This news story says that Betsy Johnson, independent candidate for Governor of Oregon, spent $897,000 on her ballot access petition. She needed 23,744 valid signatures. She collected about 48,000, and the Secretary of State found 37,700 valid.
This news story says that Betsy Johnson, independent candidate for Governor of Oregon, spent $897,000 on her ballot access petition. She needed 23,744 valid signatures. She collected about 48,000, and the Secretary of State found 37,700 valid.
ONE voter forms — via internet – newspapers / junk snail mail ads/ etc.
That is a large amount. It is too expensive.
$18+ per signature?
This is insane, and should be illegal in every state!
I guess she is not really a fiscal conservative.
Maybe she started her petition drive late in the process, as in she may not have allowed herself much time before the deadline. Also, during the time period her petition drive was going, there were a bunch of petitions going in California, both state and local petitions, which paid high rates per signature, plus there were other states with petitions paying during the same time frome. So maybe she had to pay more to lure petition circulators away from petition drives in California and other states, and to keep petition circulators in Oregon from leaving for California or another state.
Eliminate petition signatures and replace with ballot access fee.
Bigdaddyluvsu has a valid point.
If the state were smart, they could collect a lot of money from candidates by charging fees in lieu of signatures. Everyone would win – except maybe professional petition collectors.
But even petition collectors could win if it encouraged more folks to run, and more initiatives to be circulated.
But then how would Andy Gonzalez make a living?