Change needed
Well, it’s that time of year again.
No, we’re not talking about the first signs of spring or the start of another season for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
We’re talking about the annual spring primary, which this year is set for May 20. First comes the candidates filing their nomination petitions to secure spots on the primary ballot. Then, just like clockwork, come legal challenges to knock the candidates off the ballot.
Trapped in paperwork hell this year was Jay Paterno, the former Penn State University assistant football coach and son of the legendary Joe Paterno, who mounted a brief campaign to seek the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.
Paterno’s petitions were challenged by Harrisburg Councilman Brad Koplinski, who’s also seeking the nomination. Koplinski contended that Paterno failed to secure the necessary 1,000 signatures from registered Democrats, including 100 signatures from at least five different counties.
At first, Paterno denied anything was amiss with his petitions, claiming he had closely overseen the entire process. However, he later withdrew from the race, claiming he didn’t want to be a “distraction in the race.”
Locally, Ryan Warner of Perryopolis was knocked off the ballot Wednesday after a Commonwealth Court judge ruled that he didn’t have the 300 valid signatures necessary for his nomination petition. His bid to secure the Republican nomination for the 52nd District of the state House of Representatives had been challenged by two Fayette County women.
Meanwhile, Rose Ambrosino will have her challenge heard in Commonwealth Court on Tuesday, April 8. She’s seeking the Democratic nomination for the 32nd District of the state Senate.
Three Fayette County women are claiming that Ambrosino lacked the necessary 500 valid signatures to be placed on the spring ballot.
Without a doubt, those challenging the petitions are perfectly within their legal rights to do so. Paterno, Warner and Ambrosino, along with every other candidate running for any office in the primary, should know the rules governing the nomination petitions.
However, the problem is that first-time candidates like Paterno, Warner and Ambrosino can often be tripped up by the convoluted system that exists for candidates attempting to get on the ballot. Candidates have to get a certain number of signatures, depending on the office they’re seeking. But candidates have to depend on those signing their petitions to be truthful and knowledgeable.
It’s all a very cumbersome process, and you have to wonder why it even exists. Shouldn’t anyone running for office be able to do so as long as they meet the basic requirements for the office and pay any necessary filing fees? Why should candidates be forced to gather signatures of anyone to seek political office?
The only reason the system exists and has gone unchallenged across the state is that it protects incumbents. They’re the ones who are familiar with all the arcane rules and minutiae that go into making sure all the paperwork is filed properly.
Ever wonder why so few candidates run for office, and why we rarely see newcomers with fresh ideas on the ballot? Well, the system is to blame for a large part of that problem. It’s simply not a level playing field for first-time candidates who can’t be expected to be as familiar with all the nuances of the system as more experienced candidates.
The problem is that the politicians will never change the system on their own. People need to demand that their politicians change it or be voted out of office. Unfortunately, that’s the only way this rigged system will be changed.