Ariel Chesler has this article on Huffington Post. From his own personal experience, he knows that many New Yorkers don’t realize that candidates can’t get on ballots unless voters are willing to sign petitions for them. Especially telling is one voter, who, when asked to sign, said, “Let the candidates get themselves on the ballot!”

The problem is surely much worse in states such as Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. In those states, candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot don’t need petitions. Also those states don’t have the statewide initiative process. So voters are even less aware of the importance of petitioning, because the only groups that petition are minor parties and independent candidates.