This Columbus, Ohio Dispatch story features candidates who are attempting to get on the ballot for city council. The elections are non-partisan and 1,000 signatures are required. Even though most people would probably assume that it is easy for a candidate to get 1,000 signatures, the story explains the difficulty involved, especially when the signatures must be gathered during cold weather.
ONE election per year in the FALL — before it gets too cold and rotten.
Fall elections due to need to harvest food crops to survive until the next crop harvest.
P.R. and App.V. — NO primaries are needed.
Ballot access deadlines perhaps 12 weeks before the election day.
Getting petition signatures in bad weather – particularly cold weather – does indeed make the process more difficult.
Petition deadlines ought to be when the weather is nice.
Better yet, abolish mandatory petitions and provide a filing fee alternative, as Britain and Canada do (although Canada has mandatory petitions to run for Parliament, they are only 100 signatures).
# 3 See the Monster Looney party , the Elvis Party, etc. in the U.K. — total joke frauds in the U.K. system — footnote parties in the stats.