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Sunday, February 19, 2006

OH-06: We'll Know on Wednesday

Posted by DavidNYC

Wednesday is the day when the Columbiana County Board of Elections will (or won't) certify Charlie Wilson's petitions to get on the ballot for the 6th CD race. (Ohio has a crazy filing system whereby you have to file with the BoE of the most populous county within your CD. Of course, many counties are split into pieces, some CDs contain parts of 10 counties, etc. It's nuts.)

But here's the thing. Charlie Wilson only needed fifty signatures. It's beyond pathetic not to be able to amass that many. In New York, for example, you need 1,250. To be on the safe side, you actually go for four times that many. You assume that a bunch won't actually be registered Dems; that you won't be able to find some on the voter rolls altogether; that some won't live in the right CD; that some will fill out the forms incorrectly.

In New York, that means you want 5,000. For Ohio, that means a whopping 200. Wilson's biggest problem, apparently, is that a bunch of signers aren't residents of the 6th CD. Yeah, blame it on redistricting - but that was four years ago. We've had two congressional elections since then. There's just no excuse for this. And don't expect much love from the Ohio courts - check out this sob story brought to our attention by commenter Ohanon.

For all candidates everywhere, please just follow this one simple rule: Get your freakin' petitions done properly.

Posted at 02:08 PM in 2006 Elections - House, Ohio | Technorati

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Comments

David, actually in Ohio you cannot file more than 150 signatures for a congressional race or that too kicks you off the ballot. So dont tell folks to get 200 !

Posted by: Pounder at February 19, 2006 02:57 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Heh - thanks for that piece of info, Pounder. Obviously, though, my advice still holds in that you should get more than you need because some (maybe as many as three quarters) will be invalid. A campaign should still collect 200 signatures, vet them, and then file 150 (or whatever total number of valid signs they wind up with below 150).

Posted by: DavidNYC at February 19, 2006 03:31 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

After reading that, i'm happy that Missouri's system is a bit more simple

The documents needed in Missouri are a receipt from the party for the fee (which is $100), a voter ID card (not a photo id though), and proof of identity (voter ID, drivers license, birth certificate, other form of ceritified or photo ID)

Although blowing it on a 50 signature thing is sorta like missing an extra point.

Posted by: RBH at February 19, 2006 04:11 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

And where was the DCCC and the local Dem party in all this? Isn't their job to ensure such things never happen?

This has got to be the dumbest mistake a candidate can make.

Posted by: purpleday at February 19, 2006 05:15 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I'm guessing the DCCC and the ODP just assumed that somebody who had raised over $400K could also get 50 signatures.

Posted by: RBH at February 19, 2006 06:08 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Yeah, I gotta say, this is exactly the sort of thing a candidate and campaign alone has to take care of, given the tiny number of petitions involved. If he had needed a thousand, say, then you go to the county parties. But 50? That's like tying your shoes.

Posted by: DavidNYC at February 19, 2006 07:17 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Yeah we got real pro's out there....

Look at Busby for the difference....

Posted by: Stuart O'Neill at February 19, 2006 07:44 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Here's a longshot idea. If the worst happens and Wilson ends up off the ballot, is there any chance neighbor Paul Hackett could take the reins? Different states have different residency requirements (think Tammy Duckworth running in a neighboring district from her IL home) and it sure seems as though Ohio's election laws are about as rigid as they come. Still, it might at least be worth a glance to see if it's doable.

Posted by: Mark at February 19, 2006 08:31 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Actually, if you wanna get technical, Wilson doesn't live in OH-6. So if Wilson could run in OH-6. Hackett could.

But, I am as likely to run for that district as Hackett is. And i'm 20 and from Missouri.

Posted by: RBH at February 19, 2006 09:47 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Actually, Charlie could still be the Democratic nominee as a write-in candidate:

declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate in the Primary Election must be filed not later than 4 p.m., March 13, 2006 (50 days before the election). (R.C. 3513.041) A write-in candidate must pay the same filing fee as any other candidate for the office. (R.C. 3513.10(A) and (B))

Roger Anderson was nominated that way in OH-05 a while back.

However, my understanding is that other candidates have filed for this spot, who one assumes, got their petitions filed correctly- so their names will be on the ballot, which makes it almost impossible to win as a write-in.

And gawd I hate to even mention this but...

There are procedures where the primary winner could withdraw (after the Primary results are certified) and the Party could replace them on the General election ballot.

Posted by: Ohanon at February 20, 2006 10:46 AM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

Sorry off topic, but for disappointed Hackett supporters -- he's not dropping out of politics totally. He's joined up with Wes Clark and the IAVA PAC:

http://miaculpa.blogspot.com/2006/02/update-on-paul-hackett.html

Also, he'll be on with Tweety today not sure what time as I've been on the road and can't half think straight 'bout now.

Posted by: desi at February 20, 2006 05:56 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment