Election Reform

Ballot access laws that dictate how a candidate gets on a ballot in Pennsylvania treat major party candidates like the democrats and republicans differently from all other candidates.

To get on the ballot for a major party candidate, there is a set number of petition signatures the candidate must collect from registered voters in the district. For all other candidates, the number of signatures is equal to 2% of the highest vote getter in the district in the last election.

This leads to huge differences in the number of signatures required. For local offices, the number of signatures required for an independent or third-party candidate can be 10 times as many as the the major party candidates. For statewide offices, the number required for independent and third-party candidates is thousands of signatures more.

These unfair requirements make it difficult for an independent or third-party candidate to run for statewide office and increase the cost of running for office.

In 2012, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that unequal treatment of candidates was unconstitutional, but the ruling was only applied to the Constitution Party and only to certain statewide offices. The legislature needs to act to change the law. Third-Party and Independent candidates should have the same requirements to get on a ballot as major party candidates.

Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states with closed primaries. Even though unaffiliated and third-party voters pay for primary elections, they are not permitted to vote in them and independent and third-party candidates are not allowed to participate.

Our tax dollars should not be spent to advantage the two major parties. Excluding all other candidates and their voters from primaries disenfranchises voters and disadvantages candidates.

We are calling for fair competition in primary elections. We propose opening primaries to independent and third-party candidates with a plus one ballot. Each major party will get its own ballot with one additional ballot for all other candidates. Independent and third-party voters will vote on the plus one ballot.

Independents and third-party voters make up almost 16% percent of the electorate in Pennsylvania, they should not be forced to register as a democrat or republican just to be allowed to vote. They deserve to have the candidates they support on the primary ballot.

Voting districts are redrawn every decade when Census results show a change in the population. Redistricting was meant to be a process to ensure that voters have equal representation, but the major parties have used it to create districts that guarantee their victory.

The outcome of the election should not be predetermined by the outline of the district. More voices need to be included in redistricting to provide fair representation.

We need to create an independent committee to draw new district maps and create districts based on equal distribution of voters, not party registration to benefit the party in power.

Pennsylvania does not have any laws restricting the amount of money a candidate can receive from a single donor in state and local elections. This has led to donations of over a million dollars from one donor to candidates across the state.

How can the interest of voters compete with special interest groups and individuals with such deep pockets? We need to create limits on the amount of money that individuals and groups can donate to Pennsylvania candidates that are in proportion to federal campaign finance laws for federal candidates.

The Pennsylvania election code allows opponents to challenge ballot access petition signatures in court and attempt to keep their opponents off the ballot.

Ballot access petition rules already required the election offices to check petition signatures against voter roles to verify signatures are valid. Lawsuits brought by opponents generally challenge signatures based on trivial discrepancies like poor penmanship, abbreviated town names, and the type of paper used to print the petitions.

These lawsuits amount to harassment and an attempt to defund an opponents campaign. Many candidates will withdraw because they cannot afford the incredible court costs associated with a ballot access court fight.

We need to restrict the ability of political opponents to use the courts to kick opponents off ballots and bankrupt their campaigns with frivolous lawsuits. Election boards are capable of verifying ballot access signatures. Allowing opponents to sue a candidate makes running for office more expensive, creates problems for election officials who need to print ballots in time for the election, and ensures that candidates with enough money can win their election in court by having their opponent removed from the ballot. The voters, not the lawyers, should decide election winners.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that parts of the Election Code of 1937 are unconstitutional such as prohibiting felons from voting after their release from prison, requiring a different number of petition signatures for different candidates to get on the ballot, and allowing major parties to sue minor parties for legal fees in ballot access lawsuits. New laws need to reflect these rulings.

The Pennsylvania Election Code of 1937 contains contradictions and parts of it have been ruled unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. This leaves the county boards of election to make determinations about which laws to follow. Do they follow the law or the court rulings? If they follow the law, which part?

Decisions vary from county to county. Voters in Pennsylvania are not treated equally. This leaves counties open to lawsuit and gives major parties the opportunity to use this unequal treatment to manipulate elections in court.

We need to rewrite the election code to incorporate crucial Supreme Court decisions, remove contradictions, and set clear procedures for county election boards to follow.

County Boards of Election should have clear guidance on election procedures. Annual meetings and trainings to answer Election Board questions and reach agreed upon procedures that comply with state law would provide equal treatment of voters in all PA counties

Remove contradictions between amendments and the original language of the 1937 Code. Host an open forum with County Boards of Election to discuss questions that arise. Rewrite the Code to give a definitive answer to election officials and eliminate potential lawsuits over ambiguity

Under current law, politicians in Pennsylvania are free to receive gifts of any size from parties with business before the state. This is tantamount to legal bribery.

We need to ban political office holders from accepting gifts from any person or group with business before the government and bring integrity back to Harrisburg.