Kentucky has the easiest petition requirement of any state, for candidates running in party primaries. They only need 2 valid signatures, plus a filing fee. On October 13, a lower state court declared that the Republican nominee in the 44th state house district, Gail Powers, only submitted one valid signature. The other signature she submitted is from a registered voter who lives outside the 44th district. See this story.
The story also says that the Democratic nominee for state house, 37th district, is also being challenged for the same reason. It is too late for these candidates’ names to be removed from the ballot, but if a candidate is determined to have failed to submit a valid petition, votes for that person will not be counted. Kentucky permits write-ins in the general election, if the write-in candidate files a declaration of write-in candidacy by October 22. But it would be difficult for anyone to be a write-in candidate if that person’s name were printed on the ballot. It would be difficult to explain to voters that they should ignore the name of the candidate that is printed on the ballot, yet that same voter should cast a write-in vote for that candidate.
The filing fee to run for the legislature is $200.
How does a ballot drive requiring two valid signatures fail?
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There has got to be a punchline …
While in most of Kentucky the boundaries are on county lines, in Jefferson County there is so much gerrymandering that it is hard for a person to know on the top of their head what district they are in unless they are a political junkie like us.
Still, the Secretary of State should have informed the candidates and the party earlier. Also, the judge involved is a strong Democrat (even ran for Lt. Gov.) and should have recused himself.
There is no room on the petition to put additional names, although some candidates do so for cases like this.
NO relatives, friends or even neighbors for Powers ???
Call up Leno, etc.
The bad signature actually belonged to her mother, who neither Powers nor her mother realize did not live in the district.
Maybe the donkeys & elephants should be forced to collect as many signatures as the “third party” candidates… then the law might change.
It seems to me each of these candidates should file as write-ins. I can’t speak for the law in Kentucky, but it seem clear enough that anybody who pulls the lever down for the name “intends” to vote for that person.
Some States will not allow a ballot listed candidate to file as a write-in; so it will be tricky…
I say it’s time the “big boys” get a taste of what the “minor parties” have to deal with.