With more than 400 people running for election every two years in New Hampshire, one might think it's easy to get on the an election ballot. And it is if you are a Democrat or Republican. But for candidates who aren't affiliated with either party, getting on the ballot means some serious work.
NHPR's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Sfx: footfalls
About the only thing all candidates share is the long walk down the marble-floored statehouse hallway to the Secretary of State's Office.
Once Republicans or Democrats get there, they sign their name and pay the administrative assessment fee. That's it. Their names will now appear on the primary ballot. But for all others, the process is not that easy. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Ladd.
:12 any candidate who wants to run for election other than R or D, can do so. The first step they need to do is file a declaration of intent during the filing period in June, and pay the fee that is required by law.
This is what David Gooselin heard when he filed for US Senate back in June. But the North Conway resident had to do more than write a check and fill out some paperwork. Again, Karen Ladd.
:59 he needs to submit to us 3000 individual nomination papers, signed by registered voters, 1500 in each of the two Congressional districts. First step is to get voters to sign the nomination paper, he needs to submit those papers to the supervisors of the checklist in the town of where the voter is from, and they need to verify that that voter is a registered voter in that town.
Track 3
:23 I kind of call it my own Normandy.
David Gosselin's analogy of the process.
except they had a lot of troops and a lot of ships, and I have me and my car. Some volunteer people here or there.
Gosselin calls the gathering and verification of 3000 signatures a logistical nightmare. He filed his declaration of intent June 14th, and since then has managed some 200 signatures. While he didn't fully commit to collecting the signatures until last week, Gosselin says he needs 800 signatures a day before the August 7th deadline.
1:58 I don't go door to door. I go to people I know, if I go door to door, I don't have the energy the time, but if I go to businesses, you hear, give me some, I'll take five. Or I'll take one for my wife. There is no reticence about doing it.
Finding groups of people in one place is part of Gosselin's struggle. As he says, there's no handbook for getting people to sign a petition.
And while finding summer events, like Balloon Day in Pittsfield, isn't too hard, all the people who sign the petitions might not be registered New Hampshire voters. That's why Gosselin and all other unaffiliated candidates must hunt out town Supervisors of Checklists, the town officials who verifiy voters' status. The three person board typically volunteers, that means no office hours. Gosselin details the experieince.
5:46 : I have to go the chairman, and if I find him or her, and give them my 200-250 petitions, he or she needs to get a hold of, if they are not somewhere else, the majority of the board, so they have to get another person. Then, a majority of the board has to certify.
Gosselin isn't the only person trying to get his name on the ballot. John Babiarz, the Libertarian candidate for governor has been working the crowds since the spring. Party Volunteer Nicole Solati says expending energy on getting enough petitions takes away from valuable campaign time.
4:36 It's incredibly frustrating to spend any time available after work any available time on the weekends, having to go collect petitions, and granted if you can go out and campaign for the person, but if you are at a city dump, town fair, and since you have to collect so many, you don't have time to talk to people. You are just trying to get as many petitions signed as possible. So after you have the ones you need, you can start focusing on your campaign.
Richard Winger sees requiring candidates to collect so many signatures, or chasing down volunteer town officials as a way to routinely keep people off the ballot. Winger is the editor of the Ballot Access News, and keeps track of election laws across the country. He says New Hampshire is not the worst offender of ballot access laws, but that doesn't mean the state couldn't improve.
15:42 I would lower the number of signatures needed, for independents running for the legislature, I would get rid of the June declaration of candidacy, I would get rid of the distribution requirement, it's not really needed, if the person can get the 3000 signatures, it shouldn't matter where they come from in the state.
Alternative Candidate David Gosselin and all other third-party candidates must gather the 3000 signatures and submit them to city and town officials by August 7th.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
