equal elections”.

Jim Clymer, former candidate for Lieutenant Governor, speaking for the Pennsylvania Constitution Party, explained how polls showed that the majority of Pennsylvanians wanted more choice on Election Day. He also pointed out that, since any challenge to minor party or independent candidates for statewide election might result in having to pay the challenge’s $80,000 costs, such candidates are effectively removed as candidates. Jim Clymer also pointed out how the Federal District Court has recently struck down Pennsylvania’s ballot access laws because the combination of signatures and payment of challenger’s costs were unconstitutional under the United States Constitution.

Steve Scheetz, representing the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party, demonstrated how difficult it is to find volunteers because they are painfully aware that their candidate might be removed from the ballot. Moreover Scheetz clarified that with only the 2 old candidates we have positions on an issue which only differ slightly while the candidates then level personal attacks. Candidates from newer parties would change the nature of the conversation forcing all candidates to be more articulate on the issues. The “spoiler issue” was also shown to be a creation of the older parties which, virtually assert that they “own” votes which can be “taken by spoilers”. Romanelli said “the people, not any candidate or party own their own votes and they alone can decide who will deserve the precious gift of their vote”

Hat tips Bob Small and John Murphy.