Where should you go to
obtain signatures?
If you are running for a
precinct-level position, such as Inspector or Judge of
Elections, you will probably have to go door-to-door in
your precinct to obtain the signatures of your
neighbors. Or you can stand outside your precinct's
polling place on primary election day, and ask for
signatures as voters exit the polls. (The benefit of
this is you know the people are registered to vote, and
that they will vote on Election Day.)
If you are running for a
higher level office, you will have to determine the
places that will give you the highest probability of
reaching voters in your district. Working a busy
precinct on primary election day is still a good idea.
Signatures from voters outside of your district are not
valid.
You should keep in mind
that you want to obtain as many signatures in the
shortest period of time to maximize your efforts.
Heavily trafficked locations are best, such as train
stations, shopping malls, fairs, donut shops in the
early morning, etc.
If you go to a
privately-owned location, such as a mall, we recommend
that you obtain permission from the owner/management
before doing so. It may be preferable to do this in
writing. Use your judgment. You should be able to
collect 20-30 signatures in an hour.
What do you say when you
ask for a signature?
Here is an example of
what you might say when requesting a signature:
"Hello, my name is
Joe Liberty, and I am running for Inspector of
Elections in our precinct. I live at (give address so
they know you are a neighbor.) Will you sign my
petition to help me get on the ballot?"
What do you wear when
you are out getting signatures?
Business attire is
preferable. Remember that you are asking people to vote
for you for public office. You want to look professional
and credible.
Filing your nomination
papers by August 1
After you obtain the
number of signatures you have determined you need, you
are finished! You can either try to obtain more for
publicity purposes (see
What to do after you file
below) or wait until the week of July 23 to file.
If this is your first
time running for office, it is better not to wait until
the last minute in case you don't have all the necessary
requirements when you go and need more time. You don't
want to file too early, either, because this will give
your opponents more time to think about whether or not
they want to challenge your petitions.
Before you go back to
your Director of Elections to file your nomination
papers, make copies of all your papers and any other
documentation you are filing with them.
If you have not been
challenged by the deadline, congratulations! You
are officially a candidate in the November General
Election!
Now it is up to you how
much time and effort you will devote to your campaign
between now and November. We will cover more about
campaigning in another briefing.
What to do the day after
you file your nomination papers
Depending on the race you
are running, this may take a little preparation and
assistance from others in advance.
You should write a press
release announcing your candidacy and send it
immediately to all the local media (newspaper, radio,
local television). Make sure you have a good
professional "head shot" to submit with it. This must be
done right away, or else it will be "old news". The
press release should include the following information:
Here is a web site where
you can learn more about writing press releases:
http://www.press-release-writing.com/
The press release is
probably not necessary if you are running for Inspector
or Judge of Elections, unless your municipality has its
own local paper.
How to contact your
local media
Obtain the names and
contact information for the news editors. Call them and
ask them how they prefer to receive press releases. Most
of them will probably say they prefer fax.
If the initial press
release is faxed, follow up with a hard copy delivered
in person the same day with a copy of your headshot. Ask
someone to do this for you if you cannot physically get
there soon enough.
If you do not have a fax
at home, it might be worthwhile to find someone who does
and is willing to do this for you. They don't have to
write it for you, but they can send the fax. Make sure
they will be available to do this for you when you will
need them.
You should introduce
yourself to the news editors and tell them what you will
be sending them. Getting to know who they are and vice
versa can be to your advantage.
Note: The Pennsylvania
Manual has a listing of all the local media by county.
You can obtain a copy of this from one of your state
legislators. The Pa Manual is updated every two years.
How else can we help
you?
If you have more
questions,
email us.
Good Luck and Happy
Campaigning!
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Footnotes
1. Ballot Access
You should be aware how
the ballot access rules differ for the major parties
compared to third party candidates. The major party
candidates have a set amount of signatures required for
primary election ballot access. The office determines
the amount. For example, Inspectors of Election have to
obtain 10 signatures in their precinct to run in the
primary. Countywide offices require 100 signatures.
Another difference is
that the major parties must obtain signatures from
voters in their own party to run in the primary. Since
you are petitioning for the general election, you may
obtain signatures from voters registered with any
political party or non-affiliated voters.
As a third party
candidate, the amount of signatures required for general
election ballot access is based on a formula. The figure
is determined by calculating 2% of the votes obtained by
the highest vote getter in the last local election (if
you are running for a local office) in your district.
Some of you will run into
Directors of Elections who have never been asked to do
this before, so they will be learning along with you! It
is a good idea to ask for this figure in writing and the
numbers it is based on, so you can determine if the
figure was calculated properly.
For example, they should
NOT be calculating the figure based on the amount of
votes George W. Bush or Al Gore received in your
district last year. It must be based on the last local
race which corresponds to the district in which you are
running.
2. Challenges to your
nomination papers
After the filing
deadline, the other candidates for the same office in
which you are running have one week in which to
challenge your nomination papers. This is a formal
process by which they petition the county court. Each
signature on your papers will be compared to the voter
registration rolls to make sure the information is
accurate and the signer is actually registered to vote
where they say they are. Signatures have been known to
be disqualified for any number of minor reasons. This is
why it is necessary to gather more signatures than
required for filing. That is your insurance policy to
make sure you survive a challenge.
At the end of a
challenge, if enough signatures have been disqualified
to bring your signature count below the number required,
you have been knocked off the ballot.
3. Possible objections
and responses
I am not registered
to vote.
Hand them a voter
registration form and tell them you would really
appreciate their vote in the general election in
November.
I am a registered
Democrat/Republican.
Voter affiliation is
irrelevant for ballot access for the general election.
It is not the same as signing petitions for the primary.
It is too late to
file petitions.
You may run into a few
voters who are familiar with the primary process. They
may tell you it is too late for you to circulate a
petition. Just let them know that you are running as a
Constitution Party member, and are petitioning in
accordance with state law to run in the general
election.
I already signed a
petition for another candidate.
They cannot sign your
papers, unless the election allows for voting for more
than one candidate, such as for School Board Directors
or some city/borough council races. They may sign as
many petitions as they have votes for that race in the
general election.
I don't know anything
about you.
The response to this
should be tailored depending on the race you are
running. If you are running for Inspector or Judge of
Elections, you can make a short statement, such as, "I
have lived in our precinct for 6 years, and currently
work full time as a Sales Associate for Company X for
the past 4 years, and would very much like the
opportunity to serve my community in the election
process. Signing this paper will help me get the
opportunity to run for the position." If you like you
can have a current resume on hand.
If you are running for a
higher level office, it would be a good idea to have a
thought-out campaign platform in advance. What are the 2
or 3 main issues you will focus on? Perhaps you would
like to focus on some particularly attractive
credentials you have. Either way, it's a good idea to
have something to hand to voters if they ask at minimum.
Never badger the voter or
get into arguments. If it is clear they do not want to
sign, thank them anyway and move on.
You might want to have a
small write-up to hand out that gives a brief
description of the job, and why you are qualified to
hold it. Depending on what position you are running for,
you might instead want to mention a single important
issue that you feel is important and how you will deal
with it when elected. Usually this is enough to get them
to sign.
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About
Inspectors and Judges of Election
Last November's Florida
election spectacle illustrated for the nation to see how
important the election officials in the precincts are.
There was concern about officials of one party
discounting votes for the other party.
What about Constitution
Party votes? Who is counting them?
If we expect to get
candidates elected to office, the minimum work needed is
to get Constitution Party members in the precincts to
be the guardian of Constitution Party candidates' votes.
We are calling on every Constitution Party member in Pa
who can do so to volunteer to run for one of these
elected positions in 2001.
There is one Judge of
Elections and two Inspectors of Election in each
precinct. They work every Primary and General Election
Day for a 4-year term. They are paid for their service.
Here are some other
reasons why it is necessary to get more Constitution
Party members elected as precinct officials:
- Increasing the
number or elected Constitution Party members in office
adds to our credibility as a serious political party
worthy of support by others, helps us get media
attention, furthering our ultimate goal of getting
Constitution Party members in higher-level offices.
- Having Constitution
Party members serve in public office demonstrates that
Constitution Party members are not only "ordinary
neighbors", but that they can be trusted to serve
responsibly in public office.
- Electing precinct
officials is an essential element of a grassroots
strategy of party-building. "You must walk before
you can run."
If you are interested in
running for one of these offices, please visit "So
you want to be a candidate" for further
information.
If you are interested in
helping us recruit other Constitution Party members in
your county to run for these positions, send us an
email or call
724-586-9739.
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Who are Judges and
Inspectors of Elections?
There are three elected
officials in each precinct in Pennsylvania. One is the
Judge of elections and the other two are the Inspectors
of Election.
In the November 6, 2001
General Election, all Judges and Inspectors of Election
are up for re-election. They work every Primary Election
and General Election day for a 4-year term (two days per
year). They are paid for their days of service. (The
amount of compensation varies from county to county, but
is generally in the $50-$80 per day range for
Inspectors. The amount is slightly more for Judges.)
Duties of Precinct
Officials
All election officers are
required to be at the polling place no later than 6:30
a.m. as required by state law.
The Judges, Inspectors,
and clerks of election shall, in the presence of each
other, take the oaths required and sign all copies.
Penalty, instruction
sheets, and specimen ballots are to be posted outside
the immediate voting area.
They set-up and arrange
the voting booths.
They "proof" or check the
vote-recording machines.
They must be prepared to
assist voters as appropriate.
They process and record
all votes and prepare two counting sheets.
They check all poll
watchers certificates.
They supervise two
appointed clerks.
They close the polls at
8:00 p.m. and prepare ballots and other materials for
transport to the counting center in their county.
Judge of Elections and
one Inspector deliver the required items to the counting
center.
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