Pennsylvania State Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) has introduced SB 195, to ease ballot access for minor parties and independent candidates. This is the third session in which he has introduced this bill. It sharply reduces the number of signatures for independent candidates. For minor parties, the law would be similar to the Delaware law, in which a group that persuades a reasonable number of voters to register into the party would be on the November ballot automatically, and would nominate by convention. Thanks to Bob Small for this news. The bill is not yet on the state legislature’s web page.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Senator Folmer is to be commended for his integrity and support for the ideals of democracy (and the political health of our country). It is easy to criticize political leaders, as I have done, but it should also be said that the various third parties have also been guilty of not doing their part to help in this process by failing to push for the adoption of some kind of preference voting system, which would alleviate to a great extent the legitimate concern of winding up with a weak plurality victor when there are more than two candidates.
In addition, politics is hardball (a substitute for war), so third parties should make it clear to those in office that they will do everything in their power to make a political party pay if they advocate ballot access restrictions, including encouraging their members to help vote incumbents out of office. As the Israeli saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.