Not fair
If you want to vote in Pennsylvania for a candidate who is not a Democrat or Republican, good luck. This is not exactly the state known for being election-friendly to independent candidates.
Pennsylvania makes it extremely difficult for independent and minor party candidates to get a spot on the ballot. In fact, it might be easier for some candidates to win the lottery than to secure a place on the ballot.
What this means for voters is less competition (Isn’t that what elections are supposed to be all about?), fewer unique ideas being thrown around on the campaign trail and less real choice the day voters step into their polling place.
The system is unfair and does not fit at all with what should be our system of democracy. Third-party candidates can’t even run in primaries in our state because of our closed system.
The state Legislature made sure years ago that minor-party candidates wouldn’t get a leg up in the elections by making sure they needed to collect many more voter signatures than major-party candidates.
They have months instead of weeks to get the signatures, which might sound like a good thing, but because of the longer period, candidates face challenges late in the campaign.
That is what is happening with the Libertarian Party’s presidential candidate. He faces a challenge on petition signatures from the Republican Party. The GOP’s candidate for president is behind in the polls and can’t afford to lose votes to a third party.
On Sept. 13, Commonwealth Court ruled 2-1 that about 9,000 voter signatures being challenged by the GOP are valid. If the Republicans had won the challenge, Gary Johnson, the Libertarian presidential candidate, would have been disqualified and removed from the ballot. Now the decision is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
As a growing number of people become independent voters, bypassing the two major parties, Pennsylvania must make it easier for third-party candidates. It shouldn’t take a court ruling to decide who can run for office.
– Harrisburg Patriot-News